Light spoilers for The Boogeyman lie ahead, so read at your own risk.
Interconnected movie universes have become a staple in Hollywood. Yet even before the Marvel Cinematic Universe kicked off and Miles Morales began traversing across the Spider-Verse, Stephen King was building his own interconnected world of characters in his novels. Director Rob Savage recently shed light on the connections between his acclaimed found footage horror films Host (which you should totally watch on your computer), Dashcam, and his newly released Stephen King adaptation, The Boogeyman. And yes, he has sneakily established his own horror movie universe.
During a conversation with our own ReelBlend Podcast, co-host Jake Hamilton mentioned a cameo from Seylan Baxter, who portrayed a British medium in Host, and inquired about the films' interconnectedness. When asked about the timeline and continuity, the director provided an intriguing response, stating:
I think the timeline goes as such: I think you could watch Host, and then there's a scene where Seylan says… Well, they’re hearing a creepy banging noise and she says, ‘Oh, it’s my groceries. It’s my delivery.’ She goes to the front door she goes off-camera for a little bit. She walks into Dashcam, where she meets Annie's character picking up a delivery. Gives her the demonic, um, demonically possessed old lady, comes back, ruins the girl's night with the seance...
Wow, the filmmaker really put some serious thought into all of this! So where exactly does his latest feature fit into this timeline then? Well, as he further explained:
Boogeyman’s probably like a couple of years later. She's gotten away with it, you know, and maybe the characters in The Boogeyman heard a story about, you know, these girls who all died on a Zoom call. But it just becomes a kind of local folklore and bleeds off into the background. So I think Seylan, by this point, has gotten away scot-free.
All in all, Rob Savage's answer reveals a clever and intricate connection between his prior two found footage films and his adaptation of the Master of Horror’s classic short story. At least to the filmmaker, it seems that The Boogeyman takes place in the same universe as Host and Dashcam, with the character Seylan (Seylan Baxter) being the crucial link between all three stories. Her encounter with the demonic entity in the latter film provides a chilling foundation for the events that unfold in The Boogeyman. Catch Reelblend's full interview with Savage in the video below:
In addition to connecting his films, the director included numerous Easter eggs for Stephen King fans. The movie references the writer’s works so much that even the director discovers new ones upon rewatches.
While several big movies are releasing this summer, including family-friendly options, horror enthusiasts should check out The Boogeyman, which debuted this weekend. This adaptation of Stephen King's 1973 short story is part of the author's extensive lineup of upcoming movies and miniseries, and reviews of the King flick have been mostly positive. Our own Eric Eisenberg gave it 4 out of 5 stars, calling it a super scary expansion of the original story.
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While The Boogeyman has its roots firmly planted in the terrifying world of Stephen King, it also promises to be a haunting addition to Rob Savage's filmography. One can only wonder if, moving forward, he will continue to connect his cinematic horror world. If you're eager for more scares, explore the other horror movies lined up for 2023, and look at our schedule of 2023 new movie releases to stay updated on upcoming flicks that are hitting the big screen and streaming.
Ryan LaBee
Writer
Ryan graduated from Missouri State University with a BA in English/Creative Writing. An expert in all things horror, Ryan enjoys covering a wide variety of topics. He's also a lifelong comic book fan and an avid watcher of Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon.
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