This summer, Netflix went deep into the shark attack genre for a movie called Under Paris, which went on to be a surprisingly massive hit for the streaming service. The French film depicts the events surrounding the World Triathlon Championships, which are being held in Paris, as they are terrorized by a massive shark that has found its way into the Seine river.
Under Paris was an enormous success for Netflix, becoming the second-most watched non-English language movie in the streamer’s history, behind only 2022’s Troll. It should come as no surprise after that kind of outing that Netflix has ordered an Under Paris sequel, and production could be kicking off in the not-too-distant future.
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Variety has confirmed that Under Paris 2 is in the works at Netflix, with director Xaiver Gens returning to helm the sequel. Key cast members Bérénice Bejo and Nassim Lyes will also be reprising their roles in the film. It was actually Bejo who first hinted that Under Paris 2 could begin filming as soon as the latter half of 2025. According Variety‘s report, however, the film is still simply in development, and there’s a chance production could wait until 2026, at the latest.
As far as what kind of story a sequel to Under Paris would tackle, it’s likely that this sequel will be a big departure from its predecessor. It’ll still be about big sharks in France, but that will probably be where the similarities end.
The first movie was set around a massive sports event in Paris and its released was timed around the 2024 Summer Olympics taking place in the same iconic city. Genz isn’t likely to run that back, especially since the Olympics themselves are over.
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For sequel ideas, you’d likely need to look to the final act of Under Paris, which took the story to the famous catacombs that run beneath the city. Going back to that location, which brings truth to the film’s title, opens it up for all sorts of possibilities. Those catacombs are ripe for potential stories, and could allow Genz to lean even more into the horror elements of shark attack movies.
Whatever the case, Under Paris is getting a sequel, and it’ll be interesting to see if movie fans in France are more excited about a follow-up than they were for the original. While Under Paris was a worldwide hit, its reception was poorest in its home country. Genz has gone on record saying it was difficult to even get funding for the film from anyone in France.
At this time, there are no concrete details about Under Paris 2, but we’ll keep you updated as soon as any solid news breaks.
