Doug Liman has become a busy director of late, signing on the helm a variety of projects ranging from the comic book film Justice League Dark to the YA dystopian adaptation Chaos Walking. Another movie that's on his radar is Edge of Tomorrow 2, a sequel to his fan-favorite sci-fi/action vehicle Edge of Tomorrow that won many people over with its inventive story, sense of humor, and great performances. Star Tom Cruise has had a story planned out since 2015, and earlier this year the film found a pair of screenwriters in Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse. No production timeline is in place, but Edge of Tomorrow 2 is clearly taking steps towards the big screen.
Updates on its development have been few and far between, but Liman recently dropped a rather intriguing clue by saying that the followup will "revolutionize" the way sequels are made. That bold statement caught the attention of many moviegoers curious to see what exactly the creative team has in store. Now, the filmmaker has shed some light on the approach, which should only raise more questions.
Speaking with Collider to promote his scripted VR series Invisible, Liman discussed Edge of Tomorrow 2 and explained why he is so excited to get the ball rolling on it:
“That is the only sequel that I’m considering doing, and it’s because first of all the story is so amazing—much better than the original film, and I loved and loved the original film—and second of all, it’s a sequel that’s a prequel.”
It's unknown what Liman means by that, but it certainly sounds like a fascinating concept. Admittedly, the sequel/prequel blend is reminiscent of The Godfather: Part II (which had Robert De Niro star as a young Vito Corleone in flashbacks), but Liman appears to be doing something a bit different. In his interview, he reiterated his earlier "revolutionize" claim, suggesting that whatever he came up with, it's something that hasn't been tackled in a mainstream film before. That kind of risk is exciting to hear about, since sequels have become quite common in Hollywood. The original Edge of Tomorrow was seen as a great breath of fresh air, so it only makes sense that the sequel would try to be as well.
Since plot details are being kept under wraps for now, fans will have to wait to see how Edge of Tomorrow 2 will combine the tropes of a sequel and prequel. Viewers may recall that the first movie ended with Cruise's Cage character defeating the Mimics and ending the time loop, waking up on the day of Operation Downfall to the news that the alien threat is no more. At the film's conclusion, Cage was the only one who knew what had transpired, and Emily Blunt's Rita saw him as a complete stranger (even though the two fought side-by-side in the battle). The time travel aspect of the property allows Liman to play around with things, creating a scenario where Cage and Rita have to form their friendship again while living out days they technically have already experienced. It's a mind-bending setup, but with the right amount of creativity, it could work very well.
As excited and enthused Liman is about working on Edge of Tomorrow 2, fans would be advised to not hold their breath waiting for it. Cruise and Blunt will be busy next year working on Mission: Impossible 6 and Mary Poppins Returns, respectively, and Liman's schedule continues to fill up with new offers. It remains to be seen how everything will fall into place, but with a tantalizing idea locked down and a committed crew behind it, chances are Edge of Tomorrow 2 will become a reality sooner rather than later.
NEXT: Edge of Tomorrow 2 'Revolutionizes' Sequels
As of this writing, Edge of Tomorrow 2 does not have a release date. We'll keep you updated on its progress.
Source: Collider