A machine will only work when all its well-oiled parts are in the right places. The centre of a film is its director, who dictates and overseas the production of the work.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at two directors who might be cooking up something special for us to see in the near future (we hope).
“Cloverfield 2” Director Jokes About Getting Shot For Leaking Any Spoilers
There was a time when found footage films were all over the place. From “Paranormal Activity” to the OG “The Blair Witch Project,” there was something terrifying about the idea that what we were witnessing, at the time, was real. One of those films was the iconic “Cloverfield” movie back in 2008, which kicked off its own beloved franchise about extraterrestrial monsters attacking Earth.
Currently, there are three movies in the franchise, with the latter two films being prequels to the original movie. For context, each film is an interconnected spinoff rather than a direct tie-in to one another, explaining the story of the aliens and how they actually arrived on the planet. Back in 2022, it was announced that “Under the Shadow” director, Babak Anvari, had been brought aboard to help direct the film, with Joe Barton, scriptwriter for “Black Doves,” penning the script.
Now, two years after that announcement and 17 years since the first film, we might finally be getting a bona fide sequel to the original movie. Out of the blue, a rumour surged that not only will there be a potential “Cloverfield” sequel, but also that it will be a direct continuation of the 2008 story.
It was previously confirmed by J.J Abrams, the lead producer of all the “Cloverfield” movies, that he wanted something “really cool that connects some stories.” Additionally, in true Abrams fashion, he spilled the beans on the film rather than letting the air of mystery prevail by saying that the fourth installment is, in fact, a sequel to the 2008 film. However, due to his loose usage of “true” and “dedicated,” many still have their doubts if that is the case.
Hence, when presented with the opportunity to grill director Anvari himself, ScreenRant wasted no time in asking for a “Cloverfield” update. Unfortunately, his lips are tightly sealed, and he joked that he might get shot if he decided to share any knowledge he has of the film. “If I tell you, I may get [shot] by snipers. They’re all there. So, sadly, I cannot divulge anything,” he said.
We know that the upcoming sequel is in development, as per Abrams’s statement back in 2018, but we do not know how far along the pipeline this project is, nor what its expected release date is. This lack of information is actually on brand for the franchise, as it has always found elaborate ways to keep its secrets for us to sniff out or reveal later.
“Jackpot!” Director Teases A Sequel To The Poorly-Received Film
2024 was a big year for movies; fortunes were made and lost over a single box office weekend in the star-studded world of film. Though there were numerous films going about vying for your attention at the time, there were some that might have slipped your radar. One such movie is Paul Feig’s critical flop, “Jackpot!”
Known for his comedies such as “Bridesmaids,” “The Heat,” and “Spy,” Feig made a name for himself for his wacky and, oftentimes, over-the-top sense of humour and surprisingly well-paced action scenes. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always connect, as seen in “Jackpot!”
For those unfamiliar with the film, it follows the story of Katie Kim, a former child actor who won a lethal lottery, where she can only cash out her winnings after a set amount of time, all the while dodging losers who want to kill her and claim the winnings for themselves. Unfortunately, it was a painfully middling film, only scoring a 5.8 on IMDb and a 31% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Despite this, Feig has not been deterred from thinking about making a sequel. In an interview with ScreenRant, the director revealed that he actually loves the film, regardless of its negative reception. He added that he isn’t all that keen on making sequels, but if he were to make any, “Jackpot!” and “Spy” would be at the top of his list.
“Thank you, thank you. Jackpot 2–you made my day with that,” said Feig. “I love Jackpot. The critics didn’t like it, but I loved it. I already know what I want the story for Jackpot 2 to be. I’m not going to go try to make all my movies into sequels–I like doing original things and new ideas–but I would say that those two would probably be the ones that would be the best served by another sequel.”
Not only that, but Feig also revealed that Cena could potentially return for a sequel, largely because he enjoyed working with the actor/pro wrestler. Of course, with how poorly the film performed, we might not see a sequel, if at all. Though he may tease that he has a story in mind, it will take studios and producers a lot of convincing before greenlighting the film.
Sources: ScreenRant [1], [2], Fandago, Den of Geek
