While Paul W.S. Anderson doesn't believe his cult classic Event Horizon would benefit from a sequel, a trip back to its dark universe is overdue. As a director, Anderson certainly tends to be divisive, and doesn't really craft critical darlings. Still, a lot of his movies have been hits. That's what makes Event Horizon completely bombing at the time of its 1997 release so humorous in hindsight, as it's almost unanimously regarded as Anderson's best effort to date, by a large margin.
A critical and commercial flop, Event Horizon is one of those interesting cases in which a film is reevaluated over time, building up a vocal, loyal, cult of followers. It's no wonder, as the concept of putting Hell in space is one ripe with possibilities for carnage, the kills are gory and plentiful, the atmosphere is thick with creepiness, the cast is terrific, and visually, Event Horizon's production design looks like a million bucks. The mistake may just have been releasing it during summer blockbuster season.
A TV adaptation of Event Horizon was announced as in the works for Amazon Prime last year, but at this point, it's unclear if the project is still happening. Whether or not it does, Anderson recently made clear that he doesn't feel a follow-up is a good idea. Yet, it's likely many fans would disagree.
Why Event Horizon Deserves A Proper Sequel Movie
As good as Event Horizon is, it's also an example of unrealized potential. Paramount infamously made Anderson cut over 30 minutes of footage for the theatrical release, including much more explicit gore and additional character and story development. This footage is thought to be lost, and will probably never be restored. While Anderson seems to be worried a sequel would risk ruining the original, the portal to Hell inside a black hole concept is just too good not to use again, this time fully, and there are ways to avoid touching the original.
First off, an Event Horizon 2 shouldn't focus on the surviving characters from the first movie. Their fate can be revealed in a quick scene, but this needs to be a new story about a new ship and a new crew encountering the Event Horizon, back again from Hell. Either that, or Event Horizon 2 could be a prequel, showing the full story of the original Event Horizon crew. Sure, we know how that ends, but it could still be scary as hell.
Event Horizon 2, now that the property has a following, could be an opportunity to put back in as much of what got taken out out of the first film, as possible, just with a new cast and crew. Event Horizon's sequel could be a way for Paramount to make amends with fans for shelving Anderson's original cut, and provide the movie Event Horizon always should've been. Plus, the world the film crafted is just too intriguing to never revisit.