10 Cloverfield Lane Director Addresses Possible Franchise Return

Back in 2016, Dan Trachtenberg's 10 Cloverfield Lane marked the first follow-up film in the Cloverfield series, which established the idea that each new film would be its own experience that didn't require connections to its predecessor. 15 years later, a direct sequel to the original movie is in the works, which understandably ignited questions about whether Trachtenberg would be interested in continuing his story, as he recently reflected on how he would be open to it, especially because he had previously had conversations with star Mary Elizabeth Winstead about what would be next for her character. The next Cloverfield film doesn't currently have a release date.

"The [upcoming] sequel is to the original Cloverfield. But for our film, I would still totally be open to it. I think Mary would. ... We talked a little bit in like 'what if' scenarios," Trachtenberg shared with CinemaBlend. "And then I was pulled, all the filmmakers were sort of pulled into other things. But I would still consider it. There's a lot that would be in the genre that that would be in, but you never know. The sequel they're making is very cool."

In addition to each film's narrative having a number of twists and turns, another constant in the Cloverfield franchise is that the marketing is kept mysterious. The debut film was rumored to be a Godzilla revival, only to be an entirely unique premise, while 10 Cloverfield Lane only earned one trailer ahead of release, which only connected to its predecessor with its title. The Cloverfield Paradox was known to be in production, with a Super Bowl commercial back in 2018 revealing that the film would be available on Netflix hours later.

Trachtenberg continued that trend of secrecy with his Predator prequel Prey, which was filmed under the title "Skulls," with the director expressing disappointment when reports emerged confirming the true nature of the movie. In other words, between Cloverfield's reputation and Trachtenberg's proclivities for secrecy, if the filmmaker really did end up developing an idea for a 10 Cloverfield Lane sequel, it would be kept tightly under wraps.

Following Cloverfield, original director Matt Reeves joined the Planet of the Apes reboot series and The Batman, while Trachtenberg entered the Predator franchise, and The Cloverfield Paradox director Julius Onah recently helmed Captain America: Brave New World. Given that developing a Cloverfield film results in major opportunities in other series, it could be quite some time before any veteran returns to the franchise.

The upcoming Cloverfield 4 will be written by Joe Barton (The Ritual, The Lazarus Project) and directed by Babak Anvari (Under the Shadow).

Would you like a direct sequel to 10 Cloverfield Lane? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!