It has been ages. Seriously. If you’re like me, you probably remember sitting in a dark theater back in 2019, watching a pale, stringy-haired entity slowly shuffle down a red-lit hospital hallway. That was the Pale Lady, and she was terrifying. Since then? Mostly crickets. Fans have been scouring YouTube and Reddit daily for a scary stories to tell in the dark 2 trailer, but the reality of the situation is a bit more tangled than a Jangly Man’s limbs.
Development hell is a real place. It’s where sequels go to wait while lawyers argue over rights and producers check their bank accounts. While we all want to see what Sarah Bellows has written in her book next, the path to a second film hasn't been a straight line.
What’s the Hold Up With the Sequel?
Let's be honest. The first movie was a hit. It pulled in about $105 million globally on a relatively modest budget. In Hollywood terms, that usually means a sequel is greenlit before the popcorn is even swept off the floor. And it was! Paramount and Entertainment One officially announced a sequel was in the works back in April 2020. André Øvredal was set to return as director, and Dan Hageman and Kevin Hageman were back on script duties. Even Guillermo del Toro, the master of monsters himself, was attached to craft the story.
Then the world stopped.
The pandemic didn't just delay filming; it shifted the entire landscape of who owned what. Entertainment One (eOne), which was a major player in the first film's production, went through a massive acquisition by Hasbro, and then later, Lionsgate bought eOne’s film and TV assets. When companies change hands like that, projects often get stuck in the "due diligence" phase. Basically, the paperwork became scarier than the Big Toe monster.
Why You Haven’t Seen a Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark 2 Trailer Yet
If you see a video on YouTube right now titled "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark 2 - Official Trailer (2025)," I have some bad news. It’s fake. It’s almost certainly a "concept trailer" made by a fan using clips from The Autopsy of Jane Doe, Mama, or IT. These channels thrive on your desperation for news. They use AI-generated voices and clever editing to make it look like Stella and the gang are back, but as of right now, no official footage exists.
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Production hasn't actually started. You can't have a trailer without a movie.
André Øvredal gave a small update a while back, essentially saying that the script was being worked on and they were still very much interested in making it. But "interested" isn't the same as "cameras are rolling." The Hageman brothers have been busy with other massive projects, including Star Trek: Prodigy, which might have thinned their schedule.
There is also the matter of the source material. Alvin Schwartz wrote three books. There are dozens of stories left to adapt. "The Ribbon," "The Dream," and "The Dead Man's Hand" are all sitting there, waiting to be turned into nightmare fuel. The creative team has the map; they just need the gas money and the legal clearance to start the car.
Which Monsters Are Lurking in the Shadows?
The first film did a brilliant job of weaving disparate short stories into a cohesive 1960s-era narrative. It wasn't just an anthology; it was a rescue mission. If we ever do get that scary stories to tell in the dark 2 trailer, we can expect it to double down on the practical effects that made the first one so visceral.
- The High Beams: This is a classic urban legend that almost everyone knows. A girl is being followed by a truck that keeps flashing its lights. It’s psychological, tense, and fits the "road trip" vibe the first movie ended on.
- The Ribbon: This is the one fans ask for the most. A girl wears a green ribbon around her neck and never takes it off. You know how it ends. It’s simple, haunting, and would be a great "short" sequence within the larger film.
- The Window: This story involves a creature trying to get into a house, and it provides that claustrophobic horror Øvredal is so good at.
The first film ended with Stella, her father, and Ruth heading out to find a way to save Chuck and Auggie. They believe the stories can be "untold" or changed. This gives the sequel a clear direction. It’s a search-and-rescue mission into the supernatural.
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The Del Toro Factor and Practical Effects
One reason people are so hungry for a scary stories to tell in the dark 2 trailer is the unique aesthetic. Guillermo del Toro doesn't like CGI-heavy monsters. He likes guys in suits. He likes foam latex and animatronics.
The Harold the Scarecrow sequence worked because there was a physical presence in that cornfield. The Pale Lady worked because Mark Steger—a legendary creature performer—was actually there, walking down the hall in a massive prosthetic suit. This commitment to physical horror is what separates this franchise from the generic jump-scare fests that dominate the January box office.
If the sequel happens, the budget needs to be high enough to maintain that level of craft. That might be one of the sticking points in negotiations. Quality monsters aren't cheap.
Can the Sequel Actually Live Up to the Hype?
Sequels are tricky. Horror sequels are even trickier. Often, the mystery is gone. We know how the book works now. We know that if your name appears on the page, you're in trouble. To keep it fresh, the writers have to change the "rules" of Sarah Bellows' stories.
Maybe the book isn't the only cursed object. Maybe the stories start writing themselves in the real world without the book even being present. There’s a lot of room to play with the idea of folklore becoming reality.
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Honestly, the biggest hurdle isn't the story. It's the momentum. The kids from the first movie—Zoe Colletti, Gabriel Rush, and Austin Zajur—are all much older now. If they wait much longer, it won't be a direct sequel; it'll be a "ten years later" legacy sequel. That changes the tone significantly.
What to Watch While You Wait
Since a real scary stories to tell in the dark 2 trailer isn't dropping tomorrow, you need something to fill the void.
- Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities (Netflix): This is essentially the adult version of Scary Stories. Each episode is a standalone tale, often using the same practical effects teams. "The Autopsy" and "The Viewing" are standouts.
- The Autopsy of Jane Doe: If you want to see what director André Øvredal can do with a limited budget and a single location, watch this. It is far more intense than Scary Stories but shares that same sense of dread.
- Tales from the Crypt: Go back to the roots. The blend of dark humor and genuine "gross-out" horror in the original series is exactly what inspired the Scary Stories books in the first place.
The Verdict on the Trailer Release
Based on current production cycles, if the movie were to start filming in mid-2025, we wouldn't see a scary stories to tell in the dark 2 trailer until early 2026. That feels like a long time. It is a long time. But in the world of horror, sometimes things need to rot a little bit before they’re ready to be dug up.
The project isn't dead, but it is in a coma. The best thing fans can do is keep talking about it. Studio executives look at social media engagement and search trends. If they see people are still looking for that trailer, they’re more likely to cut the check and get the cameras moving.
Next Steps for Fans
Stop clicking on "Concept" or "Fan Made" trailers on YouTube; they only reward clickbait creators and don't provide real information. Instead, follow André Øvredal and the Hageman brothers on social media, as they are the most likely sources for a "first day of school" photo from the set. Check trade publications like Deadline or The Hollywood Reporter for news on Lionsgate’s upcoming production slate, as that is where an official announcement will live first. Finally, revisit the original Alvin Schwartz books—specifically More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones—to see which urban legends you think will make the cut for the next film.