A new supernatural horror franchise is already thinking far beyond just one movie. Reports say the upcoming series Birds of the Soul will film its first two movies back-to-back as the producers move ahead with plans for a much larger connected mythology.
The project comes from Romanian filmmaker Constantin Popescu, best known for acclaimed dramas like Pororoca, and it marks a major shift into supernatural horror. The story is said to combine spiritual folklore, psychological horror, and metaphysical ideas centered around death, memory, and the soul itself.
According to Deadline, the producers are approaching Birds of the Soul as a full-scale horror franchise right from the start instead of waiting to see if the first film becomes successful enough to justify sequels later. That’s reportedly why the first two installments are being shot consecutively, allowing the filmmakers to keep the story and mythology more connected across multiple films.
What already makes the project feel different is its focus on Eastern European spiritual traditions and existential horror rather than typical jump scares or familiar possession storylines. It sounds less interested in mainstream studio horror formulas and more focused on atmosphere, emotion, and psychological unease.
What’s especially interesting is how ambitious the franchise already sounds this early in development. Most horror series only start expanding after the first movie becomes a hit, but Birds of the Soul appears to be building its mythology from the beginning. Honestly, that approach feels closer to fantasy or prestige sci-fi franchises than traditional horror sequels.
The project also fits into a growing trend in international horror where filmmakers are leaning more heavily into regional folklore and philosophical horror concepts instead of straightforward monster stories. Audiences lately seem far more interested in horror that feels culturally specific and emotionally disturbing rather than purely spectacle-driven.
Casting details and release dates are still being kept under wraps for now, but with back-to-back production already confirmed, it’s pretty clear the team behind Birds of the Soul sees this as a long-term horror franchise rather than a one-off experiment.
And honestly, the mix of spiritual mythology, existential horror, and large-scale franchise ambition already makes it sound far more unusual than most supernatural horror projects currently in development.
