“Groundhog Day” is serving as major inspiration for a second time this year. Ry Russo-Young’s “Before I Fall” saw its teen protagonist re-living the day she died — and reevaluating how she lived her life — and now “Happy Death Day” is offering a slasher take on the classic 1993 Bill Murray comedy. A trailer has been released for the horror film, which follows a college student on her birthday — which turns out to also be her death day. But her story is far from over.
Tree (Jessica Rothe, “Mary + Jane,” “La La Land”) is murdered on her birthday, but she wakes up and is forced to re-live the day. Things are exactly the same as the day prior — except for the fact that she remembers everything that happened, including her murder. No one else remembers anything. It’s her birthday and death day all over again.
“Look, I know this isn’t going to make any sense. I feel like I’m losing my mind. I’ve already lived through this day,” says Tree in the spot. “Somebody’s going to kill me tonight.”
No matter what Tree does, her birthday concludes the same way: with her being murdered by a masked figure. Then she wakes up, and is forced to re-live the day — and her murder.
“The way I see it, you have [an] unlimited amount of lives,” her friend says. “Unlimited opportunities to solve your own murder.”
So Tree will keep dying until she can figure out who her killer is.
Roth has a number of projects in the works, including Rachel Goldenberg’s “Valley Girl” musical remake and Bethany Ashton Wolf’s “Forever My Girl,” a romance about high school sweethearts, missed opportunities, and the lure of fame.
“Happy Death Day” is directed by Christopher Landon (“Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones”) and will hit theaters just in time for Halloween, Friday October 13.
