The marketing campaign for 2008’s Cloverfield was one of the earliest examples of a film exploiting the internet by making fans hunt for clues about the movie, with none of those clues really being necessary to enjoy the final product. With a third Cloverfield film seemingly debuting within the next few months, a series of mysterious websites have popped up for adventurous internet users to begin to investigate for details.
The first website fans uncovered is the “official site” of the in-world Tagruoto company, which claims to be pursuing methods of renewable energy. A second website, 04102028.com, contains audio clips that connect to 10 Cloverfield Lane, possibly offering hints about how the upcoming film ties into the previous installment.
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At one point in the message, a voice claims that Mark Stambler would be a special guest, with John Goodman‘s character in 10 Cloverfield Lane being Howard Stambler. This posits that there could be a familial connection between the films, possibly with Mark having tipped off his brother that a space exploration could have resulted in an alien invasion, causing Howard to build his bunker.
While it’s entertaining to theorize various connections between the films, it’s also important to note that there’s never been an official confirmation that all of these films fit into the same universe.
Cloverfield depicted a giant monster wreaking havoc on New York City, with the audience never discovering if the threat was contained. 10 Cloverfield Lane played out as a psychological thriller featuring a man keeping captives in an underground bunker, claiming he was protecting them. The film did feature otherworldly creatures in its finale, yet there was still no specific connection drawn between the events of the two films.
Oren Uziel, who wrote the upcoming movie, explained that, rather than a narrative connection between films, “Cloverfield” alerts audiences to what type of film they’ll be getting.
“Other than knowing what kind of quality and feel you’re gonna get from something that’s coming out of Bad Robot and J.J. It just sort of helps to give an understanding of like, ‘Okay I understand what type of movie this is gonna be,’” Uziel told Collider. “As far as specifics, I don’t think there is one specific thread that makes it a Cloverfield movie, I guess.”
The untitled film is currently slated to hit theaters on April 20, yet rumors are circulating that Netflix could acquire the film, which may alter its release strategy.
