Apparently, one terrifying stay at the Dolphin Hotel wasn’t enough.
Nearly 20 years after 1408 sent John Cusack into one of Stephen King’s most nightmarish hotel rooms, a sequel is officially in development, and several familiar faces are checking back in.
According to Variety, original stars John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson are returning for the follow-up to the 2007 supernatural horror movie, with Natalia Dyer (Stranger Things) and Elijah Wood joining the cast. Original director Mikael Håfström is also coming back to direct the sequel, which he co-wrote with Mark Verheiden.
While John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson will reprise their roles in a supporting capacity, the new movie will shift its attention to Dyer’s character, who is expected to lead the story. Elijah Wood will also have a supporting role, although additional character details have not been revealed.
The plot is being kept under wraps, and there’s no word yet on whether the sequel will return to the infamous Room 1408 or explore another part of the Dolphin Hotel. Production is expected to begin in early 2027.
Released in 2007, 1408 was based on Stephen King’s short story of the same name and starred Cusack as Mike Enslin, a skeptical author who investigates supposedly haunted locations. His latest assignment takes him to New York City’s Dolphin Hotel, where the mysterious Room 1408 has developed a particularly disturbing reputation.
Despite repeated warnings from hotel manager Gerald Olin, played by Jackson, Enslin insists on spending the night in the room. What follows is a psychological nightmare that challenges everything he believes about the supernatural.
One particularly interesting complication for the sequel is that 1408 has several different endings. The theatrical version and alternate cuts offer different conclusions to Enslin’s ordeal, leaving questions about how the filmmakers intend to continue his story.
With Cusack returning, fans will naturally wonder which version of the ending the sequel might acknowledge. For now, however, the filmmakers haven’t revealed how his character fits into the new story, and there’s no confirmation that any particular ending will serve as the starting point. Stephen King never wrote a sequel to his original short story, meaning the upcoming film will continue the story beyond the source material that inspired the first movie.
Rather than handing the franchise to a new filmmaker, the sequel brings back the director responsible for the original adaptation, this time working from a screenplay written with Verheiden. With Dyer taking the lead and Wood joining the cast, the sequel will introduce a new generation of characters while maintaining a connection to the original film through Cusack and Jackson. The original movie became a box office success, earning approximately $133 million worldwide against a reported $25 million budget.
A title and release date have not yet been announced for the 1408 sequel. Production is expected to begin early next year.
