Lin Shaye has revealed the reason behind her return as Elise Rainier in Insidious: Out of the Further. The veteran actress believes the franchise brought her immense success and opened new doors. Now, the 82-year-old star feels the new installment gives her another chance to explore the character.
Speaking to Victoria Venin in a recent interview, Shaye recalled how she first got the script, saying, “Leigh Whannell and James Wan had had dinner at my house, and Leigh said, ‘I have a script. Would you… Can I leave it and you could read it? And I said, ‘Sure.’ And James said, ‘Yeah, you know, take a look. It’s a, it’s a movie we’re trying to get money together to do.’”
After Shaye read the script, she knew she wanted to take on the role and explore more layers of the character. The 82-year-old actress said, “The next day, I called James, and said, ‘I would love to be a part of it.’”
Insidious: Out of the Further could give Elise Rainier another layer to explore
Shaye joined the franchise as Elise when it was still a small-budget horror project from Leigh Whannell and James Wan. The American actress also talked about the first film’s success and a 10-minute standing ovation at the Toronto International Film Festival. The response made her realize that her character had connected with audiences in a way she hadn’t expected
The Detroit native added, “I never thought Elise was any kind of a heroine… It was, for me, the audience that there was some connection that had to do with my place in the whole of this demonic world that was being created.” The veteran actress also thanked Wan and Whannell for approaching her about the role. Now, she wants to explore more layers of her character, Elise Rainier.
The sixth installment, Insidious: Out of the Further, follows a young mother, Gemma (Amelia Eve), who lives with her daughter in the house where she grew up. She soon discovers she can enter The Further and bring its demons into the real world.
The upcoming film also stars Brandon Perea, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Sam Spruell, and Laura Gordon. Written and directed by Jacob Chase, from a story by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Chase, Insidious: Out of the Further will release on Aug. 21, 2026.