Unfriended (film series)

Unfriended is a series of American horror films created by Bazelevs Company and Blumhouse Productions. The series consists of two films presented as computer screen films. The first installment was Unfriended, released in 2014, by Universal Pictures. The second installment, Unfriended: Dark Web, serves a sequel to the first film.

Unfriended
Created by
Owned byUniversal Pictures
Films and television
Film(s)

The two films have grossed a combined $79.2 million against a budget of $2 million.

Films
Film U.S. release date Director(s) Writer(s) Producer(s)
Unfriended April 17, 2015 Leo Gabriadze Nelson Greaves Timur Bekmambetov & Nelson Greaves
Unfriended: Dark Web July 20, 2018 Stephen Susco Timur Bekmambetov & Jason Blum

Unfriended (2014)
Main article: Unfriended

Unfriended is a 2014 American supernatural horror film directed by Leo Gabriadze and written by Nelson Greaves. The film is presented as a computer screen film, being told almost entirely through a screencast of a MacBook. The film surrounds high school students in a Skype conversation that are haunted by a student who was bullied and committed suicide. The film stars Shelley Hennig, Moses Storm, Renee Olstead, Will Peltz, Jacob Wysocki, and Courtney Halverson. Production lasted for 16 days, including six 12-hour days of principal photography, three days of pick-ups and reshoots.[1] Unfriended premiered at the Fantasia Festival on July 20, 2014,[2] before receiving a theatrical release through Universal Pictures in the United States on April 17, 2015.[3] The film received mixed reviews from critics and was a massive box office success, grossing $62 million against a $1 million budget.[4]

Unfriended: Dark Web (2018)
Main article: Unfriended: Dark Web

Unfriended: Dark Web is a 2018 American horror film written and directed by Stephen Susco in his directorial debut. The film is also shot as a computer screen film, and stars Colin Woodell, Rebecca Rittenhouse, Betty Gabriel, Connor Del Rio, Andrew Lees, Stephanie Nogueras, and Savira Windyani.[5] The film follows a group of friends who find a laptop that has access to the dark web, only to realize they are being watched by the original owners, a group of cybercriminal hackers. Director Susco shot the film in secret over one week in late 2016, under the working title Unfriended: Game Night.[6][7] Unfriended: Dark Web had a surprise premiere at South by Southwest in March 2018,[8][9] and was theatrically released in the United States on July 20, 2018.[10] The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $16 million worldwide, against a production budget of $1 million.[11]

Future

Stephen Susco has teased his interest in a third Unfriended film, while also expanding upon Timur Bekmambetov’s Screen Life genre that Unfriended: Dark Web is a part of. He stated that it is possible that a third film might be made and that it is important that people have a great time watching it and that it leaves them with questions. While Susco is non-committal regarding a third Unfriended film, he discussed details regarding the Screen Life genre, which consists of films that unfold entirely on computer screens, and has been masterminded by Unfriended’s producer Timur Bekmambetov.[12]

Development

Unfriended

Levan Gabriadze was attracted to the project (then titled Offline) as it focused on the theme of bullying. He noted that the nature of bullying had changed since he was in school, as the Internet allowed for bullies to continue their actions even after school hours.[13]

Production was 16 days total, including six 12-hour days of principal photography, three days of pick-ups and then a few more reshoots.[14] When filming began, it mostly consisted of long takes around ten minutes in length. Shelley Hennig, who portrayed Blaire, found that this proved difficult for the energy and motivation needed from her and the other actors.[15] At her request, at least one full, 80-minute-long take was filmed, with each actor in separate rooms with separate computers.[14] The film's ending was captured during one of these feature-length takes.[14]

The film's title changed during shooting (and would also change prior to its theatrical release), as the film's crew felt that the title of Offline was "too general and not obvious" and that the then title of Cybernatural was "more to the point of what it is".[13]

Unfriended: Dark Web

In April 2015, the month of Unfriended's release, it was announced that Universal Pictures had greenlit a sequel, tentatively titled Unfriended 2, with Nelson Greaves writing and Jason Blum and Timur Bekmambetov producing, and a release date then set for the spring of 2016.[16][17]

On October 3, 2017, it was reported that The Grudge and Texas Chainsaw 3D writer Stephen Susco had taken over the project as writer and director. Susco shot the film in secret over one week in late 2016, under the working title Unfriended: Game Night.[18][19]

In March 2018, Blumhouse officially revealed the film as Unfriended: Dark Web at SXSW 2018, under the distribution of Universal's OTL Releasing and Blumhouse's BH Tilt.[20]

Additional crew and production details
Film Detail
Cinematographer Editor(s) Production

companies

 Distributing

company

 Running time
Unfriended Adam Sidman Parker Laramie, Andrew Wesman Bazelevs Company, Blumhouse Productions Universal Pictures 1hr 23mins
Unfriended: Dark Web Kevin Stewart Andrew Wesman OTL Releasing, BH Tilt 1hr 32mins

Reception

Box office performance
Film Release date Box office gross Box office ranking Budget Ref.
North America Other territories Worldwide North America Worldwide
Unfriended April 17, 2015 $32,482,090 $30,400,000 $62,882,090 #2,608 #2,331 $1 million [4][21]
Unfriended: Dark Web July 20, 2018 $8,866,745 $7,158,242 $16,024,987 #5,309 #5,523 [11][22]
Totals $41,348,835 $37,558,242 $78,907,077

Critical response
Film Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic CinemaScore
Unfriended 62% (183 reviews)[23] 59 (30 critics)[24] C[25]
Unfriended: Dark Web 60% (117 reviews)[26] 53 (26 critics)[27] C[25]

References
  1. "The Unfriended Movie Was Filmed In A Single Take". slashfilm.
  2. Chipman, Bob. "Trailer: Unfriended is The First Social-Media Horror Movie". Escapist Magazine. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  3. Pamela McClintock (April 17, 2015). "Box Office: 'Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2' Heads for $22M; 'Furious 7' Stays No. 1". The Hollywood Reporter. (Prometheus Global Media). Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  4. "Unfriended". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  5. Squires, John (February 7, 2018). "Blumhouse Bringing Secret 'Unfriended' Sequel to SXSW?". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved February 7, 2018.
  6. Thurman, Trace (March 10, 2018). "[SXSW Review] Unfriended: Dark Web Shows Just How Scary the Internet Can Be". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  7. Miska, Brad (October 5, 2017). "First Details on Unfriended: Game Night [Exclusive]". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  8. Mac, Domino (March 11, 2018). "Blumhouse Surprises SXSW Audiences With Secret Unfriended Sequel". Nightmare on Film Street. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  9. Barkan, Jonathan (February 7, 2018). "SXSW 2018: Midnighters Reveal Hereditary, Field Guide to Evil, an Untitled Blumhouse Film + More!". Dread Central. Dread Central Media. Retrieved February 7, 2018.
  10. "Unfriended: Dark Web (2018)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
  11. "Unfriended: Dark Web". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  12. https://www.metro.us/entertainment/movies/will-there-be-an-unfriended-3
  13. Loeffler, Shawn. "FANTASIA 2014: GENRE REDEFINED – AN INTERVIEW WITH CYBERNATURAL'S DIRECTOR, LEO GABRIADZE". Yell Magazine. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  14. "The Unfriended Movie Was Filmed In A Single Take". slashfilm.
  15. Cook, Tommy (April 5, 2015). "UNFRIENDED: Cast & Writer Reveal How the Movie Was Shot in a Single Long Take". Collider. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
  16. Miska, Brad (April 27, 2015). "Universal Getting Unfriended Once Again (Exclusive)". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  17. Garofalo, Alex (April 28, 2015). "Unfriended 2 In The Works; Why The Horror Sequel Got The Green Light [VIDEO]". International Business Times. Newsweek Media Group. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  18. Thurman, Trace (March 10, 2018). "[SXSW Review] Unfriended: Dark Web Shows Just How Scary the Internet Can Be". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  19. Miska, Brad (October 5, 2017). "First Details on Unfriended: Game Night [Exclusive]". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  20. D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 9, 2018). "Blumhouse Reveals Untitled Movie At SXSW Is Unfriended: Dark Web". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  21. "Unfriended (2015) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  22. "Unfriended: Dark Web (2018) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  23. Unfriended (2015), retrieved July 2, 2020
  24. Unfriended, retrieved July 2, 2020
  25. "Home". Cinemascore. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  26. Unfriended: Dark Web (2018), retrieved July 2, 2020
  27. Unfriended: Dark Web, retrieved July 2, 2020
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