Note: I did some minor editing in the months since I posted this blog. As far as the timeline for the two films are concerned, I'd roughly estimate that they take place 1-2 years after the events of Freaky and HDD2U. It's a little tricky since they were released a year apart from one another (3 years given the 2 Happy Death Day films take place a day apart on September 18th & 19, 2017). Add the fact they are part of the same cinematic universe.
This past summer, I had watched the two Happy Death Day movies on my 4K/Blu Ray copy I own while having streamed Freaky on Peacock. These horror comedy films were directed by Christopher Landon as part of the Blum House company umbrella. In the years since their releases, this had been the talk of the town among the horror community. This inspired me to come up with a story idea of a potential crossover of the two properties. It's highly unlikely we will have one anytime soon. With Halloween around the corner, I figured it would be somewhat of a creative exercise if a top executive came to me and appointed me as a head writer for the crossover. Needless to say, let's begin:
Summary: Tree Gelbman's (Jessica Rothe)'s date with Carter ends in disaster when Tombs is released from prison again, using a dagger with mystical power that results in a body swap between the two involved. Following her high school graduation, Millie Kessler (Kathryn Newton) begins to attend college abroad in Bayfield when she discovers that another criminal has stolen the same dagger responsible for her body swap. As Tombs and Tree succumbed to the spell, it's up to Millie, Ryan, Carter among more of their Bayfield College friends to restore their bodies and stop Tombs in his citywide reign of terror.
Synopsis:
Millie Kessler's encounter with The Blissfield Butcher has traumatized her to the extent of which she couldn't comprehend. One lonely evening, she waited for the arrival of her mother to pick her up after a homecoming game. It was there when she encountered him, frightening the teen in a game of cat and mouse. Despite her efforts to flee, she was unable to escape the swiftness of The Butcher. An ancient dagger known as La Dola contained a mystical aura unlike any ordinary weapon. With the dagger intact, he stabbed Millie by the arm as she cried out with immense pain; This ritual phenomenon initiated a spell that saw her soul being transferred over to the man responsible for the incident.
At first, no one believed her; Not even her friends were gullible to fall for The Butcher's mind games. The fact that her original body had been inhabited and influenced to perform unspeakable tactics appeared out of character for Millie. With some convincing trivia only her friends knew, they realized she had been telling the truth. The trio conducted a search on the same artifact that triggered her body swap. They soon found out that if two people fail to reverse the spell within the next midnight hour, they would remain in each others' bodies for eternity. All seemed lost until a miracle allowed the power of La Dola to reinitiate, restoring The Butcher & Millie back to their original bodies. However, one more confrontation in Millie's house resulted in her family putting a stake to the wanted criminal for good.
Since regaining her body, she felt relieved. It was a chain of events she hoped she would never have to relive. The Butcher inside Millie's body had left so much damage in her school. Multiple deaths were reported and investigated that resulted in the school being shut down until further notice. On the surface, it seemed her actions could've left a dent on her reputation. However, upon further research on the La Dola as well as The Butcher's intentions to inflict harm on others, the charges were dropped. Even despite the uplifting news, Millie couldn't help but feel remorse over the students and staff members that lost their lives. Even if there were folks she could never coexist with, she never wished them harm. As her family and friends paid their respect, Millie offered her condolences with the belief that somewhere above this Earth, they were roaming peacefully along the astral plane.
Millie's high school graduation would mark her first step into the real world. It is an opportunity to discover whichever opportunity lies ahead of her. Given the trauma she endured, the horror remained tattooed in her mind. She reflected back to the victims who lost their lives prematurely at the hands of the Blissfield Butcher; This is also coupled with the grief their surviving family members had to go through. Whether it'd be at home, in her local neighborhood or on her old high school campus, the locations reminded her of some of the gruesome crimes The Butcher committed. It wasn't that she didn't recognize the place any more; Despite her return to normality, the aftereffect to come out of the body swap brought a new perspective on life. With questions came answers she hoped to seek. While making her transition from high school to college, she moved out of her small town to live out life in the city of Bayfield, home to one of the most prestigious colleges in the United States. It marks the next chapter in Millie's life as an adult settling down in her new home.
Millie's first day started off with sunlight and optimism. While she had seen screenshots of the university including the courtyard, stepping foot onto campus to her could be described in one word: fascinating. The yard consisted of an open field similar to that of a local park. A king sized water fountain consisting of a pair of statues stood in the atrium of the courtyard. Some students sat along the benches doing their homework or reading a book. Others were walking by while they navigated their way to their classrooms. Some were on the field composed of two teams lined up in the center for a game of football. The vibrant scenery struck with overwhelming fascination that illuminated Millie's face.
Millie prepared to enter the campus when she encountered a student being ridiculed by a sorority. Known as the Kappa Pi Lambda, their group's leader Danielle Bouchesman did not tolerate folks opposing their ideology of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Millie eavesdropped from the background seemingly incensed. Danielle's mistreatment towards her peer pursued Millie to intervene. Tensions escalate between the two parties. Just before a fight broke loose, a young woman with long blonde hair chimed in to call her out. Tree Gelbman lets it be known as a former Kappa, she couldn't bear to witness seeing folks humiliated and unable to defend themselves. Up until her recent birthday, she didn't have quite the positive reputation. It wasn't until a series of time loops made her realize the effect her cynical behavior had on her peers. As Danielle and her clique left the scene, she and Millie helped the bullied student up on their feet.
Eventually, the two blondes greeted one another. Tree commended Millie for helping the student, a deed she would not have done given her history as a Kappa. Millie appreciated Tree for the compliment. She wondered what happened that led to Tree's removal from the group. To put it into simple words, Tree says that it took a cyclical nightmare that convinced her to rethink her life. Before they parted ways, Millie informs Tree that she is new to Bayfield, requesting if she'd be able to give her a tour around the school. Tree agrees as she provided Millie the guidance needed.
As their tour concluded, Millie found herself inside Tree's dorm room. She looked around with fascination over the colorful decorations displayed throughout the walls. Millie discovers a photo still of a tall brunette styled in a ponytail. Lori Spengler served as a nurse working the night shifts at the local hospital. For some time, she had been Tree's roommate at Bayfield University. Despite living in the same dorm, neither of them were exactly the best of friends. A certain someone they had laid eyes on developed tension amongst the two. Their personal vendetta resulted in Lori's attempt at murder by poisoning Tree with a cupcake. This resulted in a physical altercation in which Tree laid her out in self defense, sending Lori flying through their window. Since the death of her roommate, Tree had the dorm to herself.
Millie empathized. Upon hearing the anecdote, she realized she wasn't the only person who went through trouble. She factors in the time when she had been attacked by a criminal who stabbed her with a dagger. It left her mentally unstable as a result of the ordeal she faced. As Millie showed off her wound, Tree's heart sank. The scars that lingered over their heads brought a deep sense of connection amongst the two women.
As they took a moment to console one another, a young man dressed in a green and white shirt with curly brown hair entered the room. It was during their conversation when he encountered an unfamiliar student. Tree would formally introduce Millie to her boyfriend Carter. Millie informs him that it is her first day as Freshmen and that Tree agreed to give her a grand tour of the school. As Millie glanced at the clock, she realized class was starting soon. Carter goes the extra mile and guides her to her destination.
On a murky cold evening at a museum, an anonymous intruder infiltrated from the ventilator shaft. Cloaked in a dark parka wearing a babyface mask, they navigated their way through a series of obstacles in an effort to retrieve a specific artifact. As a security officer monitored for unusual activity, the intruder ambushed them in the back with a neck snap. The Babyface Killer evaded the high beam lasers adjacent from top to bottom, diagonally, and vertically. They came across an unusual mechanism that gave a suspicious impression. After a near misstep that would have triggered an alarm, the Killer made it pass the ordeal. By removing the mask unveiled a scruffy yet familiar face. Freed from prison, John Tombs' eyes ignited with intrigue. It consisted of a weaponry dagger that had been in existence for generations; it wasn't just an ordinary weapon used for means of combat. The artifact known as La Dola contained a mystical aura with an unimaginable power. As determined by the evil smirk upon his face, he was fully aware of what the artifact possessed.
By utilizing a gadget, it triggered a mechanism which allowed for the containment to be safely removed. To avoid a potential breach, he exchanged La Dola in favor of a counterfeit dagger, Tomb's objective was about to be complete. All of a sudden, the alarm sounded. Screeches echoed throughout the museum. The intruder looked at his surroundings to check for incoming officers lurking closeby. While working his way through the corridors and through the back of the museum, more security officers intervened, pointing their firearms at him. Tombs resorted to self defense, laying out each officer intending to harm him. He entered the stairwell, running down a flight of stairs before exiting through the emergency door. Helicopters arrived at the scene with their searchlights flashing on the rooftop. Fortunately for him, Tombs hid through bushes to ensure he would not be seen. After an extended period of time, the police were unable to track the criminal. Tombs would be safe…for now.
Inside the cafe, Tree spent the duration studying for an upcoming physics exam. Ryan notices and is impressed by the notetaking from her study guide. Tree explains in simple words that she had some help from the best science students in the school…in another dimension. When Carter asks Tree about her experience over there, it felt surreal. Her mother who had passed away in her timeline was alive and well on the other side. That moment got her into thinking as though she belonged there. Along the way, she realized she was living a memory from a childhood she never had. However, with that saw the reality in which she and Carter did not become a couple. She thought back to what he said in regards to how being in a loop allowed her multiple attempts to change as a person. Tree realized her heart belonged to this universe and thanked him for his support. Carter understood and appreciates her honesty. When they first met, they had very little to no interaction. It would all change the night he helped her to his dorm after being hungover at a party. Despite Tree's cynical approach towards him, he came across as a behaved individual that saw the good in people. No matter how difficult life gets, Carter assures everything will be okay.
Suddenly, they overheard some breaking news from the TV kiosk when they discovered that a criminal robbed an artifact from the Bayfield National History Museum. A mystical dagger known as La Dola was previously possessed by the Blissfield Butcher after a manhunt that cost innocent lives to be lost. However, when they find out that Tombs had escaped from prison, horror struck from Tree's face. In recent memory, she relived the same day over in search for the suspect responsible for the time loop. As a criminal involved in the murdering of young blondes, Tree was appalled to learn he is lurking out there possibly harming others. Carter questions how Tombs managed to escape prison. This prompts the couple to investigate.
Millie spent the duration of class taking notes of the material she had been learning. As it concluded, she closed her textbook while heading her way out of the lecture hall. Still failing to comprehend what she learned, she would come across a young Asian man who takes notice of her emotions. Ryan greets the Freshmen student from Blissfield who has been trying to adjust to her first day. Millie appreciates the support. While she makes it known to him of her lack of understanding behind science, she hopes this course will help her earn the credit hours she needs to complete her major. Ryan takes interest in Millie and offers her a homecoming by inviting her to an upcoming carnival event. Without hesitation, Millie agrees to tag along for the ride. Suddenly, she receives a text from her friends (Nyla & Josh) about La Dola being stolen from a museum. It was something she feared that ended up becoming a reality again. Millie responds to the text and notifies them to meet up with later through online video chat. Ryan is confused based on his classmate's reaction. However, she lets him know she is alright and that she looks forward to going.
Tree browsed through the internet on an article that covered Tombs's breakout. It was a moment in which her fears heightened. Since her experience in a time loop, she made every attempt to outsmart the notorious Babyface Killer. In one of the loops, she witnessed Tombs's murder of her boyfriend Carter. Despite negating that incident from happening, it appeared as though Tree managed to put the criminal in his place. But an unknown error she made resulted in going back to square one, undoing Tombs's death as a result. To find out the news he had escaped haunted her.
Carter stepped into Tree's dorm room. By taking a glance at the exhaustion from her eyes, he realized how stressful it is for the trauma she endured, encouraging Tree to get some well needed rest. Tree's concern over Tombs gives her the impression it's only a matter of time before he finds her. Unlike all of the previous time loops, she has one life to live. With Ryan's time device S.I.S.I out of their grasp, one more death sequence and she is done. Carter reassures her Tombs won't harm her and he will be right beside her when she needs him. Looking through her calendar, she realizes their anniversary is around the corner, having arranged their first date in advance. Tree smiles as she takes a backseat on the research. While their conversation ended with a kiss, lurking outside from the window saw the Babyface Killer staring blankly at the couple.
Inside her new condo, Millie interacted with Nyla and Josh via video chat. After they took turns playing catch up on what's been going on in their lives, Nyla and Josh notify her that another criminal had stolen the same dagger used on Millie that caused her to swap bodies with its previous owner. They let it be known that while they now live long distance, The two express their concern given the location where their lifelong friend is at risk. Millie appreciates them for looking out. While doing research on his laptop, Josh finds out about Tombs including his murder sprees and criminal charges. They are instantly reminded of the carnage the Butcher had caused to their town of Blissfield; This has them questioning if there may have been any correlation between the two criminals. When Millie recognizes an online screenshot of Tree's roommate Lori, she finds out she was responsible for setting Tombs free the first time around. This prompts her to warn her new friend Tree the news. Despite her attempt at reaching out via phone call and/or texting, she does not respond. In the meantime, Josh and Nyla hung up as they each had homework to finish.
The next morning, Carter and Ryan are seen socializing by the entrance of William Hall. Ryan gets into his friend's love life. Over the course of the time loops, he began to establish a deep bond with Tree. When she had been at her most vulnerable, he rose to the occasion to uplift her spirit. Not once did he attempt to put her in a position that made her uncomfortable nor did he doubt her alibi. The more Carter got to understand Tree and her personal struggles, the more he grew to admire her. Part of him felt elated to be in a relationship. On the other hand, he pondered whether they would've gotten together had it not been for a malfunction in Ryan's experiment. Speaking of Ryan, he offers his friend support. Although his latest invention has caused a citywide outage, Tree would not be alive without the invention of S.I.S.S.Y. Without notifying the police, Tombs may never have gotten caught during their manhunt. Regardless of the circumstances, Carter is glad that, even if they came from different lifestyles, he is thankful to have found love with a special someone. To that end, Ryan offers Carter his blessing.
In preparation for her date, Tree decides on a set of clothes to wear from her wardrobe. Millie arrived to check up on her new friend. She vowed to learn more about Tree's history with Lori and how their mutual relationship as roommates morphed into an intense dislike. To put it best, Tree explained that it stemmed from their romantic fling over a professor by day and medical doctor by night. It was that instant where Lori went off the deep end in an attempt to murder her roommate. Tree went on for the record that the time period was a difficult ordeal she had to endure. Tree opens up to Millie about a time loop in which she would relive the same day on her birthday; Every time she was murdered, she would wind up back to the same place she was in earlier. With each death carried over numerous fractures she sustained from her body. When it turned out that the time loop originated from a science experiment, she was in disbelief. Tree hopes now that she is no longer succumbed to the loop, she can finally find peace. Millie wrapped her hand around Tree's with sympathy
After weeks of anticipation, the moment arrived when Tree and Carter spent their first date at the inaugural Bayfield Carnival Extravaganza. They participated in a variety of activities ranging from a game of whack-a-mole, riding along a racetrack in slot car derbies, taking photos from a photo booth, and riding on a ferris wheel. Their chemistry continued to blossom as the evening progressed. Just when things were looking up, the Babyface Killer eavesdropped on the couple; Tombs's eyes remained glued with deadly intentions. Tree and Carter watched in awe of the fireworks that were on display. Figuratively, sparks ignited among the two, prompting them to seal it with a romantic kiss. It would turn out to be a night they would never forget. However, it was not the ending they had in mind.
Tree and Carter entered the carnival's funhouse. Their eyes wandered at a wall of curved mirrors cornered around them. At first, they were enthralled. Each contained a different reflection of them in unusual appearances. The couple pranced around by the mirrors, amusing themselves in a way they wouldn't with their traditional home mirrors. They continued to navigate through the overwhelming labyrinth of passageways. Due to its complex interior structure, the pairing would find themselves isolated from one another. All of a sudden, the lights flickered like a light switch. Tree and Carter began to panic as the room faded into pitch black. When the lights returned, they each encountered separate variants of the Babyface Killer. They startled as their hearts raced in fear. The duo fled away from their attackers that threatened them. By the time they exited the funhouse, Tree and Carter managed to regroup. What they thought was one Babyface Killer wound up being accompanied by another person disguised under the mask. As they escaped, the couple attempted to find a sheriff nearby to alert everyone of the Babyface Killers' presence. Unfortunately, they caught up to Carter and Tree just before backup could arrive.
Carter would be handcuffed to a post. Meanwhile, Tree would find herself pinned to the ground at the mercy of her enemy. By removing his mask, a shock of familiarity ensues from her as she and John Tombs cross paths once again. When asked about how he managed to escape, he simply says that he had some back up from an unnamed assailant who orchestrated a prison riot, allowing him the opening he needed to break out from his imprisonment. He blames Tree for being the reason he had to be trapped back inside the prison where he was brutally beaten by guards and other prisoners he could not coexist with. As much as he swore vengeance, killing wouldn't be his solution. He intends to do something more than just leaving his victim in fleshing blood. Tombs pulled out La Dola, slitting his wrist before raising its sharp edged knife to the heavens. An ominous cloud hovered along the evening sky; Bolts of lightning flashed right before their eyes. Carter begged Tombs not to hurt Tree. She tried to fight out of it. However, the Killer's firm grip on her left the blonde defenseless. The criminal stabbed her by the shoulder, initiating a spell that would alter the course of their lives. Tree screamed in agony feeling a scrape of blood gushing out. When the clouds dissipated and the spell reached its completion, a sheriff approached the scene with their handgun intact. Despite their effort, the second Babyface Killer fired his gun back at the sheriff. By the time Millie and Ryan made the save, Tombs and his partner fled from the scene. Using the key dropped off by the sheriff, the gang uncuffed Carter from the post while checking on Tree's condition. As Carter and Ryan prayed for their wounded friend, Millie felt deja vu kicking in. Having been reminded of what the Blissfield Butcher did to her, Millie's instinct indicated something dreadful would occur within the doomsday hour - an hour that would trigger a sequence that would see two people's lives change in an instant.
To Be Continued...
