AceShowbiz - The release date for the highly anticipated follow-up to Longlegs starring Nicolas Cage has been officially announced. The original 2024 horror film, directed and written by Osgood Perkins, featured Cage as a chilling Satanic serial killer and became a box office sensation. With a modest budget under $10 million, the film grossed an impressive $128 million worldwide, setting records for its genre and budget range.

In April 2026, news broke that Cage and Perkins would reunite for a new installment set within the Longlegs universe. Although this upcoming film will not serve as a direct sequel to the original, it promises to expand the story’s dark and unsettling world. Paramount Pictures, which is distributing the new project instead of the original’s distributor Neon, has confirmed a theatrical release date of January 14, 2028.

While January is traditionally a challenging month for box office success, this release is strategically timed to coincide with the four-day Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. Historically, this weekend has proven lucrative for Paramount, with notable successes such as the 2022 horror hit Scream opening to $33.1 million domestically, 2024’s comedy Mean Girls debuting with $33.6 million, and 2008’s Cloverfield setting a studio record with a $46.1 million opening. The performance of Scream and Cloverfield also demonstrates that horror films can thrive during this holiday period.

As of the announcement, the only known competition for the new Longlegs film in that weekend is an untitled Disney movie. While the presence of a Disney film could pose some challenges, its family-friendly audience typically differs from the mature, R-rated horror demographic targeted by Nicolas Cage and Osgood Perkins’ project.

Plot details for the new Longlegs movie remain tightly under wraps. However, it is confirmed that Cage will reprise his terrifying role from the original film and will also serve as a producer. Perkins is involved as director, writer, and producer, alongside producers Brian Kavanaugh Jones, Chris Ferguson, and Dave Caplan, signaling a strong creative team behind the project.

The original Longlegs was not only a commercial blockbuster but also received critical acclaim. It holds a "Certified Fresh" rating of 85% on Rotten Tomatoes, reflecting positive reviews from critics. In a review for ScreenRant, Graeme Guttmann awarded the film seven out of 10 stars, describing it as “unnerving and atmospheric, and ultimately, surprisingly sorrowful.” The audience score on Rotten Tomatoes is somewhat lower at 61%, but this did not impede the film’s record-breaking box office performance.

Looking ahead, the new film’s success will depend on a variety of factors. The original was an independent production with a smaller budget and an element of surprise, which helped fuel word-of-mouth excitement. In contrast, the upcoming installment is backed by one of the world’s largest studios, Paramount, and is part of a growing cinematic horror universe. These differences could either boost the film’s profile or present new challenges.

Ultimately, the January 14, 2028 release date during the lucrative MLK weekend offers promising potential for the film’s commercial performance. The combination of Nicolas Cage’s return, Osgood Perkins’ creative direction, and Paramount’s distribution muscle sets the stage for what could be another significant chapter in the Longlegs franchise.