New Cloverfield Movie Gets a Director

By Patrick Cavanaugh

A new Cloverfield movie is reportedly in the works, according to Deadline, with the outlet noting that the series has tapped Under the Shadow director Babak Anvari to helm the upcoming installment with Joe Barton serving as writer. Understandably, given the secretive nature of the franchise as a whole, there are no further updates on what the plot of the adventure could be, or even if it will serve as a sequel, prequel, or spinoff to the previous three films in the series. Additionally, with the last film, The Cloverfield Paradox, debuting on Netflix, it's unknown if the project will be developed for a theatrical release or for a streaming service.

One of the last updates to the franchise came in early 2021, with a report sharing that Barton had joined the series to write a script for a fourth film. At that time, the project was being billed as a direct sequel to the original 2008 film and would opt out of embracing that adventure's found-footage style of filmmaking. It's unclear if this recent update is for that planned sequel.

A key to the success of the Cloverfield franchise is the ways in which it engages with audiences. Little was known about the debut film ahead of release, other than it was some type of monster movie, igniting theories that it could be a reboot of the Godzilla franchise or that it could tie into J.J. Abrams' Lost TV show. After nearly a decade since that original film's release, 10 Cloverfield Lane appeared to be an entirely unrelated experience, focusing on three characters surviving some sort of topside threat in an underground bunker, with only its final minutes offering any hint of a connection to its predecessor.

The Cloverfield Paradox focused on an adventure in space and, when a mission goes wrong, all laws of physics seemingly go out the window, a film which was confirmed during a Super Bowl commercial in 2018 and then debuted on Netflix just hours after it was announced.

Interestingly, while the films themselves have had varied success, the filmmakers at the helm have all thrived. Cloverfield was directed by The Batman's Matt Reeves, 10 Cloverfield Lane was directed by Prey's Dan Trachtenberg, and The Cloverfield Paradox's Julius Onah has been tapped to direct the next Captain America. This could make this recently announced installment the breakout opportunity for Anvari.

Stay tuned for details on the new Cloverfield.

Are you excited for the new film? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!

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