The pieces are finally beginning to fall into place for the next chapter in Netflix’s Fear Street series, with fourth instalment Prom Queen revealing plot details and its ensemble cast.
It’s been a long time coming, with the project first officially announced to be in development by the streaming service in December 2022, with the book of the same name written by creator R.L. Stine being confirmed as the inspiration in January of this year.
The initial trilogy was something of an experimental success for Netflix, with co-writer and director Leigh Janiak helming three individual films set in distinct time periods that featured a number of the same cast members playing multiple roles throughout, which all coalesced into a single cohesive whole that detailed the past, present, and potential future for the town of Shadyside, Ohio in 1994, 1978, and 1666.
Moreover, the trio were released in three consecutive weeks in July 2021, although Prom Queen will be opting for the more traditional method of being a standalone story that picks up where the previous trilogy left off. Still, there’s bound to be plenty of subscribers disappointed they’re only getting one Fear Street flick this time around, but based on the success the saga has seen so far, it may not be the last.
Matt Palmer is directing Prom Queen from a script penned alongside Donald McLeary, with the story finding Shadyside in the midst of 1988’s prom season. The typical high school collectives are dealing with such a pivotal moment on the academic calendar in their own way, but the race to be named as the prom queen takes a turn for the deadly when the contenders for the crown begin disappearing in mysterious circumstances.
Production is now underway on Fear Street: Prom Queen, and continuing its relatively clean break from the initial trilogy, the cast is comprised entirely of series newcomers. The Nevers‘ India Fowler, Red Rocket‘s Suzanna Son, Paper Girls‘ Fina Strazza, and The Idea of You‘s Ella Rubin comprise the younger contingent, with Chris Klein, Lili Taylor, and Katherine Waterson grizzled veterans by comparison.
There’s no release window locked in as of yet, but with shooting having only just kicked off and the previous Fear Street films having released in July, it’s not unreasonable to assume Netflix will be looking to stick to what worked before, although it’s not entirely out of the question that Prom Queen could be completed before the end of 2024.
