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More than a decade after Spring Breakers became one of the most talked-about films of 2013, the controversial crime drama is officially getting another chapter.

Bella Thorne is set to write, direct and star in Spring Breakers 2, taking creative control of the follow-up to Harmony Korine’s cult favorite. Original Spring Breakers producers Chris and Roberta Hanley are also returning to produce the new film.

Rather than simply recreating the original, Thorne plans to put her own spin on the material while maintaining the rebellious energy that helped make Spring Breakers such a distinctive piece of early 2010s pop culture.

“The original Spring Breakers was an iconic cultural touchstone, and taking the reins as a filmmaker is a dream project for me,” Thorne said in a statement. She added that she hopes to create a “wild, high-stakes thrill ride” that honors the original while establishing its own identity.

The new story will follow five girls who arrive at what appears to be the spring break party of a lifetime. Things quickly take a darker turn when they discover they were never actually invited to the party. Instead, they are the targets.

Casting directors Mary Vernieu and Jessica Kelly are launching an international search for undiscovered talent to join Thorne in the film’s lead roles.

Producer Chris Hanley said the decision to hand Thorne the franchise came after seeing an early cut of her feature directorial debut, Color Your Hurt. Hanley praised Thorne’s willingness to combine professional actors with non-actors and described her approach to Spring Breakers 2 as a new female perspective rather than a conventional sequel.

“This isn’t a traditional sequel,” Hanley said. “It’s Bella’s singular vision, capturing the rebellious DNA of the original film for a new generation.”

The original Spring Breakers followed four college students played by Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson and Rachel Korine, whose Florida vacation spirals into a violent criminal underworld after they cross paths with eccentric drug dealer Alien, played by James Franco.

Korine’s film became particularly notable for taking several actresses associated with younger and more mainstream audiences and dropping them into an intentionally provocative, neon-soaked crime story. Its unusual style and divisive reception eventually helped turn it into a cult favorite.

Attempts to continue the franchise have actually been underway for years. A sequel was first discussed in 2014 without Korine’s involvement, prompting Franco to publicly criticize the idea. That version ultimately never materialized.

Another incarnation, titled Spring Breakers: Salvation Mountain, was announced in 2025 with Thorne, Grace Van Dien, Ariel Martin and True Whitaker attached to star and Matthew Bright set to direct. The latest announcement represents a major creative shift, with Thorne now writing and directing her own version of the project.

Thorne certainly isn’t promising a restrained follow-up either.

“There’s so much litness in this movie,” Thorne said while discussing the project. “I mean, from start to finish, it’s lit as f—.”

Whether Spring Breakers 2 can capture the strange cultural lightning of Korine’s original remains to be seen, particularly without the original filmmaker or cast. But putting Thorne behind the camera as well as in front of it gives the sequel a much clearer identity than previous attempts to revive the franchise.

A release date for Spring Breakers 2 has not yet been announced.