John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson are checking back into 1408 for a sequel nearly 20 years later
John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson are heading back for a 1408 sequel — and they won’t be alone, with new co-stars and a director in tow.
Here's something I genuinely didn't have on my 2026 film bingo card: John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson are coming back for a sequel to 1408, nearly two decades after the original haunted hotel flick turned out to be a surprise hit. That's not a typo—1408 is getting a follow-up, and yes, the original director Mikael Håfström is returning for round two.
So, here's the lay of the land: the new film isn't just dusting off the old cast for no reason. Natalia Dyer (from Stranger Things) is stepping in as the actual lead this time, with Elijah Wood (Yellowjackets) joining in a supporting role. Cusack and Jackson aren't taking centre stage—instead, they're apparently back in more secondary parts. No word yet on specific plot details, but with the original's knack for surreal horror and psychological games, odds are it won't be a simple retread.
Production on the 1408 sequel is stalking toward a 2027 start date.
What's the Story This Time?
The original 1408 (based on a Stephen King short story) had Cusack as Michael Enslin, a sceptical writer poking around the Dolphin Hotel’s infamous room 1408. Jackson played the hotel manager, Gerald Olin, warning him with all sorts of cryptic intensity—classic Samuel L. Jackson fare. The whole thing built up to a reality-bending haunt-the-author routine, which apparently made a stack of cash: over $133 million globally off a $25 million budget—so you can see why someone eventually decided to drag this property back out of the supposedly haunted cupboard.
This time around, Dyer's taking the reins, but everything else is locked down for now. The script comes from Håfström himself, working with Mark Verheiden. If you're hoping for actual spoilers, you'll have to wait a bit—Variety says the plot is under strict wraps.
Cusack's One and Only Sequel
It's a bit of a running joke that John Cusack never does sequels, but, according to his own comments, he was always willing to make an exception for this one. When People caught up with him last year, he summed up his feelings about the original pretty bluntly:
‘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.’
You can't accuse him of being coy about it. Apparently, never being asked for sequels suits him just fine—unless, that is, the haunted hotel phone rings again.
1408's Many Endings
One slightly odd bit of trivia: the first film famously had a stack of different endings, depending on which home release you watched. Håfström’s never exactly shied away from that—fair play, really, as he reckons the original cinema-ending was always the primary vision. For the alternative takes? Blame a bit of studio fun, not test audiences. Speaking on The Kingcast, Håfström made it clear the extra endings were more experimental than reactive.