The tale of Buddy is far from finished.
The 2026 horror picture centers on an unsettling orange unicorn—an eerie take that recalls the friendliness of Barney—who stalks and torments a group of children confined inside the bounds of his own television program. The movie became a surprising commercial triumph, bringing in roughly $27 million worldwide against a reported production cost of about $3 million. Recouping approximately nine times its budget represents a sizable victory for both the picture and distributor Roadside Attractions, and it adds to a strong year for horror at the box office following the earlier smash successes of Obsession and Backrooms.
On the podcast That Was Pretty Scary, director and writer Casper Kelly was questioned about how much of Buddy’s larger mythology he has already outlined and whether he plans to expand the story beyond the film. Kelly said he does have plans and ideas for future installments and expressed cautious excitement: he’s “very hopeful and optimistic about more getting made. It’s being discussed.” He also admitted that, with audiences responding so enthusiastically, he’s weighing how to reconcile fan theories and expectations with his own creative intentions. Below is Kelly’s response as shared on the show.
With discussions reportedly underway, a clear creative roadmap in Kelly’s mind, and his upbeat outlook, there’s reason to be encouraged that Buddy could return. Host Jon Lee Brody pointed out the mural seen in the film—depicting Buddy alongside characters named Bobby and Benny—and noted that the titular monster isn’t necessarily the sole focal point of this fictional world, suggesting one direction a follow-up could take. Kelly, however, indicated that the mural is only one of many narrative threads he’s considering and that he has numerous other possibilities for where the story could head after Buddy’s final moments.
Months before Buddy reached theaters, Kelly spoke with ScreenRant’s Grant Hermanns and discussed elements like that mural, hinting that the movie shows only a portion of the world he’s imagined. As he put it then: “I like the idea of a history that we don’t know all of it, or maybe you don’t know all of it. Maybe I know some of it, but yeah. I like the world building of it, I won’t lie. It’s fascinating to me. I like the feeling of that mural. I just love it.” That line of thinking underscores Kelly’s interest in a larger lore that could be explored in additional projects.
Audience reaction to Buddy has been strong, matching its box office performance. The film holds a “Certified Fresh” Tomatometer rating of 88% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 138 critic reviews and posts a 75% Popcornmeter score from more than 1,000 verified audience ratings. The site’s audience summary praises the film’s tone, saying that “intentionally weird and darkly funny, Buddy is to horror fans what Bluey is to millennial parents: chicken soup for the soul,” while critics’ consensus observes that “Buddy weaponizes the cheery conventions of children’s entertainment into an inventive, hilarious, and creepy descent into pop culture madness.”
Keegan-Michael Key provides the voice of Buddy, and Emmy winner Cristin Milioti plays Grace, a woman who unwillingly becomes trapped inside the in-universe program It’s Buddy!. Topher Grace appears as Ben, Grace’s husband, and several young actors portray the children ensnared by the show: Delaney Quinn, Madison Skyy Polan, Caleb Williams, Tristan Borders, Luke Speakman, and Tory Jacqui Malone. The ensemble of vocal performers behind the anthropomorphic cast includes Patton Oswalt, Michael Shannon, the late Eric Bauza, Jimmica Collins, and Devon Hawke.
Kelly’s background includes work on projects such as Too Many Cooks and The Scooby-Doo Project, along with the 2018 horror film Mandy starring Nicolas Cage. He co-wrote Buddy’s screenplay with Jamie King, who previously wrote for Marvel’s acclaimed three-season Jessica Jones series starring Krysten Ritter. One of the producers on Buddy, J.D. Lifshitz, has a track record that includes involvement with films like Barbarian, Woman of the Hour, Friendship, Companion, and Weapons.
Given the creative seeds planted in the first movie—the mural, the hints of a broader history, and Kelly’s own admitted appetite for world-building—plus the commercial and critical momentum Buddy has generated, the filmmaker’s comments about more entries being discussed offer fans a tangible reason to hope the story will continue.
Ava Thornton is an entertainment journalist with a keen eye for the latest in Hollywood, indie films, and streaming trends.
Her work blends insider knowledge with a deep appreciation for storytelling.
