Following the surprise announcement of its development, Alexandre Aja has a promising update onCrawl 2’s filming timeline. Aja helmed the original 2019 horror movie and produced it alongsideEvil Deadcreator Sam Raimi, with the movie centering on Kaya Scodelario’s Haley as she and her estranged father became trapped in their old family home during a Category 5 hurricane with alligators swarming in to attack.Crawlsaw largely positive reviews from critics, holding an 84% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and was a box office sleeper hit, grossing $91 million against its reported $15 million production budget.
During a recent interview withThe Hollywood Reporterfor the Halle Berry-led horror movieNever Let Go, Aja was asked about progress onCrawl 2’s development. The producer/director started off by recalling howhe “never really stopped working on Crawl”, having continued to formulate ideas for how to make a sequel to his original hit:
I would say that I never really stopped working on Crawl. (Laughs.) After we were done, I kept thinking about all the other great setups that we could create, and it was really an exciting movie to make.
Aja then went on to acknowledge that the COVID-19 pandemic led to the project going on the backburner, though assured he still “wanted to be really be involved” inCrawl 2should it eventually move forward. In looking to the future, the filmmaker confirmed he’s “ready to go” on the sequel, even indicating that"hopefully next year, it might happen"as he continues to put together scenes for the film:
So I wanted to really be involved in doing a sequel, and after a few troubled years with Covid and everything, I feel like we are now in a position that, hopefully next year, it might happen. So I’m excited. I’m ready to go. I’ve been lining up so many scenes and stuff, so it’s there. We just have to do it now and get back in the water.
What This Means For Crawl 2
The Wait For The Sequel Won’t Be Too Terrible
Aja’s comments are a promising sign that development is progressing smoothly onCrawl 2following its confirmationin August 2024, when it was also announced thatProject Almanacduo Andrew Deutschman and Jason Pagan would be taking over scripting duties from original writers Michael and Shawn Rasmussen. Though the filmmaker doesn’t give a specific window for when filming will begin on the sequel,it was previously reported that the sequel would begin filming in Fall 2025 in Europe, which would give him enough time to lay out the cast and specific location to shoot.
New $91 Million Alligator Movie Sequel Can Bring A Great Urban Legend To Life
The upcoming sequel Crawl 2 is making the surprising move to New York – and that surely means it’s adapting a popular urban legend about the city.
That being said, the fact that Aja says he’s already “lining up so many scenes” could suggest thatCrawl 2will begin filming even sooner. Though it won’t likely change Paramount’s release plan, as the studio is most likely aiming for a Summer 2026 release in the hopes of recapturing the firstCrawl’s success at the box office,it would still give Aja more time during filming and post-production. However, ifSmile 2’s upcoming releaseis just as big of a hit as its predecessor, Paramount may look to saveCrawl 2for a Halloween season release, thus giving Aja more time.
Our Take On Crawl 2
Aja’s Dedication To Delivering On The Success Of The First Is Promising
Natural monster movies likeCrawlare not only rare to get sequels, but also rarely get good ones, and yet Aja’s optimism aboutCrawl 2does give me a lot of hope about the chances he’ll repeat the success of the original. The fact he took five years to properly develop his ideas for a follow-up does showhe’s approaching the follow-up with the best of intentionsrather than as a ploy for more money.
Another reason why I have faith inCrawl 2’s chances at success is the fact that Aja has yet to actually direct any sequels to his prior works. That’s not to say that some ofAja’s past movieshaven’t led to sequels, as his remakes of Wes Craven’sThe Hill Have Eyesand Joe Dante’sPiranhawere both successes enough to warrant follow-ups, neither of which he was a part of. WithCrawl 2being his first, Aja’s emotional attachment to the project is sure to result in a worthwhile follow-up.
Crawl
Cast
Crawl is a horror thriller set during a Florida Hurricane. It follows a young woman named Haley who refuses to heed the mandatory evacuation order to search for her father, who went missing at the beginning of the storm. When Haley finds her father seriously injured, they discover the hurricane is the least of their problems. Suddenly, their home is besieged by a group of massive alligators looking for their next meal.
