Sony nearly canceled Insidious 6 — Lin Shaye wouldn’t let it die

Let's be honest – the Insidious franchise would have met its end quite neatly if not for an absolute, no-nonsense hero move from someone who isn't even a producer. I'm talking about Lin Shaye, the backbone of these films since the first. Insidious: Out of the Further (otherwise known as Insidious 6) was genuinely chucked in the bin by Sony before cameras even rolled. But Lin simply wasn't having it.

Insidious: Out of the Further grossed $64.6 million globally on an $18 million budget.

A Letter Changes Everything

The story goes like this: Sony pulled the plug, probably thinking the run was over. Lin Shaye, 82 years old and clearly not ready for retirement, literally proclaimed 'F*ck this' and sat down to write a letter. Not just any letter – this one was addressed to Tom Rothman, top dog at Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group. She spelled out exactly why the next Insidious should still happen; she didn't phone it in, either. As a result, Rothman decided, fine, let's do it – and suddenly the film was back in the pipeline.

Shaye talked to Variety about that moment when she stepped up, even though she's not known for playing studio politics:

It gives me chills because I don't consider myself a mover and a shaker. It's not like I single-handedly got this movie made, but I spoke up. I think speaking up must never, ever stop. Don't ever stop.

Elise Rainer: Still Not Done

In proper franchise-veteran style, Shaye reckons there's still unfinished business for her character Elise Rainer. Even after six films, Shaye hinted she might not be hanging up her spirit-wrangling hat just yet. As she told Variety, she can't shake the sense that the story's 'really not over.' And apparently, she still finds it wild how people connect to Elise, almost as if she's an entirely separate person.

• Shaye's Elise Rainer has led the Insidious films as a medium who travels between dimensions to battle demonic forces
• In the newest film, her character comes back to help protagonist Gemma fight off evil entities that can cross into the real world
• Shaye admits she's a relentless perfectionist and sometimes struggles to accept her own place in the series' success

For the studio bean counters, giving in to Lin's request clearly wasn't a daft move. Insidious: Out of the Further took in just under $65 million worldwide, having only cost $18 million to make. That's the sort of maths that almost guarantees we'll see Elise popping back out of the shadows in some future entry, whether Shaye's entirely ready for it or not.