Let me be straightforward here: Yes, it certainly can make its own horror universe after Zombeid (2026), since the ending indicates the possibility of a sequel.
Films have the potential of getting a sequel and eventually becoming a franchise if they generate massive box office returns, which stands true for Zombeid. There are unresolved narratives, leaving central mysteries and conflicts open-ended. The setting created a deep lore, opening doors for exploration in a richly built world that has a broad demographic appeal.
There is one aspect that could create trouble for the Zombeid horror universe, however, as it failed to achieve it in its first part. Audiences should feel a deep emotional attachment to the protagonists or villains, which is only possible if there are iconic characters. Fahad Mustafa as Wali and Mehwish Hayat as Zara failed to do so, which I mainly attribute to weak writing, as explained in my previous article.
I mentioned earlier that the zombie genre is saturated to the extent that it now asks for novelty. It demands meaning and substance over mere special effects. Undoubtedly, Zombeid was a gigantic leap in technical and creative inventiveness; the screenplay needs to be developed from a solid story to keep the audience hooked in their theater seats for two hours or so.
For Zombeid to expand into a successful horror universe, it needs to move on from an extremely basic script and come up with a fictional setting with multiple scary stories, events, or monsters, which I believe they have already attempted in terms of excellent VFX. For a start, a few consistent internal rules within rich world-building, deep atmosphere, and high but relatable human stakes are some of the elements that are required for the next Zombeid installment, aimed to thrive on dread inside a bigger horror universe.
Taking examples from the Conjuring and Evil Dead horror universes, the chaotic lore they have established alongside above-par practical effects is commendable. In Evil Dead, the Necronomicon built a world on a single recognizable artifact of evil that every subsequent story and sequel has used effectively. Even the reboots incorporated the book of the devil in an entirely cohesive manner, where all the dots connect without a hitch.
Obviously, I cannot stress enough the need for brilliant writing here. Zombeid should take notes from how Lee Cronin's The Mummy (2026) shared a universe with the Evil Dead franchise with a subtle Easter egg connection rather than a full-scale spin-off. And The Conjuring: First Communion, due next year, will highlight broader franchise development by going deep into the younger versions of Ed and Lorraine Warren and their early years of paranormal investigation.
When it comes to strong story writing, I keep wondering how intricately beautiful it could be if Zombeid 2 could utilize Usman Mukhtar (Gulabo Raani), Ayesha Muzaffar (Deemak, Abu Jinns short stories), or Abu Aleeha's (Javed Iqbal: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer) astute story-writing skills.
Before doing so, the future writers of Zombeid 2 should take lessons from Yeon Sang-ho's Colony (2026), another zombie horror movie from the Train to Busan (2016) director, which has not received universal acclaim [Editor's note: Our critic J Hurtado was quite complementary]. Not every return to a familiar genre by an established director is guaranteed to succeed.
In an already saturated genre, it takes genuine creativity and bold innovation to convince audiences that a new entry is worth their time and not just a lousy attempt to cash in on an existing IP, star faces, or the fact that it was the first Pakistani zombie movie ever.
Echoes is an opinion column on film and television from the perspective of a writer based in Pakistan.