Leigh Whannell’s The Invisible Man appeared in theaters, earning positive reviews from critics and audiences alike; the movie’s open ending leaves plenty of room for a sequel, but will The Invisible Man 2 happen? The modern update of H.G. Wells’ classic story sees a scientist fake his own death to use his newfound invisibility technology to stalk his ex-girlfriend. Unlike other attempts to resurrect the classic monsters, The Invisible Man injected just the right amount of modernity into the story, which turned the once-cheesy premise into something horrifying.

Unlike other attempts to bring Universal’s Dark Universe to life, The Invisible Man took full advantage of Blumhouse’s involvement and delivered simple chills that were also effective. As plans for more movies based on the Universal Classic Monsters continue to get announced, it’s clear that Whannell’s stab at The Invisible Man will stand as an example of how to bring the legendary stories into the 21st century. With all that said, The Invisible Man 2 is a possibility but hasn’t been officially announced yet.

The Invisible Man 2 Latest News

Leigh Whannell Discusses The Invisible Man 2

With nearly half-a-decade pᴀssing since the release of the first movie, the latest news finds director Leigh Whannell discussing The Invisible Man 2. Having previously expressed no interest in making a sequel personally, Whannell explained his reasoning for not wanting to add more to the story. “An ending is the hardest thing to do in screenwriting,” explained Whannell, before he went on to explain how happy he is with the ending of The Invisible Man. Not wanting to taint that perfect ending is Whannell’s biggest reason for skipping a sequel, and it’s clear that the horror remake was designed as a standalone story.

Read Whannell’s full comment here:

An ending is the hardest thing to do in screenwriting. It’s the holy grail of screenwriting, and I revere movies with great endings. In fact, I just went to the Chinese Theatre and saw Se7en in IMAX. I’ve seen that film so many times, but seeing it on a big screen really hammered home how great that ending is. I envy that powerful ending as a screenwriter.

Despite all that, Whannell is no stranger to Hollywood, and also acknowledged that sequels are often driven by financials and not because of any creative drive. Reflecting on his own career, Whannell referenced the Saw and Insidious franchises, which continued for many sequels after he wrote the originals. Without saying as much, Whannell insinuated that franchise sequels often fall short, saying “I’m not going to pretend that every movie in the Saw franchise is … That film has become its own beast, and I sit outside of it now.“

Whannell also said:

With Invisible Man, you talked about the track “Denouement,” and because I love that note that the film ended on, I can’t imagine gluing more story onto that. Sequels are mostly driven by the economics of Hollywood. “We scored, we did well, and let’s do it again. Let’s get them back there.” And I’ve been a front-row viewer of that. I have also written two movies [Saw and Insidious] that have turned into long-running franchises with varying degrees of artistic success. I’m not going to pretend that every movie in the Saw franchise is … That film has become its own beast, and I sit outside of it now.

The Invisible Man 2 Is Not Confirmed

A Sequel Is Not In Development Yet

Though it was a smashing success both critically and commercially, Universal has not made any plans to make The Invisible Man 2 yet, and the movie is not in development. Though it could be made in the future if the Dark Universe continues to flourish, the lack of updates in nearly half a decade is not a good sign that The Invisible Man 2 is a high priority. However, Elisabeth Moss’ recent comments suggest something is brewing behind the scenes even if director Leigh Whannell won’t be involved.

Other recent and upcoming movies based on classic monster films include:

The Invisible Man 2 Cast

Can Any Original Characters Return In The Sequel?

The cast of The Invisible Man 2 would depend largely on what direction the story takes, but if it is designed as a direct continuation, several ensemble members could return. Elisabeth Moss could return as Cecilia, and her escape with the invisibility suit opens up interesting possibilities. Likewise, her longtime friend James (Aldis Hodge) could also return, and Hodge has expressed interest in making a sequel if he was asked. A sequel would necessitate a mostly new cast though, but it’s unclear who that would be until more details develop.

The Invisible Man 2 Story

Who Will Turn Invisible Next?

At the end of The Invisible Man, Cecilia puts on Adrian’s invisibility suit to make it look like he committed suicide when, in actuality, she murdered him. James stops her while she’s leaving with the suit, and the two share an understanding of what truly happened, but she ultimately gets away with Adrian’s murder. This opens up lots of possibilities for a sequel, and a story that could follow Cecilia now that she’s living her own life – free from Adrian – and has his cutting-edge technology in her possession.

While the sequel could create a new story that focuses more on technology instead of on Cecilia, it seems the most likely opportunity would be to follow her. As she has a great deal of power, it’s always possible that power could corrupt or the suit could fall into the wrong hands. Like past adaptations of the story, The Invisible Man 2 could see Cecilia corrupted into becoming the very villain she previously fought against.