It’s been more than 10 years since John Jarratt walked off into the Australian outback in Wolf Creek 2 as serial killer Mick Taylor, but the deranged psychopath is getting ready for a big return in 2025 with the sequel Wolf Creek: Legacy. First released in 2005, Wolf Creek has gone on to be regarded as one of the best Australian horror films of all-time, and for elevating the sub-genre known as torture porn to new heights with its rich character development and stunning cinematography. Directed by Greg McLean, its 2013 sequel was met with equal praise, with The Sydney Morning Herald calling it at the time “the greatest Aussie flick ever made.”
Per Deadline, McLean will return to produce Wolf Creek: Legacy – which is set to once again feature Jarratt in the lead – with directorial duties this time falling to Sean Lahiff, who served as editor on Wolf Creek 2, and the short-lived TV spinoff series of the same name. With a script by Duncan Samarasinghe, the third entry in the franchise will see Jarratt do battle with a resourceful pair of American kids who are left to fend for themselves after the death of their parents. Check out the synopsis for Wolf Creek: Legacy below, which has thus far only announced IT: Chapter Two’s Jay Ryan to be featured alongside Jarratt.
“This time around it’s a family of American tourists who wander innocently into Taylor’s hunting grounds. When the parents sacrifice themselves to save their children, the kids find themselves alone, lost and hunted in the vast Australian wilderness. Will this fresh prey – two wily, resourceful Zoomers – prove harder for the ageing predator to consume?”
Why Isn’t Greg McLean Directing Wolf Creek: Legacy?
Given the success of the first two entries in the franchise, one would think that McLean would be eager to return to helm the long-awaited third installment instead of letting someone else take over, but he seems to be busy right now getting ready to shoot his biblical horror film The First Exorcist. As such, he’s confident that Lahiff will do the series justice thanks to his longtime connection to Wolf Creek, saying that sometimes it’s nice to have a “fresh perspective” on things.
“I’ve always believed in the power of fresh perspectives, and that’s why I’m thrilled to introduce Sean Lahiff as the director of
Wolf Creek Legacy
. Sean isn’t just stepping into this world; he’s been a part of it for years. This new chapter in the Wolf Creek saga is something I’m incredibly excited about: it’s a bold new story that honors the roots of the franchise while pushing it into new, uncharted territory.”
For his part, Lahiff says that Wolf Creek: Legacy will be so much more than just your everyday slasher film, calling it a movie that will look to explore “the psychological terror of being hunted,” and promising that, like the previous two films, the Australian outback will once again be its own character.
“I aim to deliver the horror and suspense that fans of the Wolf Creek franchise and wider genre theater goers expect but to add a new depth to the story. We’re exploring the psychological terror of being hunted, the fear and resilience of these young characters, and the nightmarish quality of the Outback itself. This is a story that will keep audiences on the edge of their seats, but it will also tap into something deeper – the primal fears that dark fairytales have always played on.”
Wolf Creek: Legacy is currently in pre-production, with shooting expected to get underway early in 2025 for a release later in the year. Hopefully, fans will finally get to see this one come to fruition, as the project has had a couple of starts and stops recently thanks to delays attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ll have more news on the Australian horror film, including casting, as it becomes available.