Happy Death Day 3: Confirmation, Cast & Everything We Know

Happy Death Day 3 is finally starting to gain momentum, and there is already some exciting updates about the genre-bending slasher franchise’s return. In Happy Death Day 2U, Tree Gelbman (Jessica Rothe) discovers that her boyfriend’s science nerd roommate Ryan (Phi Vu) invented a machine called the Sisyphus Quantum Cooling Reactor (SISSY for short). SISSY then overloaded and not only trapped Tree in another time loop, but it sent her to a parallel dimension as well.

Happy Death Day 2U significantly expanded the franchise with the concept of parallel dimensions and also directly set up a third chapter. However, Happy Death Day 3 updates have been few and far between, and more than half a decade has pᴀssed since the first sequel in 2019. Fortunately, the threequel is finally moving forward, and the franchise isn’t ᴅᴇᴀᴅ in the water quite yet. Though Happy Death Day 3 is still in the early stages, director Christopher Landon is set to return, as is series star Jessic Rothe.

Quick Links

Happy Death Day 3 Latest News

The Director & Star Confirm The Movie Is Moving Forward


The Killer behind Tree in Happy Death Day 2U

it’s safe to say that the sequel is firmly in the developmental stage, especially since Blumhouse hasn’t announced a green light yet.

After years of silence regarding the threequel, the latest news confirms that Happy Death Day 3 is finally beginning to move forward. Director Christopher Landon and star Jessica Rothe have been vocal proponents of the beleaguered slasher sequel since 2019, and now they can finally provide some good news after half a decade of setbacks. In a recent appearance, the duo triumphantly announced that “The third movie is moving forward,” though they couldn’t give away any other details.

This comes a month or so after Landon teased that he had spoken to Rothe about making another movie, and how he was currently cooking up new story ideas. With the plot of the film still in flux, it’s safe to say that the sequel is firmly in the developmental stage, especially since Blumhouse hasn’t announced a green light yet.

Happy Death Day 3 Is In Development

The Threequel Comes Back From The ᴅᴇᴀᴅ


Jessica Rothe putting her hands up in Happy Death Day 2U

After Happy Death Day 2U underperformed at the box office in 2019, producer Jason Blum declared Happy Death Day 3 ᴅᴇᴀᴅ in the water. However, more than half a decade later, director Christopher Landon has announced that the threequel is “moving forward.” What that means isn’t exactly clear, but it’s likely a confirmation that development has started once again on Happy Death Day 3, and that writing is getting back underway after years of delays. Landon has maintained a strong relationship with Blum’s Blumhouse Productions, which bodes well for another Happy Death Day movie.

Christopher Landon has directed the following films for Blumhouse:

Movie

Release Year

Rotten Tomatoes Score

Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones

2014

40%

Happy Death Day

2017

71%

Happy Death Day 2U

2019

72%

Freaky

2020

84%

Drop

2025

N/A

Despite grossing $64 million worldwide against a $9 million budget (via Box Office Mojo), Happy Death Day 2U didn’t live up to expectations.

Happy Death Day 3 Cast Details

Who Will Join Tree In The Threequel?

Since little is known about Happy Death Day 3, the cast is shrouded in mystery. However, with franchise star Jessica Rothe being so vocal about the threequel, it’s ᴀssumed that she’ll reprise her role as Tree Gelbman. Other returns are less certain, though many of the familiar faces from the first two movies are certain to join Rothe when the third film finally rolls around. Israel Broussard played Tree’s boyfriend Carter, while Phi Vu appeared as Carter’s scientist roommate, Ryan Phan. Vu is a shoo-in, especially since his character essentially got them into the mess in the first place.

Thanks to the multidimensional nature of the Happy Death Day story, any character that has appeared could potentially reprise their role

Samar Ghosh (Suraj Sharma) and Dre Morgan (Sarah Yarkin) accompanied Tree to the DARPA laboratory at the end of Happy Death Day 2U, so it’s also probable that they would return. Thanks to the multidimensional nature of the Happy Death Day story, any character that has appeared could potentially reprise their role in the next installment, even if they died in another timeline.

Happy Death Day 3 Story Details

Multiple Ideas For Happy Death Day 3


Happy death day scene where Tree (Jessica Rothe) stands in a room talking to Lori (Ruby Modine).

Happy Death Day 2U‘s post-credits scene already sets up the story of Happy Death Day 3. After Tree is finally able to close the loop and return to her home dimension, a new element is introduced in the form of DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) led by Dr. Isaac Parker (Kenneth Israel). Dr. Parker brings the college students to a DARPA lab and reveals they took possession of SISSY and want to test its potential to trap people in time loops.

Tree volunteers her frenemy Danielle (Rachel Matthews) as SISSY’s new victim – and Danielle wakes up screaming, indicating she’s now stuck in her own time loop. The escalation of Tree’s universe seen in Happy Death Day 2U was poised to continue in the third film, with the U.S. Government looking to exploit SISSY. This opened up all kinds of possibilities that would’ve put Tree back into a time loop, likely to save Danielle. However, it’s unclear how many of those ideas were scrapped when the movie was canceled the first time.

In early 2025, Christopher Landon mentioned that Happy Death Day 3 will feature a different time loop and that it aims to add a new genre into the mix. The second film melded sci-fi with horror, but it’s unclear exactly what new genre could be squeezed into the already complex story. The most likely addition is action, with Tree fighting off government agents who want to exploit SISSY for evil. Horror can neatly juxtapose with action, and Happy Death Day 3 could still build on previous ideas despite its troubled development.

Related Posts

Nicholas Hoult Addresses Why Lex Luthor Hates Superman So Much In The DCU

Nicholas Hoult Addresses Why Lex Luthor Hates Superman So Much In The DCU

Superman actor Nicholas Hoult unpacks why the DC hero rubs Lex Luthor the wrong way. Over the last 85 years, Lex has shared a legendary rivalry with…

Scarlett Johansson Achieves Major Box Office Milestone With Jurᴀssic World Rebirth’s 8M Opening

Scarlett Johansson Achieves Major Box Office Milestone With Jurᴀssic World Rebirth’s $318M Opening

Scarlett Johansson has reached a new box office peak thanks to Jurᴀssic World Rebirth‘s global opening weekend earnings. The seventh installment in the Jurᴀssic Park franchise introduces…

Jurᴀssic World’s Dinosaur Mating Scene Was More Graphic In Original Script

Jurᴀssic World’s Dinosaur Mating Scene Was More Graphic In Original Script

Jurᴀssic World Rebirth writer David Koepp explains how one scene took a more explicit turn in the original script. Rebirth is the latest attempt at rebooting the…

James Gunn’s DCU Update Hints At David Corenswet’s Superman Future Appearance

James Gunn’s DCU Update Hints At David Corenswet’s Superman Future Appearance

As Superman is about to arrive in theaters, James Gunn already has more plans in store for the Man of Steel in the DC Universe. After years…

How Powerful Is Sentry In The MCU Compared To DC’s Superman?

How Powerful Is Sentry In The MCU Compared To DC’s Superman?

Marvel Studios has finally adapted Sentry, who is often dubbed the MCU’s Superman, into live-action, but whether the character is as powerful as the Man of Steel…

New The Fantastic Four: First Steps Clip Gives Glimpse Into Dinner With Marvel’s First Family

New The Fantastic Four: First Steps Clip Gives Glimpse Into Dinner With Marvel’s First Family

A new clip from The Fantastic Four: First Steps outlines dinner time with Marvel’s First Family. The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the final Marvel movie of…