Cloverfield 3 Story and Cast Details

Cloverfield 3 is coming soon, but unlike the previous, uber-mysterious entries in the surprise franchise, we actually have some serious plot details on the movie before the trailer drops. Originally a standalone found footage monster movie produced by J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot, Cloverfield became a proper series in early 2016 when the announcement trailer for 10 Cloverfield Lane dropped mere weeks before it arrived in theaters. It was a shocking marketing campaign, and Abrams appears to be repeating it with the next entry, which is now set to release on April 20.

While we're still waiting for the Cloverfield 3 trailer to be released, we actually know quite a bit about the mysterious film thanks to a slightly more-open-than-previous development. Here are all the plot, cast and franchise details for Cloverfield 3.

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE PLOT

While we don't know the official title of the film yet, it was formerly known as God Particle but became expected to turn into Cloverfield 3 all the way back in late 2016. Directed by Julius Onah and based on a screenplay by Oren Uziel and Doug Jung, the film shot back in 2016 but has changed release dates with minimal discussion from all involved.

What has been revealed about the story thus far revolves around a team of astronauts on board the International Space Station performing a dangerous experiment involving a particle accelerator. They discover a powerful and dangerous energy source called the 'God Particle', which inadvertently instigates a terrible accident that causes the Earth to vanish. Cloverfield 3 is described as a "contained astronaut thriller", so most if not all of the action will take place on board the space station with the threat of perishing in the deadly void of outer space always imminent.

WHO'S IN CLOVERFIELD 3?

A talented international cast was assembled for Cloverfield 3. The ensemble is toplined by Daniel Brühl, the German actor best known to fans for playing the villainous Helmut Zemo in Captain America: Civil War and Nazi Captain Fredrick Zoller in Inglorious Basterds, and Elizabeth Debicki, whom fans will recognize as Ayesha, the golden queen of the Sovereign in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

The support is just as impressive: Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi, who starred in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Rush Hour 2, and Memoirs of a Geisha; Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who starred in the popular "San Junipero" episode of Black Mirror; Chris O'Dowd, the Irish comic actor who starred in Bridesmaids and had a small role in Thor: The Dark World; John Ortiz, who recently starred in Kong: Skull Island; Norwegian actor Aksel Hennie, who appeared in The Martian; and British actor David Oyelowo, who starred as Martin Luther King in Selma.

THE CLOVERFIELD CONNECTION

Cloverfield poster and Mary Elizabeth Winstead and John Goodman in 10 Cloverfield Lane

While it's technically the third in the franchise, Cloverfield 3 isn't a typical sequel; both films so far are sci-fi, but they're each telling a unique story. This is especially true of God Particle; taking place entirely in outer space, it's a departure from its Earthbound predecessors that tackles the outer space horror sub-genre. That said, Cloverfield 3 was hinted at in the viral marketing for 10 Cloverfield Lane, with a sound clip coming from the International Space Station.

The Cloverfield cinematic universe is fast becoming the movie equivalent of The Twilight Zone and Netflix's Black Mirror; a series of thematically-linked films delving into different sci-fi and horror subgenres but of minimal continuity connection. Here's hoping Cloverfield 3 lives up to the thrilling standard set by its predecessors.

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