J.J. Abrams is reportedly working on a Cloverfield sequel, says the AVClub. The project is in the early stages of development, with Joe Barton as a screenwriter. Barton previously worked on the folk horror film The Ritual. Recently, HBO hired him as showrunner for its Gotham City police series. While there is currently no information about the possible director, we know that, unlike the first film, the sequel won’t use the found footage format.
First released in 2008, the sci-fi disaster movie Cloverfield used a clever gimmick: it told a story about a kaiju monster wrecking New York from the perspective of ordinary people trying to survive the massive destruction. Directed by Matt Reeves – who later made the last two Planet of the Apes movies – Cloverfield was a well-made film with an excellent viral campaign, earning $172 million at the box office on a $25 million budget.
The success of Cloverfield led to two kinda-sorta sequels – in reality, standalone sci-fi/horror movies. Released in 2016, Dan Trachtenberg’s excellent 10 Cloverfield Lane had pretty much nothing to do with the first film, except for its title. The Cloverfield Paradox, on the other hand, clumsily inserted elements connecting it with the first film. Despite an excellent cast, it was still terrible. Skip it.
