Blumhouse has scared up a plan for Insidious: Chapter 4, a pic that will extend the supernatural thriller franchise at Universal. Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions is financing and will handle international distribution. Newcomer Adam Robitel (The Taking of Deborah Logan) has come aboard to direct a pic that will be written by co-creator Leigh Whannell, who wrote the trilogy and directed 2015’s Insidious: Chapter 3. An October 20, 2017, release date has been set.

Jason Blum, Oren Peli and co-creator James Wan will produce, and Steven Schneider, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones and Charles Layton will executive produce. Also coming back: Lin Shaye, who stars as parapsychologist Elise Rainier.

Insidious: Chapter 3 bowed in June 2015 via Universal’s Focus Features and grossed $113M worldwide. The 2017 date near Halloween also has been staked out for Warner Bros’ Ben Affleck pic Live by Night.

Blumhouse earlier this month claimed out some release-date space on the 2017 calendar, including a pair of still-untitled films that will occupy February 24 and April 28. Insidious: Chapter 4 now takes a third spot in 2017. It also has M. Night Shyamalan’s Split on January 20, also at Universal, and through Weinstein/Dimension has Amityville: The Awakening opening January 6.

Robitel is repped by APA.