The Strangers: Chapter 1

The Strangers: Chapter 1 is a 2024 American horror film. It is the third film in The Strangers film series and the first installment of an intended relaunch in the form of a standalone trilogy. It was directed by Renny Harlin, with a screenplay by Alan R. Cohen and Alan Freedland, from a story by Bryan Bertino, the writer and director of the original film. The film stars Madelaine Petsch, Froy Gutierrez and Ema Horvath, and follows a couple (Petsch and Gutierrez) who come into contact with three psychopathic masked strangers while on a road trip. Plans for a consecutively shot trilogy of Strangers films were announced in August 2022 by the original film's producer, Roy Lee. Harlin was announced as the director of all three the following month, with most of the cast joining soon after. Production on the films took place in Bratislava between September and November that year, often alternating daily between which of the three Chapters was being shot. The Strangers: Chapter 1 had its world premiere at Regal L.A. Live on May 8, 2024, and was released theatrically in the United States by Lionsgate Films on May 17, 2024. The film received generally negative reviews from critics and grossed over $48.2 million worldwide. The film's sequel, The Strangers – Chapter 2, was released on September 26, 2025, and Chapter 3 was released on February 6, 2026.