Released in 2016, William Brent Bell‘s (Orphan: First Kill) horror movie The Boy introduced the character of Brahms, a creepy doll that ended up being a red herring in the film. The doll itself, we learn in the final act, isn’t actually cursed or able to come to life, but rather a man living in the walls of the movie’s central location has been moving the doll around the house.
The 2020 sequel Brahms: The Boy II, however, doesn’t pick up from that point at all, but rather turns Brahms into your run-of-the-mill evil doll. That was not the original plan for a sequel, but the viral popularity of the Brahms character dictated the new direction for the franchise.
So what’s next? Will Brahms be returning for The Boy 3?
Speaking with Bloody Disgusting’s The Boo Crew Podcast in a new chat that went live this week, William Brent Bell notes that there’s still much more to explore in the world of Brahms…
“I think like everything it’s tricky. There should be a third boy,” Brent Bell tells The Boo Crew. “Initially, we were gonna roll the sequel right into the story about the slasher killer. And then years went by and, it’s like, if we had made that film with Jason Blum, he would have been making the third movie by the time the second movie came out, because he knows when he has something that people are interested in. And we didn’t have that kind of mechanics, you know, so everybody’s more tiptoeing around, waiting to be told what to do.
“And after a few years, it was the doll that kind of lived on and on social media had become a meme and, and they were like, wow, he’s outlasted the movie. And so then the focus was more on him, like his story, sort of, and now, it’s like, I think the guy in the wall… edits on Tik Tok have 200 million views, and the amount of [fan] art… it’s infinite. And it’s all so interesting, creative. And people are so in love with that character. And of course, the two characters together are still an interesting team.
“And I love that kind of story… kind of like with Esther, getting to see a side of them, and humanizing them, or at least seeing what they go through. And yes, she’s a sociopath, she makes bad choices, but I can relate to how a tougher life must be. Similarly, with Brahms, you know, it’s like, oh, yeah, you’re kind of a bad kid, and your parents hit you to protect you, but they also kind of made you crazier. So similarly, if we ever did that, or if they did it, or however, to me, it’s like the Joker version. And it’ll be 10 years and then… okay, he survived that first film.”
Brent Bell continues, “That was always in the script initially for the sequel: they never found his body. And to me, that’s fascinating… what’s he been doing since then? And then why does he start killing again? Maybe. But there’s a lot of great stories and there’s prequels. That’s another rich world that lends itself to a lot.”
You can listen to The Boo Crew’s full chat with William Brent Bell below.
Would you like to see The Boy 3 someday down the road? Sound off in the comments!