TheCloverfielduniverse is one of the most popular and intriguing franchises in the sci-fi and horror genres, and while it has been fun so far, the next movie is what we have all been waiting for for over a decade. Back in 2008, the found footage monster horror movieCloverfieldwas released after a mysterious but genius and intriguing viral marketing campaign. Directed by Matt Reeves and written by Drew Goddard,Cloverfieldfollows six New York City residents at a farewell party that takes a terrifying turn.
After a massive earthquake hits the city, chaos is unleashed everywhere as an enormous creature begins to destroy the city. In addition to that, hostile parasites fall from the monster’s body, killing those who come into contact with them.Cloverfieldwas a critical and commercial success, spawning a franchise with two more movies, though both being standalone stories. First was10 Cloverfield Lane, in 2016, and two years later,The Cloverfield Paradoxarrived. Now,a newCloverfieldmovie has been teased to be in production, and it’s the one we have all been waiting for.
The Next Cloverfield Movie Is Expected To Be A Direct Sequel To The Original
Finally, Cloverfield Is Getting A Proper Sequel
Talks about a fourthCloverfieldmovie started in 2016, with the first tease being a movie that connects some of the previous stories (viaFandango). In 2018,JJ Abrams teased that there could be character crossoversin future movies. Later that same year,Abrams confirmed thata newCloverfieldmovie is in developmentand that it will be a “true” and “dedicated” sequel to the first movie. Not much is known aboutthe plot ofCloverfield 2, but it has been said to not be filmed in found-footage style like the first movie (viaTHR).
In 2022,Babak Anvari signed on to directCloverfield 2, but following the style of the previous movies, not much has been revealed about it since then. Matt Reeves mentioned in 2023 that development on futureCloverfieldmovies won’t be talked about before their release, keeping the element of surprise of the past movies (viaTHR). The most recent “update” onCloverfield 2arrived in March 2025, during SXSW, where Anvari was promoting his new movie,Hallow Road.
At the time of writing, there isn’t a projected release date forCloverfield 2, but looking at the franchise’s track record, it will surely be a surprise release.
Speaking toScreen Rant,Anvari was very careful not to give anything away aboutCloverfield 2, but his reply was enough to confirm that he’s still involved in it. Anvari joked about snipers being ready to shoot him if he revealed too much, but shared his love for the franchise. At the time of writing, there isn’t a projected release date forCloverfield 2, but looking at the franchise’s track record, it will surely be a surprise release.
Why Cloverfield Never Got A Proper Sequel (But Still Became A Franchise)
Cloverfield Went On A Different But Interesting Path
Despite the great potential for aCloverfieldsequel left by the first movie, Abrams and company chose to focus on a shared universe to expand this world in different ways. In 2008, Abrams expressed reluctance to work on aCloverfieldsequel, sharing that, instead, they were working on something that “could be kind of cool” (viaDigital Spy). That something “kind of cool” ended up being10 Cloverfield Laneand laterThe Cloverfield Paradox, which definitely expanded the universe ofCloverfield, but they also made it more confusing as it’s hard to place all movies in one timeline.
Reeves added that getting the right idea for a sequel was also tricky, and they wanted to do things right.
In 2011,Reeves shared he wasn’t optimistic aboutCloverfield 2happening, citing the busy schedules of Abrams, Goddard, and himself(viaBloody Disgusting). Reeves later added that getting the right idea for a sequel was also tricky, and they wanted to do things right. Since then, there have been different updates on the future ofCloverfield 2, some more optimistic than others, with the best one being its confirmation in 2018. Judging by the latest updates, it seems like the team behindCloverfield 2is still working on crafting the perfect story, but at least the project is finally in active development.
A Real Cloverfield Sequel Is What The Franchise Needs After The Cloverfield Paradox
The Cloverfield Paradox Didn’t Live Up To Expectations
10 Cloverfield LaneandThe Cloverfield Paradoxare standalone stories set in the same universe as the first movie – the difference is that10 Cloverfield Lanewas a big success, becoming the highest-rated movie in the franchise, whileThe Cloverfield Paradoxbecame the most underwhelming and lowest-rated entry in the franchise.The Cloverfield Paradoxlacked the suspense and horror elements of the previous movies, and was mostly criticized for its mixed genres, storylines, and for leaving a bunch of questions that might never be answered.
The Biggest Questions Cloverfield 2 Must Answer
Cloverfield is officially getting a proper sequel. Here are the biggest unanswered questions Cloverfield 2 must answer from the franchise.
The next step for theCloverfielduniverse, if it wants to succeed again afterThe Cloverfield Paradox, is to finally bring the long-awaited sequel to the first movie.Cloverfield 2can provide answers to the biggest mysteries left by the first movie and even offer proper links to the other movies, thus making it easier to place them in this universe. There are a lot of storiesCloverfield 2can cover after (or during) the events of the first movie, through which it can finally bring the franchise together in a more coherent way.
