Jaehwa Bernardo

Elijah Wood during his interview with ABS-CBN News for the horror film 'Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come'

Article (news)

Elijah Wood steps into game as 'Ready Or Not 2' delivers bloodier sequel

Gretchen Fullido

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1774255838060vlcsnap-2026-03-23-16h49m47s077.png" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Elijah Wood during his interview with ABS-CBN News for the horror film &#x27;Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come&#x27;"/>Elijah Wood during his interview with ABS-CBN News for the horror film &#x27;Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come&#x27;</div>From global blockbusters to bold indie films, Elijah Wood has built a career defined by fearless and unconventional choices. Best known worldwide as Frodo Baggins in &quot;The Lord of the Rings,&quot; Wood has consistently defied expectations, taking on darker, more complex roles in projects like &quot;Sin City,&quot; &quot;Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,&quot; and the cult favorite series &quot;Wilfred.&quot;Now, he steps into the chaotic and blood-soaked world of &quot;Ready or Not 2: Here I Come,&quot; a sequel that pushes the boundaries of horror, humor, and high-stakes storytelling.For Wood, joining the film was not just another role. It was a full circle moment that began as a fan.“It was so easy. I saw it in the cinema and was absolutely blown away by it. It was really funny and surprising, shockingly gory in the best way, led by an incredible Samara Weaving. So I was a fan,” he said.Years later, that admiration turned into collaboration when directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett of Radio Silence reached out with a role that would place him right at the center of the film’s expanding mythology.“Then they sent me an email with the script and the proposal for this character of the lawyer. I read the script and like all great sequels, it really deepens the narrative of the first film and expands upon that world in a really exciting way. It’s like everything you want a sequel to be. The proposal was a gift,” he said.In the sequel, Wood plays a lawyer representing the mysterious Mr. Le Bail, a key figure who helps define the rules of the deadly game. It is a role that allowed him to immerse himself in the lore while staying just a step ahead of the chaos.“This character, the lawyer, the one representing Mr. Le Bail to be the one to detail what the rules of the game are, was a really fun proposal. I’ve longed to work with Matt and Tyler. I love the genre. I love the first film,” he said.<div><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6ls5jTjMEco?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></div>While much of the cast finds themselves drenched in blood and caught in explosive set pieces, Wood reveals his character manages to stay relatively untouched.“My character knows full well what’s going to happen before it happens. He knows when to get himself out of harm’s way. I was clean. I didn’t get any blood on me. I kind of would have loved to have been in the face of the blood though. I love horror films, so all of those practical effects and gore are fun,” he said.True to his eclectic career, Wood said his choices are guided not by expectations, but by instinct. “I don’t think I’m ever considering an audience reaction when I’m choosing what to work on. I’m just looking for material and filmmakers that I connect with, that I have a gut or heart response to. I do love genre. I love horror. I’m always looking for that feeling of, I can’t not do this.”Off screen, Wood remains grounded despite decades in the spotlight, crediting his upbringing for keeping him balanced.“I owe everything to my mom. She cared more about how I turned out as a human being than how successful I was as an actor. That became part of who I am,” he said.<div>FILIPINO FOOD</div>Woods also shared a heartfelt connection to Filipino culture, expressing his appreciation for local cuisine and his desire to visit. “I’ve always wanted to go to the Philippines. I love Filipino food. Buko pie is incredible,” he said.The sequel builds on the story of Grace, played by Samara Weaving, who now faces an even greater challenge. No longer just trying to survive, she must navigate a larger and more dangerous world alongside her estranged sister, played by Kathryn Newton.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/movies-series/2026/3/20/-ready-or-not-2-here-i-come-review-chaos-never-tasted-so-rich-1240">‘Ready or Not 2: Here I Come’ review: Chaos never tasted so rich</a></div>For directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, known for their work on &quot;Scream,&quot; &quot;Scream VI,&quot; and &quot;Abigail,&quot; the challenge was clear. The sequel had to evolve in every possible way.“We didn’t want to retread anything in the first movie. We wanted to make this its own standalone thing. A big part of that was asking how we can push everything further, make it funnier, scarier, make the explosions bigger, and really surprise the audience every step of the way,” Bettinelli-Olpin said.Gillett emphasized that the ambition extended beyond action and spectacle. “We knew we wanted to amplify everything, not just the action and the stakes, but also how the movie feels. That’s what our favorite sequels in the genre have all done.”That amplification is evident in the film’s expanded ensemble, which includes Sarah Michelle Gellar alongside Wood and Newton, creating more opportunities for chaos, satire, and shocking moments.“In expanding the ensemble, there’s more opportunity to do all the things that were so fun in the first movie. There’s more satire, there’s certainly more deaths, and the volume is turned up all the way on the entire experience,” Gillett said.The film retains its signature blend of horror and humor, delivering intense gore that is both shocking and entertaining.At its core, the story continues to explore survival under pressure.“We love survive the night stories. The pressure of just getting through the night heightens everything and reveals who people really are as fast as possible,” Bettinelli-Olpin explained.This time, however, the concept evolves. “We wanted to challenge that idea, so we start it in the day and it becomes a survive the day into the night. Those little shifts go a long way,” he added.Beyond the immediate thrills, the sequel expands its mythology into a much larger and more mysterious world.“What we discovered is a very rich, very strange, very mysterious mythology. We’ve cast a broad enough net that you could tell many different stories within this world,” Gillett said.The film opens in Philippine cinemas on March 25.

From global blockbusters to bold indie films, Elijah Wood has built a career defined by fearless and unconventional choices.

From global blockbusters to bold indie films, Elijah Wood has built a career defined by fearless and unconventional choices.