Madelaine Petsch Reveals The Creative Change She Fought For In The Strangers Trilogy

Madelaine Petsch’s role in The Strangers trilogy goes beyond her onscreen presence.

Ahead of the release of The Strangers — Chapter 3, Petsch has revealed the creative alteration she fought for in The Strangers trilogy, and how it shaped her character. Petsch portrays Maya across all three movies in the trilogy, the only person who’s fought and survived against the Strangers’ onslaught of home invasions. She’ll lead the cast of The Strangers — Chapter 3 as well.

In an interview with ScreenRant‘s Ash Crossan, however, Petsch also revealed her important behind-the-scenes contributions to The Strangers trilogy. She explained how she worked hand-in-hand with producer Courtney Solomon to rewrite parts of the scripts to flesh out Maya’s character. Her involvement is what led to her becoming a producer for the horror trilogy as well:

Ash Crossan: Congratulations on this third movie. I know this franchise has been your baby, and you’re not only the star of the trilogy, but you also became an executive producer shortly before filming. What was the biggest creative note you really fought for within the franchise? And what did you learn about yourself through that process?

Madelaine Petsch: That’s a great question. I think mostly it came down to the writing. When I first got the scripts, I could see the bones, but I felt like we could really dive deeper into this character. I spent a lot of time in pre-production — which is ultimately why I became a producer — because I wanted to rewrite it with Courtney. We spent weeks rewriting the script, honestly rewriting every night for the next day.

Thankfully, I’m kind of the only person in these movies, so it really only affected me. I hate giving actors new lines the night before, so it was my fault and only on me. That was probably the biggest creative note during shooting.

Then in the editing process, I was in the room most days with Courtney, and I learned a lot about separating myself from the person I’m seeing on screen. At first, it was really hard not to be hyper-critical of everything I did. Once I got past that, I was able to really learn how to edit and enhance a film and find meaningful moments. Editing is its own language entirely, so learning that was huge for me.

She explained how, prior to rewrites, she felt as though Maya didn’t have characteristics beyond the typical horror protagonist that would make her stand out among survivors in other series. But, for The Strangers movie trilogy, she used her knowledge as a fan of horror to bolster Maya, deepening her character and the realism of her decisions in various scenarios:

Ash Crossan: What would you say was the biggest change from the initial idea to what the film ultimately became?

Madelaine Petsch: Honestly, it was the depth of Maya. It’s really easy to write a horror film where characters don’t have a lot of real characteristics, because people think audiences are just there for the violence or the chase — the protagonist versus antagonist dynamic. But what horror audiences really want are dynamic characters. They want to be on the journey with them.

I’m a horror fan, so I feel like I have a good sense of what audiences are looking for. It really came down to grounding Maya more, making her choices feel real. I wanted her to make the most sophisticated choices possible — the kind of choices someone who’s never been in a horror movie would realistically make. That depth was the biggest change.

Maya’s story is set to conclude in the upcoming The Strangers — Chapter 3, which will see her continuing her fight for survival after killing Pin-Up Girl in the previous movie. The film will also see the return of Gabriel Basso as Gregory and Richard Brake as Sheriff Rotter. As the final film unfolds, so too will Maya’s ultimate destiny with the Strangers be decided.

The Strangers — Chapter 2 ends by hinting that Maya could be joining the Strangers at some point in the final installment, donning Pin-Up Girl’s mask. This harkens back to Petsch’s comments about making her stand out as a horror protagonist. So far, she’s been unique because of her survival against the group’s attacks, alongside killing one of their core members.

But, with the trailer for The Strangers — Chapter 3 hinting at her possibly joining them, her character becomes a much more dynamic protagonist. So far, she’s harbored a hatred for them that’s continued to grow, with the original Pin-Up Girl’s death only making her more of a mark. Yet that could change depending on the direction of the final film.

Without Petsch’s influence on the script, perhaps Maya wouldn’t be as dynamic a main character as she wound up being. But, collaborating with the film’s writers and producers may have strengthened The Strangers trilogy. Even if the movies aren’t as beloved as the original, their unique use of the characters, alongside a notable protagonist, make them stand out.

The Strangers — Chapter 3 arrives in theaters on February 6, 2026.