Jessica Rothe Breaks Happy Death Day 3 Story as Beware Boiúna Opens
Jessica Rothe and film-maker Chris Landon have broken the story for a third Happy Death Day film, Deadline reported in September 2026.
Rothe discussed the retooling effort in an interview published by The Hollywood Reporter on 7 October 2026. The update arrived while her new survival horror, Lionsgate's Beware Boiúna, is in theatres.
In Beware Boiúna, Rothe stars as Alli, a medical student on a humanitarian mission to the Amazon. The mission brings the team face to face with the Boiúna, a giant black serpent from Brazilian folklore. Kiana Madeira co-stars as Lena, an Amazon native guide. The film was directed by Mike P. Nelson.
Nelson is set to direct Saw 11. Rothe is on a run. Five of her horror films — Affection, Imposters, Beware Boiúna, River and Pathetic Fallacy — reached theatres or festivals in 2026, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
River pairs Rothe with Jane Levy. The film premiered at TIFF, the Toronto International Film Festival, and is slated for a January theatrical release. Jason Blum and Universal acquired it for more than $10 million, even though it already had a theatrical distribution deal with IFC/Shudder — an agreement that decides which company puts a film into cinemas.
The push for Happy Death Day 3 follows a long pause. The first Happy Death Day earned $125 million worldwide in 2017. Its sequel, Happy Death Day 2U, arrived in February 2019 with a $9 million production budget, the cost of shooting the film before marketing is added.
That sequel fell 48 percent short of the first film's worldwide gross. Development of a third film then stalled over a budgetary dispute with Blumhouse, the horror company behind the series.
What makes this stand out is the sheer volume of work. Five horror releases in one calendar year is rare for any lead actor. For fans, this means Rothe has stayed firmly in the genre while the third Happy Death Day film finds its shape.
