‘The Babadook’ Director’s Next Horror Movie Will Adapt a “Very Well-Known Horror Book”

Jennifer Kent made one hell of an impression on the horror genre ten years ago with The Babadook, and Kent went on to direct 2018’s The Nightingale as well as an episode of “Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities” for Netflix. What’s next from Kent, you ask?

Kent revealed in a recent chat with Gizmodo that her next project will bring her back to the horror genre. But she’s not ready to spill the beans just yet, only offering up a tease for now.

“We’re about to announce something that’s going ahead, a film based on a book,” Kent previews. “A very well-known horror book. But I can’t really say more than that at this point.”

This interview took place back in September, and the website World of Reel claims to have cracked the mystery this week. According to the site, Jennifer Kent’s next movie will adapt the Clive Barker novel The Thief of Always, which was published back in 1992.

World of Reel reports, “I can exclusively report that the film will be an adaptation of Clive Barker’s classic novel The Thief of Always, which is currently in the advanced stages of development. You can expect this one to be officially announced very soon.”

The plot of The Thief of Always “concerns a 10-year-old boy who journeys to a magical house, only to discover its master uses the home to attract children and steal their youth.”

This scoop from World of Reel has not yet been officially confirmed, but we’ll continue to dive into this developing story and report more as we learn it. So stay tuned for updates.

One movie Jennifer Kent definitely won’t be making? The Babadook 2.

She tells Gizmodo, “I think there’s just no need for it. There’s absolutely no need to explore beyond what I already did. The only reason would be to make money. As much as I’d love to pay off my mortgage, I also want to be able to sleep at night. So, yeah, not saying yes to that.”