Heart Eyes 2 Buzz Builds Around the Valentine’s Day Slasher
It already feels like Heart Eyes has been part of the horror landscape for years, but we are only just nearing the one-year mark since the Valentine’s Day slasher first hit cinemas. Directed by Josh Ruben for Screen Gems, the film turned what could have been a one-note holiday gimmick into one of the more surprising word-of-mouth horror stories in recent memory. Now, reports suggest a Heart Eyes sequel may already be taking shape behind the scenes.
While no official announcement has been made, Dreadcentral states industry chatter points to Ruben having completed a script for Heart Eyes 2, with the studio reportedly keen to keep the momentum going. Considering the original film’s performance and its built-in seasonal hook, a sequel feels less like speculation and more like an inevitability.
Heart Eyes Box Office Success Made a Sequel Likely
The first Heart Eyes movie did not explode out of the gate with record-breaking numbers, but it did something arguably more valuable. It grew. The film saw a rare second-weekend increase, an unusual feat for horror and almost unheard of for a niche holiday slasher. By the end of its theatrical run, Heart Eyes had grossed roughly $33 million worldwide, a strong return for a genre film built around a killer with a very specific calendar.
That kind of performance is exactly what studios look for when deciding whether to greenlight a follow-up. The combination of solid box office, strong audience response, and a concept that can repeat annually makes Heart Eyes 2 an attractive prospect for Screen Gems.
The Heart Eyes Killer and the Valentine’s Day Hook
At the centre of the film’s appeal is the masked murderer known as Heart Eyes, a slasher villain defined by glowing red eyes and an unfortunate habit of resurfacing every Valentine’s Day to target couples. The holiday setting gave the film an instant identity, placing it alongside other seasonal horror staples while still feeling fresh.
The story followed a cynical advertising executive and her overly romantic co-worker who found themselves in the killer’s sights. Instead of simply running and screaming, the pair pushed back, giving the film an energy that mixed slasher survival with romantic comedy tension. Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding anchored the cast, bringing genuine chemistry to a film that needed both sparks and screams to work.
That annual structure gives a Heart Eyes sequel plenty of narrative freedom. Each Valentine’s Day becomes a potential new chapter, new victims, and new relationship dynamics for the killer to ruin.
How Heart Eyes Blended Rom-Com and Slasher Tropes
One of the reasons Heart Eyes stood out among recent horror releases was its deliberate use of romantic comedy structure. Josh Ruben leaned into meet-cute setups, workplace banter, and relationship friction, only to drop a masked psychopath into the middle of it all. The contrast between rom-com warmth and slasher brutality became the film’s defining trick.
That formula offers huge sequel potential. Romantic comedies come in endless variations, from second-chance love to fake relationships and workplace rivalries. Applying those familiar structures to a recurring horror threat opens up creative territory that most slashers never explore. Heart Eyes 2 could easily twist another classic romance template into something bloodier and more chaotic. Heart Eyes also made it into our own Hall of Killers.
Josh Ruben’s Growing Horror Profile
Josh Ruben has steadily carved out a reputation as a genre filmmaker with a strong sense of tone. From Scare Me to Werewolves Within, he has shown a knack for blending humour, character work, and horror without undercutting the tension. A return to the Heart Eyes sequel would continue that trajectory, reinforcing his place among modern directors experimenting with horror-comedy hybrids.
Ruben is also attached to other projects, including Wilderness Reform at Paramount, but the reported completion of a Heart Eyes 2 script suggests the killer with glowing eyes is still very much on his mind.
Heart Eyes 2 Feels Like a Matter of Timing
There is no confirmed production start date for Heart Eyes 2, and Screen Gems has yet to go public with plans. Still, the ingredients are all there. A recognisable holiday hook, a distinctive killer, solid box office, and a director already thinking ahead.
With another Valentine’s Day always just around the corner, the franchise has a built-in excuse to return. In horror, that kind of scheduling advantage is gold.
Love stories may take time.
Slashers, historically, do not wait.
