The Cloverfield universe 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 movie Cloverfield was released after a mysterious but genius and intriguing viral marketing campaign. Directed by Matt Reeves and written by Drew Goddard, Cloverfield follows six New York City residents at a farewell party that takes a terrifying turn.
After a mᴀssive 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. Cloverfield was a critical and commercial success, spawning a franchise with two more movies, though both being standalone stories. First was 10 Cloverfield Lane, in 2016, and two years later, The Cloverfield Paradox arrived. Now, a new Cloverfield movie 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 fourth Cloverfield movie started in 2016, with the first tease being a movie that connects some of the previous stories (via Fandango). In 2018, JJ Abrams teased that there could be character crossovers in future movies. Later that same year, Abrams confirmed that a new Cloverfield movie is in development and that it will be a “true” and “dedicated” sequel to the first movie. Not much is known about the plot of Cloverfield 2, but it has been said to not be filmed in found-footage style like the first movie (via THR).
In 2022, Babak Anvari signed on to direct Cloverfield 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 future Cloverfield movies won’t be talked about before their release, keeping the element of surprise of the past movies (via THR). The most recent “update” on Cloverfield 2 arrived 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 for Cloverfield 2, but looking at the franchise’s track record, it will surely be a surprise release.
Speaking to Screen Rant, Anvari was very careful not to give anything away about Cloverfield 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 for Cloverfield 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 a Cloverfield sequel 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 a Cloverfield sequel, sharing that, instead, they were working on something that “could be kind of cool” (via Digital Spy). That something “kind of cool” ended up being 10 Cloverfield Lane and later The Cloverfield Paradox, which definitely expanded the universe of Cloverfield, 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 about Cloverfield 2 happening, citing the busy schedules of Abrams, Goddard, and himself (via Bloody 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 of Cloverfield 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 behind Cloverfield 2 is 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 Lane and The Cloverfield Paradox are standalone stories set in the same universe as the first movie – the difference is that 10 Cloverfield Lane was a big success, becoming the highest-rated movie in the franchise, while The Cloverfield Paradox became the most underwhelming and lowest-rated entry in the franchise. The Cloverfield Paradox lacked 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 next step for the Cloverfield universe, if it wants to succeed again after The Cloverfield Paradox, is to finally bring the long-awaited sequel to the first movie. Cloverfield 2 can 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 stories Cloverfield 2 can cover after (or during) the events of the first movie, through which it can finally bring the franchise together in a more coherent way.
Sources: Fandango, THR, Digital Spy, Bloody Disgusting.
