You've Already Seen The Starting Point For Matt Reeves' Cloverfield Sequel Idea

One of the more interesting things about "Cloverfield" is how the speculation and discussion leading up to the movie hardly waned after its release. The mystery of the movie's premise had finally been revealed, but audiences still had more questions than answers. The found footage monster movie puts audiences into the perspective of ordinary people unaware of the circumstances leading to a kaiju attack in New York, allowing "Cloverfield" to lean more into the thriller genre, never short on suspense or scares. The uncertainty of it all is a big reason why the film is so appealing. By the time the credits rolled on that ominous ending, discussion and theorizing were inevitable.

There was always speculation about another story following the events of "Cloverfield," although a direct sequel never came to fruition. Anthology films "10 Cloverfield Lane" and "The Cloverfield Paradox" were released and had Twilight-Zone-like approaches to their stories. The word "Cloverfield" in a movie title would become synonymous with sci-fi mystery, although not every film would be received well. "Paradox" received negative reviews for its confusing storyline and needless easter eggs that harken back to the original movie, doing the opposite of what an anthology should do in trying to tie the series together. As it turns out, Matt Reeves' idea for a direct sequel to "Cloverfield" is something viewers get a glimpse of in the original film.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter to celebrate the film's 15th anniversary, Matt Reeves detailed his sequel ideas for "Cloverfield." A follow-up made by Reeves wouldn't address the creature's origins or explore what happens after Rob and Beth's tape ends in explosions. Instead, the sequel would be from another person's outlook on that fateful night. As Reeves would say, it could even be someone he intentionally put in a shot from the original film:

"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."

Hud would hardly be the only person documenting the terrifying events of "Cloverfield," and Matt Reeves utilizing the technology at the time to find different ways to tell similar stories sounds like an innovative film series in and of itself. Akin to something like Aneesh Chaganty's 2018 film "Searching," which is set entirely on computer and phone screens and spawned a sequel that used similar storytelling techniques, Reeves would capitalize on the found-footage genre. The idea of watching a "Cloverfield" sequel that briefly intersects with the story of Rob and Hud from one shared moment of chaos is exciting enough to have me interested.

Given the box office success of "Cloverfield," it's a little disappointing that this hypothetical second installment that offers a different perspective on that same New York Kaiju attack hasn't happened yet. Though it isn't surprising given how busy the original team behind the film is. Matt Reeves has his work cut out for him in developing a sequel to "The Batman" and J.J. Abrams has himself attached as producer to a myriad of different projects. Even if there was something planned in the future for Reeves in the world of "Cloverfield," the secrecy surrounding all the films at this point would ensure his involvement would be kept under wraps:

"It'd be another story of people surviving this night, and so we talked about all those things. There was an idea that I had for something that was ... We all had ideas, and we just didn't line up again. I can't ever say that we wouldn't or what we're doing because it's 'Cloverfield' and 'Cloverfield' rules are that you don't talk about 'Cloverfield.'"

"Cloverfield" rejuvenated the found-footage genre, and while original sequel aspirations never came to fruition, it at least started an anthology series that featured intense experimental storytelling. There currently are no direct sequels in sight, but fans of the franchise can at least look forward to a new installment produced by Abrams with director Babak Anvari at the helm.