A triumphant return to the big screen for Hoorne, who carefully selected this role to 'bring up her soul' while revitalizing the struggling Thai film industry with a modern, creative horror angle.
Pisanthanakun admits he fell asleep watching horror films after 'Shutter' because he was bored of the concept-heavy formula. He needed 'Hereditary' and 'It Follows' to wake him up and prove horror could still be creative.
1. 'Inherit' opens in Thailand on Nov. 19, 2026. 2. Pisanthanakun told Variety he advised Hoorne to study Sharon Stone in 'Basic Instinct' and Anthony Hopkins in 'The Silence of the Lambs' for her role as a centipede spirit.
Hoorne is back, but the real drama is Pisanthanakun's admission that he almost quit horror because he found it boring until Hollywood’s new wave inspired him to get weird again.
The receipts are in, and they are absolutely unhinged in the best way possible. Davika Hoorne is officially returning for the sequel to *Inherit*, the psychological horror film that world-premiered as a Centrepiece selection at the Toronto Film Festival in September. Director Banjong Pisanthanakun, the mind behind Thai horror staples like *Shutter* and *Pee Mak*, confirmed the sequel to Variety, bringing the star back to play Woranart, a youthful-looking grandmother possessed by a centuries-old centipede spirit.
This isn't just a casting update; it's a declaration of war on boring cinema. Pisanthanakun didn't hold back when discussing his creative journey, revealing a shocking level of burnout. He told Variety that after the success of *Shutter* and *Alone*, he became so bored with the genre that "even going to the cinema to watch horror films made me fall asleep right away." He felt the market was saturated with filmmakers competing over where to make a ghost appear in a photo or on a videotape.
It wasn't until Hollywood delivered *Hereditary* and *It Follows* that he felt there were "new, refreshing ways to make horror films." He now credits these modern classics for proving horror is "the only genre that still has something creative coming up," which explains why he’s doubling down on the weirdness for the sequel. For Hoorne, this role was a deliberate, soulful choice. She admits she only takes one project per year because she has to "live with" the role for such a long time to "bring up my soul as an actress." Her character is a modern marvel: a sexy, funny fashion icon who sunbathes in a bikini and talks to ChatGPT.
To nail the vibe, Pisanthanakun advised her to study Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone) from *Basic Instinct* and Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) from *The Silence of the Lambs*. It’s a high bar, but Hoorne is confident, telling fans, "Trust me, watch it, I pick for you guys already." The backdrop is grim, however. Both the director and star are sounding the alarm on the state of Thai cinema.
Pisanthanakun bluntly stated, "The Thai film industry right now is not so good," citing inconsistent public funding that only supports horror. Hoorne, who has moved into producing girls' love titles and recently wrapped a short film called *Soap Opera*, echoed the struggle. She noted that without robust government support for independent, internationally viable themes, it is "really hard for Thai films to recruit people for different genres." With *Inherit* opening across Thailand on Nov. 19, the pressure is on to bring audiences back to the cinema before the industry flatlines.
