Actor Stephen Lang says the Blind Man’s story is “lying there right now,” adding that he’d “like to finish the old buzzard off” if a satisfying screenplay materialises, a stance he shared while promoting the TV drama House of David in April 2025. ScreenRant’s latest report confirms that co-writers Fede Álvarez and Rodo Sayagues are still shaping that screenplay and that neither a director nor studio start date has been locked in.
Lang’s cautious optimism echoes a February interview in which he stressed that a third film will only happen “when the script really works,” underscoring that box-office viability alone will not drive the sequel.
A separate ScreenRant article noted the actor’s desire to “return once the pages are ready,” but warned fans not to expect cameras to roll soon. IMDb’s news digest summarised the same exchange as “an optimistic yet frustrating update,” reflecting fan impatience after nearly four years without formal green-lighting.
Hints of movement first surfaced in November 2022, when Lang told ComingSoon he “planned to enjoy filming Don’t Breathe 3,” sparking reports that Sony’s Screen Gems had quietly begun early prep work.
That momentum stalled as Álvarez pivoted to helm Alien: Romulus, released in 2024; the director admitted in a November 2024 AvPGalaxy interview that the sci-fi project dominated his schedule during the writers’ strike, limiting time for other scripts. He later told Film Stories that coordinating practical effects on Romulus required “hand-built sets and constant rewrites,” a workload that further delayed side projects.
The franchise’s commercial record gives Sony reason to keep the door open. The 2016 original grossed $157 million worldwide on a modest budget, while the 2021 sequel earned $53 million amid pandemic-era constraints, figures ScreenRant cites as proof of consistent audience interest.
Yet Lang’s remarks that he will not return “just for the sake of returning” suggest creative closure outweighs financial incentive. For now, Don’t Breathe 3 exists as a work-in-progress, its fate resting on whether Álvarez and Sayagues can deliver a script that satisfies the actor, the studio, and horror fans alike.
