Bad Robot & Paramount Developing Direct Sequel to 2008’s Cloverfield

Per The Hollywood Reporter, the 2008 found footage monster movie, Cloverfield, is reportedly on track to finally getting a sequel. J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot and Paramount Pictures have hired Joe Barton to write the script for the planned film.

Unlike the first movie, the planned sequel won’t be shot in the found footage format. The 2008 movie was a sleeper hit, grossing $172.4 million worldwide and launching a franchise of loosely connected films, including 2016’s 10 Cloverfield Lane and 2018’s The Cloverfield Paradox.

Matt Reeves, who directed the original film, is not involved in the project. Abrams is going to produce the film along with Hannah Minghella.

10 Cloverfield Lane and The Cloverfield Paradox were originally developed as separate films, but they were later linked into The Cloverfield Universe. However, The Cloverfield Paradox was sold off to Netflix and wasn’t released theatrically. With Abrams focusing on the new WarnerMedia deal, it had appeared the franchise was dead for a time before this deal popped up.

To add another connection with the sequel and Matt Reeves, Barton is attached as the showrunner for a planned HBO Max TV spinoff of Reeves’ upcoming 2022 feature, The Batman. The show will follow the Gotham City Police Department. Barton replaced previous showrunner Terence Winter, who left the show due to creative differences.

The original film followed a group of young 20-something New Yorkers as they try to get through the city and save one of their friends after a giant monster attack on New York City. Details on the upcoming sequel are currently under wraps.