 After completing Inferno ( 1980 ) , the second in his planned Three Mothers trilogy of supernatural horror films , Argento was expected to move straight into production of its concluding chapter . The first in the trilogy , Suspiria ( 1977 ) , had turned the director into what Alan Jones called " a horror superstar " , but Inferno had proven a difficult follow @-@ up . Argento had become unwell while writing the film , and his ill health continued into filming . In addition , Argento 's relationship with Inferno 's co @-@ producer 20th Century Fox had soured the director on " Hollywood politics " , so when Inferno was not well @-@ received upon release , Argento put the Three Mothers trilogy on hold . Inferno also flopped commercially . According to James Gracey , Argento – under pressure and feeling " the need to once again defy expectations " – returned to the giallo genre and began work on Tenebrae . Argento later stated that he wanted to " put on film a gory roller @-@ coaster ride packed with fast and furious murders " and that he " shouldn 't resist what [ his ] hardcore audience wanted " . He added that he had also become irritated that in the years since his last giallo so many other directors had made films derivative of – and inferior to – his own genre @-@ defining works . 
