Natalia Dyer and Elijah Wood are set to join original cast members Samuel L. Jackson and John Cusack, who are currently negotiating terms for their return, in a sequel to the 2007 supernatural horror film “1408.” Variety can exclusively reveal. Mikael Håfström, who directed the first film, returns to direct the sequel, which he co-wrote with Mark Verheiden.
Although Jackson and Cusack will reprise their original roles, they will be supporting characters in the sequel, according to a source close to the project. Dyer will star in the film and Wood will play a supporting role. Details about their characters remain under wraps.
Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Richard Saperstein of Bluestone Entertainment, Spyglass Media Group and Frank Mayor are producing. Bluestone Entertainment and FilmNation Entertainment are co-financing, with FilmNation representing international distribution rights, co-representing domestic rights with WME Independent and introducing it to buyers at AFM next week. John Papsidera (“The Odyssey”) is casting director. Production is currently expected to start in the first quarter of 2027.
Based on Stephen King’s 1999 short story of the same name, “1408” follows author Michael Enslin, played by Cusack, who, as part of his new book about haunted hotels, investigates legends of mysterious and violent deaths behind Door 1408 of the Dolphin Hotel in New York. Jackson plays the role of Gerald Olin, the manager of the Dolphin Hotel. Plot details for the sequel have not been disclosed.
“1408,” released by MGM, was a cult hit in 2007, grossing $132 million worldwide against a meager budget of just $25 million. Cusack has publicly stated that this would be the only film he would make a sequel to, telling People in 2025: “I was lucky enough that I never had the desire, or no one asked me to do sequels. There’s one that I think would be interesting to do, which would be ‘1408.’ Just because… I think today, you know, most movies suck.
Dyer gained worldwide recognition for her breakout role as Nancy Wheeler in the hit Netflix series “Stranger Things.” She is currently in production on HBO’s true-crime limited series, “The Trial of Louise Woodward.” She also has Oran Zegman’s romantic comedy “Goodbye Girl,” starring Kiernan Shipka and Cole Sprouse, on the horizon. His previous credits include the coming-of-age comedy film, “Yes, God, Yes,” from writer-director Karen Maine.
The Lord of the Rings icon, Wood has become a regular in the horror genre, most recently appearing in Osgood Perkins’ “Ready or Not 2: Here I Come,” “The Toxic Avenger” and “The Monkey.” It was recently revealed that Wood would return to Middle-earth as Frodo Baggins in Andy Serkis’ “LOTR” sequel, “The Hunt for Gollum.” Wood also joins the cast of Netflix’s “The Gentlemen” for season 3.
Cusack, best known for his roles in “Say Anything,” “High Fidelity” and “Being John Malkovich,” was a leading man throughout the ’90s and early 2000s, but has mostly stayed out of the spotlight in recent years. His last big screen credits were in the 2025 thriller “Fog of War” and two foreign films: “Detective Chinatown 1900” and “Decoded.”
Jackson, the star of “Pulp Fiction,” “Avengers” and “The Hateful Eight,” also rose to fame in the ’90s and has appeared on the big screen in recent times. His most recent film roles were “The Beast,” released in theaters Oct. 9, and “Just Play Dead.” His upcoming projects include JJ Abrams’ “The Great Beyond,” “The Incredibles 3” and “Avengers: Secret Wars.”
Dyer is represented by Circle Management + Production, CAA and Jackoway Austen Tyerman. Wood is represented by Linden Entertainment, Gersh and Meyer & Downs. Cusack is represented by Link Entertainment, Wolf Kasteler Public Relations and Ziffren Brittenham. Jackson is represented by Anonymous Content, CAA and Jackoway Austen Tyerman Wertheimer Mandelbaum Morris Bernstein Trattner Auerbach Hynick Jaime LeVine Sample & Klein.
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