J.J. Abrams is returning to produce Cloverfield 2, a direct sequel to the 2008 Cloverfield movie – but this one won't be a found-footage movie. Cloverfield is a found-footage style movie that follows a group of young adults as they try to escape from New York City during a monster attack. The film was directed by Matt Reeves and written by Drew Goddard, who has previously voiced interest in returning to write a sequel. The movie quickly became a box-office success by making $172 million worldwide on a $25 million budget.
After the success of Cloverfield, two other films were released as a part of the franchise, though neither were direct sequels to the original movie. 10 Cloverfield Lane was released in 2016 to positive reviews while The Cloverfield Paradox, which was released in 2018, received many negative reviews because of the plot's confusing nature. Both installments were released in the normal third-person viewpoint rather than following with the found-footage style of the original.
THR has announced that a direct sequel to Cloverfield is in the works. The news comes a few years after another hopeful announcement was made by Paramount in 2018. Unlike the original, the new Cloverfield sequel will not be a found-footage movie. J.J. Abrams will be returning to produce the movie and British screenwriter Joe Barton will be crafting the script. Matt Reeves will not be involved.
Plot details and a release date have yet to be revealed, and according to THR, "details of the take are being kept hidden under Central Park." Also unknown are the movie's official title and who'll be directing it. Joe Barton is a seasoned writer, having worked on many television projects including the crime drama Giri/Haji, an upcoming untitled Batman crime show for HBO Max, and an upcoming alien invasion movie, Invasion, which will be released on Amazon.
It isn't surprising that this Cloverfield sequel will not be a found-footage story, since the other two franchise installments aren't found-footage either. However, it is interesting because it will be a direct sequel to a found-footage story. So, continuing the story in a third-person narrative opens up so many possibilities narratively and visually for both writer and director. Additionally, knowing that writer Joe Barton will have the experience of writing for another alien movie is a good sign for the quality and authenticity of Cloverfield 2.
Source: THR