“Inherit” is already extending its supernatural reach. Thai filmmaker Banjong Pisanthanakun has confirmed that his new psychological horror movie will receive a sequel, with Davika Hoorne returning to star.
Pisanthanakun, the director of “Shutter” and “Pee Mak,” revealed the sequel plans to Variety. The news arrives as “Inherit” continues its festival run after world premiering in September as a Centrepiece selection at the Toronto Film Festival. The film is also closing the Jakarta World Cinema festival.
The project reunites Pisanthanakun and Hoorne after their first collaboration on the 2013 horror-comedy “Pee Mak,” which became Thailand’s biggest local box office hit of all time.
Inside Davika Hoorne’s Sinister “Inherit” Role
In “Inherit,” Hoorne plays Woranart, a grandmother whose youthful appearance conceals a far more disturbing secret. After she moves in with her granddaughter’s wealthy family, the household discovers that she carries a centuries-old centipede spirit. That entity has sinister intentions toward the family’s youngest member, Oui, played by Baipor Thitiya Jirapornsilp.
Hoorne was Pisanthanakun’s first choice to portray the immortal grandmother. The director envisioned Woranart as beautiful, sexy, funny and fashionable, but also thoroughly at home in the present day.
“The first image that I have was her wearing a bikini and sunbathing beside the pool, which is very modern,” Pisanthanakun said. “She talks like this [era’s] woman, talking to ChatGPT. She’s a very adaptable girl.”
To help Hoorne shape the performance, Pisanthanakun advised her to study two formidable screen characters: Catherine Tramell, played by Sharon Stone in “Basic Instinct,” and Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal Lecter in “The Silence of the Lambs.”
Hoorne also appeared in “A Useful Ghost,” the satirical Thai comedy-thriller that won the Critics’ Week Grand Prix at Cannes in 2025. She considers that movie and “Inherit” to be her return to cinema, and said she is highly selective because of the commitment each film requires.
“One project takes around one year of working, so I really have to choose the one I’m gonna live with for such a long time to bring up my soul as an actress,” Hoorne said. “So, trust me, watch it, I pick for you guys already.”
Banjong Pisanthanakun’s Changing View of Horror
Pisanthanakun said horror filmmaking two decades ago was driven heavily by concepts, including ghosts appearing in photographs or on videotapes. After making “Shutter” and “Alone,” however, he became bored with the genre and even found himself falling asleep while watching horror movies in cinemas.
Films including “Hereditary” and “It Follows” changed that outlook by showing him that horror could still offer fresh approaches. He now views horror as a genre where creative ideas continue to emerge.
His focus is on strong concepts, solid storytelling and a distinctive atmosphere that feels authentic. Pisanthanakun also cited his experience on “The Medium,” which was produced by Korean director Na Hong-Jin. According to Pisanthanakun, Na repeatedly offered his perspective on how international audiences and markets might respond to the film.
The director also addressed artificial intelligence, describing its presence in the industry as inevitable while arguing that it should only be used when it does not violate other people’s rights.
Beyond creative concerns, Pisanthanakun said the current condition of the Thai film industry has placed additional pressure on “Inherit.” He hopes the movie can bring Thai audiences back into cinemas. He also said public funding for Thai film production is neither strong nor consistent and only goes to horror.
Hoorne, meanwhile, has expanded into producing girls’ love, or GL, projects, a romance genre focused on relationships between women that is popular in Thailand. She said securing financing for films and series remains difficult, particularly for independent stories and genres whose audiences may be more inclined to wait rather than visit cinemas.
ShowBiz Take
The sequel confirmation gives “Inherit” a future beyond its initial festival appearances and upcoming Thai theatrical release, while placing Hoorne’s Woranart at the center of that continuation. Her return is especially notable because the character’s unusual mix of modern glamour, humor and supernatural menace was built with Hoorne specifically in mind.
It also deepens the creative partnership between Hoorne and Pisanthanakun more than a decade after “Pee Mak.” With “Inherit” framed by both of them as an important theatrical project amid challenging conditions for Thai filmmaking, the sequel signals clear confidence in its central character and psychological-horror premise.
What Happens Next?
“Inherit” opens across Thailand on November 19. Further details about the confirmed sequel have not yet been provided beyond Hoorne’s return.
Hoorne has also directed a family short film titled “Soap Opera,” which recently wrapped, and plans to focus on television series in 2027. Pisanthanakun, meanwhile, is leading a Thai-Korean horror co-production.