Falcon and Winter Soldier Director to Helm Wind River Sequel

2017's Wind River is officially getting a sequel — and it is being brought to life by a fan-favorite director. On Wednesday, Castle Rock Entertainment announced plans for Wind River: The Next Chapter, a live-action sequel that will begin production in January. The film will be directed by The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's Kari Skogland, and will see Martin Sensmeier reprising his role as Chip Hanson. In Wind River: The Next Chapter, terror has escalated on the Wind River reservation as a series of ritualistic murders remain unsolved. The FBI therefore enlists the aid of Hanson, a newly minted tracker for the U.S. Fish & Game, who becomes embroiled in a desperate and dangerous fight between the authorities, a vigilante and the Reservation he calls home.

Patrick Massett & John Zinman (Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Gold) wrote the script for the sequel, which Matthew George will produce for Castle Rock Entertainment and Acacia Filmed Entertainment, alongside Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee for Thunder Road Pictures. Executive producers include Castle Rock's Rob Reiner, Michele Reiner, Derrick Rossi, Jonathan Fuhrman, Courtney Shepard and Hernan Narea. 

What was Wind River about?

The original Wind River starred Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen, and was written and directed by Yellowstone's Taylor Sheridan. It followed a veteran hunter and a rookie FBI agent in the investigation of the murder of a young woman on the Wyoming Native American reservation known as Wind River. 

The film also starred Jon Bernthal, Graham Greene, Kelsey Asbille, Gil Birmingham, Julia Jones, and Teo Briones. It was a critical and financial success upon its release, earning $45 million at the box office against an $11 million budget.

What is Kari Skogland directing next?

Following The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Skogland has been tapped to a number of projects, including the Gal Gadot-led version of Cleopatra. She was also tied to the Matthew McConaughey-led soccer biopic Dallas Sting, which was cancelled weeks before production was set to begin due to still-unknown "disturbing allegations" surrounding the film's true story.

"I think if Marvel called me to do anything, if they called me to film the phone book, I would do it," Skogland told CinemaBlend's ReelBlend podcast in 2021. "The Marvel characters are all very, very rich. I've become friends with Anthony and Sebastian, and I really enjoyed working with them. And Emily and Daniel Bruhl. I mean, I've worked with them for a couple of years, so of course, I have a special place in my heart. But as I said, if Kevin [Feige] picked up the phone, I would answer it."