Could a sequel to the terrifying 2008 found-footage monster movie Cloverfield be a success, or will it ruin the unorthodox and zany legacy of the franchise?
A direct sequel to the hit found-footage monster movie Cloverfield was recently announced, with J.J. Abrams returning to produce the film. Two other installments in the franchise have been released since 2008, and neither of them could recapture the horror and mystery of the original. That could change if the sequel revisits what made the first film gripping and unique, although this upcoming movie will not be told from a found-footage perspective.
Still, with how different the original film was and fans split on the follow-ups, is a Cloverfield sequel the best idea?
The first movie garnered a lot of buzz when the first trailer was released in mid-2007. It was a short, ominous teaser centered around a party in a New York City apartment that’s interrupted by a monster attack. There was no movie title attached to the trailer, only the release date, January 18, 2008. This spawned an immersive multimedia alternate reality game, or ARG, that added to the film’s appeal.
Clearly, this mysterious marketing campaign worked, as the film grossed $172 million worldwide. On top of that, the movie received mostly positive reviews from both critics and moviegoers alike.
The following two films would not keep the found footage format, and only one of them made an attempt to connect back to the original movie. 2016’s 10 Cloverfield Lane was a thriller-mystery with three main actors and only one location: a bunker. 2018’s The Cloverfield Paradox featured an ensemble cast, a space setting, and a baffling story about an energy crisis and multiple dimensions.
While the latter film did its best to bring all the movies into one coherent universe, it also opened up plot holes. For example, the monster shown at the end of the film is much bigger than its 2008 counterpart. Also, its appearance at the end does not sync up with the New York attack in the first movie. While Paradox presented its story on a much larger scale, its predecessor, 10 Cloverfield Lane, worked as a self-contained story that barely connects to the first entry, aside from a couple of one-off lines and a jarring finale.
One thing both of these movies shared with the original film was a distinctive and memorable marketing campaign. 10 Cloverfield Lane released its first trailer two months before release and produced another extensive online ARG. On the other hand, Paradox was announced and released on the same day, during the 2018 Super Bowl. Both films got a ton of buzz around them thanks to the marketing.
So far, the Cloverfield franchise has been messy but unique. Say what you want about the last film or the inconsistencies between them, but no other mainstream franchise is as unorthodox as Cloverfield. At this point, it wouldn’t be part of the franchise if it wasn’t unconventional and a little disconnected. If we get a direct sequel, that could ruin what makes Cloverfield different.
Sure, Paradox was a mess and 10 Cloverfield Lane was a great thriller that just happened to have Cloverfield in the name, but they were both exciting storytelling experiments. If a sequel is being developed, it would need to keep the franchise’s mystery alive, and keep it weird.
Also, will they be able to recapture what made the first so compelling without the found-footage approach? A story following the aftermath of the attack on New York could also prove to be difficult as the first movie wrapped up nicely. Continuing after that just feels wrong.
Maybe I am wrong, and this is what the franchise needs to keep it going. It’ll be interesting to see what this sequel has in store for this bizarre monster series. As long as it has Cloverfield in the title, I’ll be eager to see what it does for the franchise.
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