With a direct sequel toCloverfieldseemingly in the works, the upcoming movie is destined to prove a harsh reality about the successful monster franchise. TheupcomingCloverfield 2was announced by producer J.J. Abrams in 2018, followed by news in January 2021 that screenwriter Joe Barton would be penning the story. The last big update about the direct sequel was revealed in September 2022, whereBabak Anvari was announced as the director. This meanstheCloverfieldmovieswill finally be continuing to expand on the universe established in the first three installments.
The first movie arrived in theaters in January 2008, met with critical praise thanks to its unique found footage approach to a giant monster attacking New York City. Since then, two other movies have been made to expand theCloverfieldfranchise’s timeline, those being10 Cloverfield Lanein 2016, andThe Cloverfield Paradoxin 2018. While both films do a good job at establishing new ideas within the franchise,neither serves as a direct follow-up to the original movie. This means the upcoming fourth film overall will reveal a harsh truth about its predecessors.
One Of The Best Monster Movies Of All Time Still Hasn’t Gotten A Sequel 16 Years Later
While plenty of memorable giant monster movies have come out recently, one of the best ever made still doesn’t have a sequel 16 years later.
Cloverfield 2 Is The Sequel That Should Have Happened, Not 10 Cloverfield Lane
10 Cloverfield Lane Is Still An Incredible Follow-Up
As the second film in the franchise, thestory of10 Cloverfield Laneoffers a narrower look at a trio of survivors in a typically-shot thriller. However, the end of the movie reveals an alien threat that’s different from the monster seen in the first movie, indicating much more is happening than the attack on New York City.The movie, which was critically acclaimed, helped broaden the world ofCloverfieldin new, interesting ways, while crafting a compelling standalone narrative. However, in terms of the larger franchise, a direct follow-up would have been a better way to continue the franchise.
While10 Cloverfield Lane’s endingoffered some connective tissue to the rest of the franchise, the movie didn’t require knowledge of the previous film to watch. While this made it more accessible to those unfamiliar with the franchise, it was a slight letdown due to the many unanswered questions from the first movie.The follow-up doesn’t provide any updates on what happened to New York City, nor an explanation as to why different aliens are appearing instead of the original monster. This lack of a direct connection continues in 2018’sThe Cloverfield Paradox, proving another difficult reality about the franchise.
The Cloverfield Universe Was Not What Cloverfield Needed After The First Movie
The Franchise Has Been Bogged Down With Confusing Lore
Although this lore helps tie the first two movies together, it presents a confusing storyline for the entire franchise that now is expected to be addressed whenCloverfield 2happens.
While the concept of different stories in the same shared universe makes it somany sci-fi movies could beCloverfieldfilms,an expanded universe wasn’t what the series needed after the first movie. This is most proven byThe Cloverfield Paradox, which tried to confusingly tie both the previous films together using interdimensional travel. This resulted in a retcon of the original movie’s monster origins. While marketing for the 2008 film confirmed it came from the ocean,The Cloverfield Paradox’s ending implies it arrived on Earth due to the use of a particle accelerator causing a dimensional rift.
Although this lore helps tie the first two movies together, it presents a confusing storyline for the entire franchise that now is expected to be addressed whenCloverfield 2happens. This makes it so that, despite being a direct follow-up to the original, the sequel might be obligated to acknowledge the events of the other movies. While it will help tie everything more tightly together,it could also prove to confuse an already messy timelineinvolving multiple dimensions, aliens, and monsters. However, there is a simple solution to the sequel’s shared universe dilemma.
Cloverfield 2 Should Ignore The Rest Of The Universe’s Complicated Storylines
The Sequel Can Avoid A Headache By Just Acknowledging The First Movie
While a10 Cloverfield Lanesequelor a nod towardsThe Cloverfield Paradoxwould be neat,Cloverfield 2’s story would benefit by ignoring everything outside the first movie. This would allow it to have a tighter focus that puts the aftermath of the monster’s attack on New York at the forefront, giving it time to flesh out whatever events follow. While some acknowledgment of the previous two films could still happen, they shouldn’t be major elements of the story. Otherwise, the film will feel like it’s trying to be a follow-up to everything at the same time.
Although10 Cloverfield Lanein particular was a phenomenal film,a shared universe wasn’t whatCloverfieldneeded when a direct sequel to the original hadn’t been produced yet. By ignoring the vast array of confusing plot elements introduced in the last two films, the upcoming direct sequel can offer a proper follow-up that feels focused on the original storyline. While details on the movie still remain a mystery, its status as a definitive sequel means there could be some smoothing out of the lore that’s been established so far.
TheCloverfieldfranchise is also made up of three Alternate Reality Games (ARGs) that correspond to each movie, offering additional lore to the series.
Cloverfield
Cast
Directed by Matt Reeves, Cloverfield is a found-footage disaster movie that follows a group of people seeking safety during a state of emergency. When New York City is attacked by an unknown monstrous entity, chaos ensues. A group of friends document their attempts to flee the city and find sanctuary from an onslaught of monsters on a handheld camcorder - footage which is designated as an account of the “Cloverfield” incident.
