Nine years have passed since Netflix released The Babysitter, the horror-comedy by McG that turned Samara Weaving into a genre icon and which, three years later, received a sequel titled The Babysitter: Killer Queen. That second installment left the door open for a third film, and since then, McG has repeated in several interviews that the conclusion of the trilogy is still on the table. The question we keep getting asked is always the same: what has actually happened with The Babysitter 3?
The short answer is simple: Netflix has never officially announced the film, there is no indication that it has entered production, and McG's last public update on the project is already nearly three years old. The full story, however, has more nuances than a simple no, so we are reviewing everything known so far.
From a project discarded by New Line to a cult favorite on Netflix
It is easy to forget that The Babysitter was never originally intended as a Netflix Original film. Brian Duffield's script topped the 2014 Black List, was acquired by McG's production company, Wonderland Sound and Vision, and was filmed in late 2015 for New Line Cinema. With New Line's schedule saturated, the rights ended up in the hands of Boies/Schiller and Wonderland, and Netflix took over global distribution, releasing it on Friday, October 13, 2017, just in time for Halloween.
The premise was straightforward: Cole, a 12-year-old boy played by Judah Lewis, discovers that his dream babysitter, Bee (Samara Weaving), is actually leading a satanic cult alongside her friends, played by Bella Thorne, Robbie Amell, Hana Mae Lee, and Andrew Bachelor. The reviews were unusually favorable for a Netflix release at that time, and the film quickly became a cult success for the platform.
Netflix fast-tracked a sequel in 2019, with McG returning to direct and Dan Lagana, of American Vandal, writing the script. The Babysitter: Killer Queen arrived on September 10, 2020, jumping two years ahead in the story to a teenage Cole, bringing back almost the entire original cult and adding a pre-Wednesday Jenna Ortega in the role of the newcomer Phoebe. Weaving returned for the finale, and a post-credits scene showed that Bee's devilish book was still intact.
The reviews were harsher this time, with 46% on Rotten Tomatoes compared to a warmer audience rating, but the door was clearly left open for a continuation.
What McG has said about The Babysitter 3
McG has never hidden his desire to film a third movie, although he has never been able to confirm that Netflix shares that same intention officially.
A few days after the premiere of Killer Queen, McG explained on the Boo Crew podcast by Bloody Disgusting that the story was always conceived in three acts following Cole's evolution. He refused to reveal details of the third chapter, but assured that if the public liked the sequel, they would be ready to make the third. Around the same time, he told CBR that he wanted to close Cole's story and that he had a couple of big surprises in store for that third installment.
The cast was also receptive. Judah Lewis commented that he would like to see how the relationship between Cole and Phoebe evolved, while Robbie Amell noted that he hoped to be considered for a third film if the sequel performed well.
In 2023, while promoting Family Switch, his fourth film for Netflix, McG stated to ComicBook.com that conversations were still open: "We keep talking about it," he said, adding that the first film gave the world Samara Weaving, the second gave us Jenna Ortega, and he hoped a third could discover another star of that caliber.
That is where the trail goes cold. There has been no subsequent public statement from McG, Netflix, or the cast regarding The Babysitter 3 since that interview in late 2023.
What Netflix audience reports say
The Engagement Reports that Netflix publishes twice a year do not cover the release window of either film, as they began in the first half of 2023, when Killer Queen was already two and a half years old. What they do show is that both titles have never stopped generating views.
Between the first half of 2023 and the first half of 2026, The Babysitter accumulated 24.8 million views, while The Babysitter: Killer Queen added 26.7 million, for a combined total of 51.5 million views in three and a half years, equivalent to about 81 million hours viewed.
Since 2024, both films have maintained a stable figure of around 3 million views per semester each, with a slight uptick in the second half of each year coinciding with Halloween. The most striking data point is that Killer Queen has consistently outperformed the original despite its weaker reviews: its best period was the first half of 2023, with 7.1 million views, just after Wednesday made Jenna Ortega one of Netflix's biggest stars.
Are these figures enough to justify a sequel? On their own, probably not. These are numbers typical of a stable catalog title, not a runaway hit, and Netflix's decisions on sequels are usually based on performance during the release window, a data point these reports do not capture.
Why The Babysitter 3 has not been made
Netflix rarely explains publicly why a sequel does not move forward, but several factors help to understand the situation:
- The sequel did not perform as well as the original: McG made it clear that a third film depended on the performance of Killer Queen, and critics were notably colder toward it.
- Netflix's film strategy has changed: Following the departure of former film chief Scott Stuber and the arrival of Dan Lin to head the film division in early 2024, Netflix has reduced its overall commitment to mid-budget genre sequels.
- The stars became much more expensive: McG himself acknowledges that Weaving and Ortega became highly popular names, which would considerably increase the cost of their return, while Judah Lewis is already around 25 years old, far from the child who played Cole.
- McG has been busy with other projects: After Family Switch, he directed Uglies for Netflix in 2024 and the Apple TV+ family film Way of the Warrior Kid, starring Chris Pratt and scheduled for November 20, 2026. His next project for Netflix is Spy Duo, with Kevin Hart and Henry Cavill.
It is also worth remembering that Netflix is not the absolute owner of the original franchise, as the first film was produced by Wonderland and Boies/Schiller before being acquired by the service. Netflix retains the rights to the original film until 2037, but holds the rights to the sequel indefinitely.
Is The Babysitter 3 dead?
Not officially, but it is not in active development either. Netflix has never confirmed the project, there is no cast, script, or production listing of any kind, and the director's last update, in which he claimed they were still talking about the subject, dates back to late 2023. Nine years after the original premiere, The Babysitter 3 fits today into the long list of Netflix sequels hinted at but never formally commissioned.
Even so, McG continues to make it clear that he has the story saved, and Netflix has shown on other occasions that it is willing to revisit old properties when the time is right.
Frequently asked questions about The Babysitter 3
Has Netflix officially confirmed The Babysitter 3?
No. Netflix has never officially announced a third film, and there is no confirmed cast, script, or production to date.
What did McG say about a possible third film?
The director explained in several interviews between 2020 and 2023 that the story was always conceived in three parts and that there were still conversations about making it, although without confirmation from Netflix.
How have The Babysitter and The Babysitter: Killer Queen performed on Netflix?
According to Netflix audience reports between 2023 and 2026, both films have a combined 51.5 million views, with Killer Queen slightly outperforming the original in several periods.
Which actors could return if The Babysitter 3 is made?
There is no confirmed cast for a possible third installment. Samara Weaving, Jenna Ortega, Judah Lewis, and Robbie Amell participated in previous films, but their return is not backed by any official announcement.
What is McG currently working on?
After directing Uglies for Netflix in 2024, McG prepared Way of the Warrior Kid for Apple TV+, scheduled for release on November 20, 2026, and his next project for Netflix is Spy Duo, starring Kevin Hart and Henry Cavill.
