With nearly four years gone since the first movie hit theaters, Zach Dean has a promising update for The Tomorrow War 2. Dean penned the script for the 2021 sci-fi action movie, with Chris Pratt leading the cast as Dan Forester Jr., a former Green Beret-turned-biology-teacher who is enlisted to journey to the future to fight against an invading alien army. Also starring Yvonne Strahovski, Sam Richardson and J.K. Simmons, the movie garnered mixed reviews, but thanks to its record viewership numbers, The Tomorrow War 2 entered development almost immediately.

Now, during a recent interview with ComicBook.com for his upcoming movie The Gorge, Dean was asked for an update on The Tomorrow War 2‘s development. The screenwriter confirmed that the sequel is “progressing“, indicating that filming will begin “relatively soon“, and teasing how the script for the second movie takes “a very different version” of the first movie’s plot. Check out what Dean shared below:

It’s progressing. I wrote the second film. I know they’ve been continuing to develop that story. I think it’s happening, and it’s happening relatively soon. One of the great things about Chris is it’s so easy to empathize and get into his character’s [head]. He’s so disarming in terms of his humor, and he’s also really emotional as an actor. [I]t takes a very different version but of similar ideas. Things that could have gone a darker way.

What This Means For The Tomorrow War 2

The Movie May Finally Be Coming Together

Dean’s comments come nearly two years after director Chris McKay confirmed that the Tomorrow War 2 script was in progress, and expressed his eagerness to get back into the world of the film. With progress on the film sequel having remained quiet in the years since, it is interesting to note that Dean seems to point to the script still undergoing changes, despite his having completed it at some point in the past. Given the first Tomorrow War wasn’t quite a critical darling, it makes sense they’d want to try and learn from their past mistakes.

Additionally, Dean’s note that the movie’s filming should be happening “relatively soon” falls generally in line with the production schedules of those involved. The years since the first movie’s release saw Pratt become busy with everything from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 to Prime Video’s The Terminal List and Netflix’s The Electric State. While filming on Terminal List season 2 is reportedly eyeing a May 2025 start, this is certainly one of the lighter dockets Pratt has seen in a long while, thus paving the way for him to return for Tomorrow War 2.

The other major hurdle the movie has in finally getting off the ground is the ongoing efforts to merge Skydance and Paramount Pictures, with the former having produced the original for the studio, only for COVID-19 shutdowns to lead to them selling it to Prime Video. However, the deal has now found itself stalled by various lawsuits levied against Paramount. Though this hasn’t inherently halted the development and production of other projects on Skydance’s docket, including Pratt’s own upcoming тιтle Way of the Warrior Kid, and the John Cena-led Matchbox, it’s sure to be a major hurdle for Tomorrow War 2.

Our Take On The Tomorrow War 2’s Progress

The Sequel Needs To Happen Sooner Than Later

While Dean’s comments are certainly the best update the movie’s had in years, I’m still generally concerned about The Tomorrow War 2 finally getting off the ground. The sequel has already taken nearly four years to get off the ground, which is already a problem in regard to continued audience interest in the property. Additionally, with the general public’s feelings about Pratt also seemingly starting to wane in recent years, the team will need to make the sequel sooner than later if they hope to recapture the original’s viewership success.

Source: ComicBook.com