Though there may have once been plans for a follow-up to the film, Leigh Whannell seems to confirm the sequel to his underrated sci-fi action movie is no longer happening. The Australian filmmaker first rose to stardom thanks to 2004’s Saw, a feature-length expansion of his and James Wan’s horror short of the same name, with Whannell writing and co-starring in the film. Subsequent years saw Whannell and Wan’s creative partnership continue with the first two Saw sequels, the first two Insidious movies and supernatural horror movie ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Silence.

The past decade has seen Whannell expand his talents by stepping into the director’s chair for a variety of movies, beginning with his feature debut on Insidious: Chapter 3. More recently, Whannell found widespread acclaim for his reboot of The Invisible Man, retooling and salvaging its original plans as part of Universal’s scrapped Dark Universe franchise. Most recently, the writer/director reteamed with Universal and Blumhouse for Wolf Man, the latest horror reboot of the Universal Classic Monsters roster, which has been met with mixed reviews from critics and audiences alike.

Upgrade’s Sequel TV Show May No Longer Be Happening

Whannell Is Content With Letting It Be A Cult Film

Prior to Wolf Man and The Invisible Man, Whannell ventured back into original storytelling territory with 2018’s Upgrade. The sci-fi action-thriller centered on Grey, an auto mechanic in the near future who is embedded with an AI chip after he and his wife are ᴀssaulted, which left her ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, and goes on the hunt for those responsible. Led by Logan Marshall-Green, Upgrade garnered largely positive reviews from critics, and while its modest box office haul led to doubts of a sequel, it was revealed in mid-2020 that Whannell was co-developing a TV show expansion.

Now, during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter to discuss Wolf Man, Whannell was asked about the previously reported plans for an Upgrade sequel show. Equating the 2018 movie to that of The Invisible Man, in which he also has expressed disinterest in developing a sequel, Whannell states he would “love to let that film keep bubbling away as this cult movie” rather than make a follow-up, seemingly indicating the show is no longer happening. See what Whannell said below:

It’s funny because Upgrade does the same thing as Invisible Man. It ends on this ambiguous note, this question mark, where you ask, “Where’s this going to go?” I do think it’s so incredible how the science fiction that I wrote in that movie has become ubiquitous. I was walking along the other day with my brother who was visiting from Australia, and this autonomous car, this Waymo, drove past us. And it struck me that I grew up watching movies where that was considered an absolutely outrageous sci-fi concept.

Now, it’s something that people don’t even bat an eyelid at when one drives past. No one reacted in a big way. So it’s amazing how quickly we, as human beings, adapt to this stuff that was once science fiction, and it’s been funny to watch the world catch up to Upgrade. But as far as making a sequel, that’s another one where I’m like, “I think we’re good there. We’re good.” I would love to let that film keep bubbling away as this cult movie, and if people keep thinking that it was somehow prophetic, then that would be great.

Our Take On The Upgrade Sequel Show’s Seeming Scrapping

It’s Far More Inviting Of A Follow-Up

Though Whannell’s comments seemingly point toward the show not moving forward, that doesn’t inherently mean the Upgrade follow-up isn’t still happening. The writer/director was teaming with Tim Walsh to develop the show, with the latter set to showrun the project and Blumhouse TV producing along with Universal Cable Productions. Given the studio seems to hold the rights to the movie, it’s entirely possible Upgrade will move on without Whannell’s involvement.

It’s also worth noting that, unlike The Invisible Man, which Whannell compares the 2018 movie to, Upgrade‘s ending left the door far more open for future stories. STEM had fully taken over Grey’s body, situating his consciousness in an idyllic dream state, while heading off to live a human life and enact further unknown plans. Previous reports indicated that the show would follow both an evolved STEM and new host, with the government using the AI to fight crime, though no specification on how, or if, Grey and the original STEM would be involved.

Given how much unknown ther is about how the show would expand on the original film, part of me is okay with an Upgrade sequel never coming to fruition, particularly as the proposed plot for the show sounds too akin to a police procedural. That being said, there are certainly enough unanswered questions from the first movie that I’m more intrigued to see a follow-up to it than The Invisible Man.

Source: THR