Paramount is struggling to break new ground with its major franchises, but the studio just opened the door to the perfect revival of its 18-year-old sci-fi franchise. Transformers: One failed to reignite interest in the franchise, Scream had a ton of recent behind-the-scenes problems, and Mission: Impossible is seemingly over. While Paramount still does have Sonic the Hedgehog and A Quiet Place, it really needs some new properties in order to maintain its theatrical dominance.
Paramount has tons of dormant franchises that it can dip back into in an attempt to release a successful legacy sequel. World War Z still hasn’t gotten a second entry, and a theatrical Star Trek reboot would obviously draw a lot of attention. However, there is one sci-fi franchise that is the perfect pick.
Dan Trachtenberg’s New Paramount Deal Means That Cloverfield Can Finally Come Back
Dan Trachtenberg is one of the hottest names in Hollywood right now, and it’s all thanks to his work at Disney. Trachtenberg was the director behind Prey, the prequel that reignited interest in the Predator franchise. His subsequent entries, Predator: Killer of Killers and Predator: Badlands, cemented the modern renaissance that the franchise is having, bringing it back to a state of popularity that it hasn’t had since the 1990s.
Now, Dan Trachtenberg has signed a first-look deal with Paramount that will last three years. Trachtenberg and his producing partner Ben Rosenblatt will make movies that are aiming at theatrical releases, although Paramount hasn’t revealed what projects they will be working on. Trachtenberg obviously won’t be making Predator movies as part of this deal, as that property is owned by Disney. So, if Paramount wants Trachtenberg to work on another major sci-fi franchise, there is an obvious choice: Cloverfield.
Before joining Disney as the Predator guy, Trachtenberg directed 2016’s 10 Cloverfield Lane. This film is what truly established Cloverfield as an anthology series, with it telling a completely different story rather than acting as a sequel to the 2008 found footage movie. This film was Trachtenberg’s directorial debut, and while it isn’t as popular as Cloverfield, it is just as, if not more, critically acclaimed as its predecessor. However, Trachtenberg never returned to Cloverfield, with the franchise instead delivering the panned 2018 film The Cloverfield Paradox.
Cloverfield is still one of Paramount’s most recognizable franchises, so bringing it back would be a huge deal. Trachtenberg has already proven that he is capable of revitalizing iconic alien franchises after poorly received releases, meaning that he may be the man for the job here. Trachtenberg has already proven that he can make a fantastic Cloverfield movie, so it would be a huge missed opportunity for Paramount if they don’t involve him in plans for the franchise’s future.
What Is Going On With The Next Cloverfield Movie?
Cloverfield has been in a state of flux since The Cloverfield Paradox, and it seems that Paramount isn’t really sure what to do with the franchise. There were plans for sequels to both Cloverfield and 10 Cloverfield Lane, both of which were discussed in the late 2010s. In 2018, it was even confirmed that a future project would see Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s character cross over with Gugu Mbatha-Raw’s character from The Cloverfield Paradox.
Movies like Overlord and A Quiet Place were, at times, part of the Cloverfield universe before being turned into their own franchise. A proper Cloverfield sequel is finally in development, with Joe Barton joining the project as its screenwriter in January 2021. Babak Anvari signed on to direct the film in 2022, but Matt Reeves stated in 2023 that reveals about the film’s development would stop in order to keep the element of surprise that the original had.
So, a true sequel to the first Cloverfield is coming, a sign that Paramount wants to renew interest in the franchise. While there was a planned sequel to 10 Cloverfield Lane, this never happened for an unknown reason. However, now that Trachtenberg is working with Paramount again, this would be the perfect opportunity to bring the project back. Doing a 10 Cloverfield Lane sequel with Trachtenberg’s involvement is the best way to continue the story, with this saga being told alongside the original Cloverfield saga.
2028 will mark 10 years since a new Cloverfield movie has been released, and this is far too long. It isn’t known how long it will be until the next Cloverfield project is released, but it needs to be great in order to revitalize the franchise. Trachtenberg can definitely help achieve this goal, and hopefully, Paramount succeeds.
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