Director Christopher Landon just hit the marquee again with the well-reviewed thriller Drop, which has me even more excited about the upcoming threequel in the Happy Death Day black comedy slasher series. Both Happy Death Day and its sequel, Happy Death Day 2U, were critical and box office hits for Blumhouse Productions, and have evolved into landmark modern slasher movies. Both movies elevate the traditional slasher formula by placing the primary victim in a time loop, forcing her to relive her murder at the hands of a baby-face-masked killer over and over again.

After several years of uncertainty, Happy Death Day 3 was confirmed by director Christopher Landon and franchise star Jessica Rothe in April 2025. The franchise was originally thought to be ᴅᴇᴀᴅ after Happy Death Day 2U underperformed expectations at the box office (although it did earn well over $60 million on a $9 million budget), but a third installment is currently in development. While it remains to be seen if the threequel gets a theatrical release or is remanded to a streaming platform, the success of Landon’s most recent movie should bode well for Happy Death Day 3.

Drop Is Another Great Thriller From Happy Death Day Director Christopher Landon

Landon Has Produced Several Truly Entertaining Thrillers

Landon’s latest movie Drop, starring Meghann Fahy and Brandon Sklenar, has drawn excellent reviews since its wide theatrical release on April 11th, 2025. The mystery-thriller stars Fahy as a widowed mother who finds herself trapped in a ᴅᴇᴀᴅly game of cat-and-mouse with an anonymous stranger who holds her son hostage. While on her first date in years, she receives drop messages from unknown parties commanding her to follow their instructions lest her son and other people around her be killed.

Drop is relatively simple in its execution, as the action takes place in only two locations: the main character’s house and the top floor restaurant in which she meets her date. The thriller has been praised for its smart use of modern technology to create a twisting, entertaining narrative that culminates with an exhilarating finale, and acts as a showcase for Emmy-nominated star Meghann Fahy. It represents yet another hit thriller for Landon, who has churned out several engrossing thrillers aside from the Happy Death Day movies.

Christopher Landon Has Experimented With More Types Of Horror While Waiting For Happy Death Day 3

His Last Three Movies Are Very Different From Each Other

Since working on Happy Death Day and Happy Death Day 2U back-to-back in 2017 and 2019, Landon has branched out both as a writer and director to experiment with other types of horror/thrillers. His first project following the Happy Death Day movies was Freaky, a black comedy slasher that warps the familiar Freaky Friday body-swapping concept by having a teenage girl swap places with a middle-aged male serial killer. His next directorial project was the 2023 supernatural horror comedy We Have A Ghost, which is a fun modern, social media-centric ghost story.

Landon’s latest movie, Drop, pivots subgenres yet again, as it’s a true Hitchcock-type thriller with no comedic lean to it. In between directing those three movies, Landon has contributed to a number of other horror/thrillers, including the 2025 critical hit Heart Eyes. In the time since Happy Death Day 2U, Landon has truly branched out into other subgenres of horror and thriller, which should only help him bring something fresh to the table for Happy Death Day 3, just as he mixed in some sci-fi elements into the franchise’s second chapter.

I’m Confident Happy Death Day 3 Will Be Worth The Wait After Seeing Drop

Landon Is Clearly At The Top Of His Game

After seeing the taut, tense thriller Drop, one thing is abundantly clear: Landon is currently at the top of his game. Drop is one of the strongest, if not the strongest, overall thrillers that Landon has directed. It’s a demonstration of a different type of thriller that separates from some of the more black comedy-style thrillers he’s created in the past. That can only be a good sign for ensuring that the third chapter of the Happy Death Day series won’t become repeтιтive.

Given that the core concept of the slasher franchise is extremely specific (a girl relives her murder at the hands of a masked killer), it would be easy for Landon to fall into the trap of revisiting the same concepts in an attempt to rediscover the magic of the first movie. However, with him working on so many diverse projects, I’m confident he can bring something new to the table. If Drop is any indication, Happy Death Day 3 will be worth the wait.