Brad Anderson develops prequel Session 1
Twenty-five years after viewers dove into the chilling halls of the Danvers State Mental Hospital for Session 9, the mythology surrounding the film continues to deepen. Writer and director Brad Anderson is now developing a prequel that promises to explore the haunting origins of one of the most disturbing figures in the franchise.
Titled Session 1, this upcoming project aims to pull back the curtain on the life of Mary Hobbes, the young woman whose history forms the core of the original movie. Instead of focusing on the haunting location that defined Session 9, Anderson and writer/actor Stephen Gevedon are shifting the focus to the childhood of Mary Hobbes, exploring her life in late 1960s Boston and the events that led to her descent.
The new narrative seeks to answer the crucial questions that linger around the original film: What happened to Mary Hobbes? How did she get possessed? And how did she come to kill her family? The premise is a deep dive into the formative years that set the stage for the madness seen in Session 9.
Anderson explained that the film will chronicle Mary Hobbes’ upbringing, allowing viewers to witness the complex, often dark, foundations of the character before she became the figure seen in the asylum.
This approach allows the creators to explore the psychological landscape that underlies the supernatural horror of the franchise. By focusing on Mary Hobbes’ childhood, Session 1 promises to offer a deeper, more personal look at the tragedy, offering an origin story that predates the events of the asylum itself.
Session 9, released in 2001, captivated audiences by its ambiguity—the line between supernatural possession and mental unraveling was deliciously blurred. Now, the anticipation builds for Session 1 to reveal the very roots of that unsettling descent into madness. For fans of the original, this prequel offers the chance to finally understand the story behind the legend.
Buy on Amazon
Credit
