Ma 2 is officially in development, and Octavia Spencer is back to terrify audiences once again.
The 55-year-old Oscar winner is reprising her role as Sue Ann Ellington, the unsettling party host turned killer from the 2019 psychological thriller Ma. Fans of the original film have been clamoring for a follow-up, and now Blumhouse Productions has answered that call.
Jason Blum, the CEO of Blumhouse, confirmed the news, highlighting Spencer’s unforgettable performance in the first film. “Ma has proven to be a social phenomenon since its release in 2019, with fans eagerly embracing the film and Octavia’s iconic performance as Ma,” he said. “Ma likes to say ‘don’t make me drink alone,’ so we’re thrilled Octavia will join us again for a second round.”
Although the sequel is still in early development, with no director or release date set, the return of Spencer has already sparked major excitement. The first Ma, directed by Tate Taylor (The Help), followed a lonely vet who befriended a group of teens and invited them to party in her basement, until things took a violent and twisted turn. While her character appeared to die at the end, the death was never clearly shown on screen, leaving room for a sequel.
Taylor, who has been longtime friends and collaborators with Spencer, had teased a potential follow-up as far back as 2021. “Can you believe how much Ma lives on? Isn’t that just crazy?” he told Entertainment Weekly. “I know Octavia would do it, that’s why I purposely left her death ambiguous!”
His idea for a sequel was just as wild as the first. “My idea is that she’s moved to another town, and she has open houses in another city and kills people in the open house,” Taylor said. “I think she’d be a real estate agent in the Pacific Northwest, and just murder white people looking at McMansions. That’s as far as I’ve gotten!”
Spencer and Taylor’s collaboration goes way back. They met as production assistants on A Time To Kill in Mississippi and became roommates when they moved to L.A. “When you have someone who has your best interest at heart and it’s mutual, we trust each other,” Spencer said. “He trusts me as an actor, I trust him as a director and writer.”
Whether Taylor returns to direct or not, one thing’s clear, Sue Ann isn’t done yet. And if she’s anything like before, she won’t be drinking alone.
Stay tuned for more updates on Ma 2, because Octavia Spencer’s not just back, she’s ready to party again.
