The Babadook 2 (2025)

After nearly a decade of silence, one of the most unsettling and psychologically gripping horror films of the 2010s is returning for a highly anticipated sequel. The Babadook 2, slated for release in 2025, promises to delve deeper into the haunting world of the infamous monster, blending terror with an even more intense exploration of grief, trauma, and the human psyche. While the first Babadook (2014) left audiences haunted by its enigmatic and terrifying antagonist, this sequel teases that the Babadook’s dark presence is far from over.

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The teaser for The Babadook 2 begins with an eerie, familiar scene: a dark, empty house. The camera slowly pans over dusty shelves and forgotten belongings, as a somber, atmospheric soundtrack sets the tone. The tension is palpable as viewers are reminded of the first film’s claustrophobic atmosphere, where the Babadook’s looming presence was not just a physical threat, but a manifestation of deep psychological trauma.

The teaser doesn’t give away much, but it reveals one crucial detail: the story will follow a new protagonist. The woman at the center of this sequel is shown reading a children’s book titled Mister Babadook—the same disturbing book that caused so much terror in the first film. As she flips through the pages, the same ominous words from the original book appear on screen, and the camera lingers on her face as a look of dread slowly overtakes her. Is the Babadook’s curse continuing, or is it taking on a new form?

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While the original Babadook focused on Amelia (Essie Davis) and her son Samuel (Noah Wiseman), The Babadook 2 shifts the narrative to an entirely new family. The teaser introduces a single mother, Claire (played by a yet-to-be-disclosed actress), who, like Amelia, seems to be struggling with the death of a loved one and the challenges of raising her young child. The psychological undertones of the first film, centered around grief, loss, and maternal anxiety, will likely carry over into the sequel, though the specifics of the story remain shrouded in mystery.

At the same time, we catch glimpses of a more insidious force at play. The Babadook—both as a physical entity and a symbol of unprocessed trauma—seems to be returning with an even greater thirst for destruction. In a chilling moment from the teaser, Claire’s young child is shown drawing disturbing images, reminiscent of Samuel’s drawings in the first film. Is the Babadook returning to possess this new family, or is it merely repeating its cycle of torment with a fresh victim?

One of the most intriguing aspects of The Babadook 2 is its potential to expand on the mythology established in the original film. While the first Babadook left many questions unanswered, The Babadook 2 may explore the origins of the creature and the curse that haunts those it encounters. In a brief but intense sequence in the teaser, we see a shadowy figure in a library surrounded by old books, with one particular tome glowing ominously. Could this suggest a deeper connection to the Babadook’s origins—perhaps a hidden history of the creature that will be revealed in the sequel?

Fans have long speculated that the Babadook is not merely a supernatural entity but a symbol of repressed grief and trauma. The idea that the creature represents an emotional “monster” rather than a physical one was one of the most captivating elements of the first film. The Babadook 2 might expand on this theory, showing that the creature is not a singular force but something that feeds off unresolved pain and suffering, with each new victim serving as a vessel for its insidious power.

One of the most exciting aspects of The Babadook 2 is the return of Jennifer Kent, the writer and director of the first film, who will once again take the helm. Kent’s masterful use of psychological horror and emotional depth in The Babadook turned it into a modern classic, earning it widespread acclaim and a devoted fanbase. Her return to the franchise gives hope that the sequel will not only live up to the original film’s eerie atmosphere but will also continue to explore the complexities of grief and mental illness with the same level of depth.

In interviews, Kent has hinted that The Babadook 2 will dive deeper into the emotional and psychological horror elements that made the first film so unsettling. She has described the sequel as “a more intense exploration of how grief can consume a person and how the mind can create its own monsters.” This suggests that the new film will maintain the sense of dread and tension that defined the original, while possibly expanding on its themes in unexpected ways.

From the teaser, it’s clear that The Babadook 2 will not be a conventional horror sequel. It looks set to build on the atmosphere of dread and the slow-burning tension that made the first film so impactful. Rather than relying on jump scares or conventional monster movie tropes, the sequel seems poised to delve even deeper into the psychological and emotional terror that made the Babadook such a haunting figure.