Monster Hunter is still weeks away from its premiere, but a script is already being written for a potential Monster Hunter 2, according to the film's star. The upcoming science fiction fantasy film—set to arrive in American theaters on December 30—is based on a Capcom video game series that features a seemingly infinite number of monsters. Therefore, the potential development of a new franchise of feature-length films should come as little surprise.
Monster Hunter stars Milla Jovovich as Captain Natalie Artemis, tasked with fighting monsters and returning to her world after falling through a portal. Tony Jaa and T.I. are among the other stars of the film, directed by Jovovich's husband, Paul W.S. Anderson. It's not totally clear yet which monsters the hunters will be battling in this video game adaptation, but previously released footage did reveal the Rathalos, one of the most iconic monsters from the Capcom series.
Even if too few monsters or the wrong monsters in the eyes of fans make it into Monster Hunter, they can always set their eyes on a potential sequel. Jovovich told Total Film (via GamesRadar+) that Anderson was "already writing something" for a potential follow-up to the movie, stating "Paul would love to make a sequel." With only five or six monsters set to appear in Monster Hunter, the franchise seems ripe for the pursuit of a sequel, or even a franchise that spans numerous films.
Outside of the size of the franchise, Anderson's passion for video game adaptations can't be discounted when considering whether Monster Hunter will have legs beyond its initial release. Anderson has adapted the new movie as faithfully as possible from the video game, receiving approval from the games' creators for everything that happens on screen. He has also directed movies in the Resident Evil and Mortal Kombat franchises, so his desire to keep making video game adaptations cannot be questioned.
What can be questioned is the viability of making what would likely be an expensive sequel. The budget for Monster Hunter was reported to be $60 million, not terrible by today's standards. But the studio is still attempting to release the movie in theaters at a time when coronavirus cases are spiking, likely hampering the box office performance of the movie, and maybe, the appetite to make a sequel for it. Generating buzz for a Monster Hunter sequel could help push the forthcoming film towards greater success.
Source: Total Film via GamesRadar+
