After the first movie was released in 2008, I still want Cloverfield 2, but I’m glad Matt Reeves’ original sequel idea did not happen. Cloverfield is a found footage horror film by Matt Reeves, which follows a group of friends attempting to flee from a monster attacking New York City. The film was a critical and commercial success, spawning a franchise of Cloverfield movies which, while initially perceived as standalone, connect via the “Cloververse.” However, while the monster franchise technically already has a sequel with 10 Cloverfield Lane, fans are still hoping for a more direct follow-up to the original.

Fortunately, Cloverfield 2 has been confirmed for quite a while – it was officially announced to be in development in early 2021 – yet further updates on the sequel have been quite slow. The long wait for Cloverfield 2 has made many wonder what has happened to the Cloverfield movies after having two successful installments. However, as the third film in the series was critically panned, there has been a lack of enthusiasm to continue the Cloververse. That being said, Cloverfield 2 has not been ruled out, with various updates released over the years, including Matt Reeves’ original Cloverfield sequel idea.

A Cloverfield Sequel From Another Perspective Was An Interesting Idea

“The Different Perspective Would Be A Different Story”

In a 2023 interview with The Hollywood Reporter for Cloverfield’s 15th anniversary, director Matt Reeves revealed the original idea for a sequel was much different to 10 Cloverfield Lane’s psychological thriller concept. Reeves said “we [Reeves, Abrams, Goddard] all had ideas for what the sequel could be, and it was just one of those things where our schedules got pulled off into different directions.” However, Reeves elaborated that he would’ve liked to introduce a new character’s perspective of the events in Cloverfield, maintaining that “The different perspective would be a different story.” Check out Matt Reeves’ full sequel idea below:

I did something in the movie when Hud is on the bridge before the tail comes and smashes the Brooklyn Bridge in half. There’s a moment where you actually see someone filming him and you realize, “Oh, there’s another perspective on this evening.” So that was one of my thoughts for what could be the beginning of another story. The different perspective would be a different story.

While the director reᴀssured that “Dan’s [Trachtenberg] film is a really cool film,” Matt Reeves’ original Cloverfield 2 pitch does sound interesting. Having Cloverfield and its sequel connect briefly through recording each other for a moment on the bridge would have been an interesting way to tie the movies together, and it would have made for a brilliant teaser for a possible sequel. Furthermore, after Cloverfield’s immense success as a found-footage sci-fi movie, there is no doubt that Matt Reeves could have pulled off another movie of the same genre, but Reeves’ original Cloverfield 2 simply wasn’t meant to be.

Cloverfield 2 Being Another Found Footage Movie Could Feel Like A Retread

A Found Footage Sequel Would Only Create More Questions

While Cloverfield 2’s original movie pitch would have kept it more in-line with the first film, if the sequel was another found footage movie, it could have felt like a retread. 2008’s Cloverfield is, without a doubt, one of the best found footage horror movies. Instead of being a generic sci-fi blockbuster, Matt Reeves’ innovative use of the found footage genre enables a closer and more character-driven story despite the large-scale events of the movie. For that reason, Cloverfield stands out for being unique, especially because of how well the overall story concept and integrated CGI monsters were executed.

Therefore, if Cloverfield 2 was also a found footage film, it may take away from what made the first movie so special. 10 Cloverfield Lane had the right idea as a sequel, as it stepped away from the original’s genre, exploring another perspective of the Cloververse through a different format. A found-footage sequel would also fall flat for fans of the original 2008 movie, as it would essentially hit the same beats, and would not actually inform audiences about the monster and lore any further, which is what people are looking for after seeing the mysteries that Cloverfield created.

Matt Reeves’ Cloverfield 2 Idea Sounds Better Than The Franchise’s Actual Sequels

Cloverfield Lane Was Great, But It Didn’t Work As A Sequel

On the other hand, Matt Reeves’ Cloverfield 2 idea still sounds better than the franchise’s actual sequels. 10 Cloverfield Lane is a brilliant movie, especially for Dan Trachtenberg’s directorial debut. The 2016 movie follows a young woman who wakes up in an underground bunker after a car crash, and is told by two men that the Earth’s surface is now uninhabitable. While the unrelated premise and cinematic style had many wondering what the connection was to Reeves’ movie, 10 Cloverfield Lane’s fantastic twist ending revealed that the two films were set in the same universe, just presented in different formats.

10 Cloverfield Lane grossed $110.2 million at the box office worldwide on a meager $15 million budget, and received positive reviews from critics. Yet, while the 2016 film was a critical and commercial success, and certainly fits in the Cloververse, it didn’t quite feel like the Cloverfield sequel we had been waiting for. The third-person narrative of 10 Cloverfield Lane, which is typical of films, was a stark contrast to Cloverfield’s memorable found footage style. Consequently, while the sequel did offer a lot of merit, and had a fantastic story, it pushed the Cloverfield franchise in an unexpected direction.

*Netflix release

As a result of 10 Cloverfield Lane’s success, a third film was released in 2018, тιтled The Cloverfield Paradox. The movie followed a group of astronauts aboard a space station who must try to find a way home after Earth seemingly vanishes. Unfortunately, Netflix’s The Cloverfield Paradox received generally negative reviews from critics for its muddled genres and disappointing story. Therefore, we are still left hoping that Cloverfield’s next movie will be a real direct sequel, which honors the first film and finally provides answers to the monster mysteries which were supposed to be cleared up in The Cloverfield Paradox.

Why A Proper Cloverfield 2 Still Needs To Happen

With So Much Potential, It Would Be A Shame To See The Cloververse Fade Out

It has been eight years since the last Cloverfield movie was released, and the Cloververse and its lore still remain a bit of a mystery. Although 10 Cloverfield Lane was a great movie, it was not the direct sequel that many expected and offered no further explanations about the alien monsters that had attacked Earth. Therefore, when Cloverfield 2 was announced in 2021, many hoped that the franchise could be making a comeback and finally unveil some answers. Yet, four years since Cloverfield 2 was announced, slow updates seem to indicate that Cloverfield’s sequel may not happen at all.

Given the unprecedented success of 2008’s Cloverfield, it would be a shame to see the Cloververse fade out. Matt Reeves has stated that “the idea [of Cloverfield] was never to give you the answers.” Nevertheless, the Cloververse prevailed, and although 10 Cloverfield Lane and The Cloverfield Paradox ultimately failed to recapture the original movie’s essence, there is an interest there for more content. Therefore, a more direct sequel could be exactly what Cloverfield needs to make a comeback. With recent rumors of Babak Anvari’s possible involvement in Cloverfield’s sequel circulating, Cloverfield 2 could be released sooner than we think.

Sources: The Hollywood Reporter