ROB ZOMBIE Speaks Out On Plans For 'Corpses' Sequel

Rob Zombie has commented on his freshly-announced deal with Lions Gate Films to write and direct a sequel to his directorial debut, the horror feature "House of 1000 Corpses". "House of 1000 Corpses" has earned more than $11 million in box office receipts since its U.S. release last month.

Says Zombie: "After the success of the opening weekend on 'Corpses', I knew that talks of a sequel weren't far behind. I originally wrote the first film with a sequel in mind, just in case such a situation should arise... and it has."

"I think now is the only time to do a sequel," he added. "Myself and the cast are still in the right 'Corpse' mindset. To come back to this years later wouldn't work — the vibe would be gone.

"I really want to expand upon the characters of Spaulding, Otis, Baby, Tiny, Dr. Satan and some of the others," Zombie said when asked if any of the faces from the original movie will return in the film's next installment. "I love these characters and I want explain the strange relationships between them. The first film hints at many things, but never really explains the full truth."

"These days sequel are a whole new game," he explained when asked how he feels about the Hollywood trend of cashing in on a successful formula. "In the past 'sequel' was a dirty word but now sequels are for the most part bigger and better than the original. I don't want to retread the same story but take the returning characters on a strange new journey."

As for how the second installment of 'House' will be different from the first, Zombie said, "[Next time around] I'll have more time and more money to create an even more intense and elaborate vision of the world of 'House Of 1000 Corpses'."

Production on the sequel is slated to start in the fall, with an April 2004 release penciled in to coincide with the one-year anniversary of the original.