"If I Tell You...": Potential Cloverfield Sequel Addressed By Rumored Director

Cloverfield 2 has received a mysterious update from its rumored director. The upcoming Cloverfield 2, which does not have an official title, is said to be more of a direct sequel to the original 2008 found footage monster movie, which spawned the largely unrelated but loosely interconnected spinoffs 10 Cloverfield Lane in 2016 and The Cloverfield Paradox in 2018. In 2022, it was announced that Under the Shadow director Babak Anvari had boarded the project, which was set to be scripted by Black Doves creator Joe Barton, but few updates have emerged since then.

ScreenRant‘s Liam Crowley had the opportunity to speak with Babak Anvari while the director was promoting his new Rosamund Pike thriller Hallow Road at SXSW. When asked about Cloverfield 2, the filmmaker joked that “If I tell you, I may get [shot] by snipers,” referencing the intense secrecy surrounding any project in the franchise. While he remained tight-lipped, he admitted that he loved the original movie, saying that he “watched it twice in the theater.” Read Anvari’s full comments below:

If I tell you, I may get [shot] by snipers. They’re all there. So, sadly, I cannot divulge anything. [What is my relationship with Cloverfield?] I loved the first one. I watched it twice in the theater, and it was so good. I love tension, so it’s a very stressful watch, and I love that.

What This Means For Cloverfield 2

Anvari May Still Be Involved

Traditionally, the Cloverfield movies have been shrouded in secrecy ahead of their respective releases. This began with the pre-release for the first movie, which had one of Hollywood’s earliest viral marketing campaigns, using a sort of Internet-based scavenger hunt to allow viewers to collect clues from various in-universe web platforms. The Cloverfield Paradox upped the ante the furthest, having its release announced in a Super Bowl ad that aired just hours before the movie premiered on Netflix.

The Cloverfield marketing campaign included Myspace pages supposedly made by the characters and a clue-filled corporate website for a drink called Slusho.

Because of this, it makes sense that Anvari could not say anything directly about his involvement in the project. However, he does not have any other upcoming directorial projects that have been officially announced at the time of writing, so it seems likely that he is still attached in some capacity. The fact that he was so quick to dodge the question also points to his potential involvement, because if he had dropped out of the project, that likely would not be kept secret in the same way.

Our Take On Babak Anvari’s Cloverfield Update

Very Little Is Known About What The Movie Could Be

Lisa from 10 Cloverfield Lane looking for cell service

While these comments make it seem like the long-delayed Cloverfield sequel is still in the works in some capacity, the fact that it has been years since Anvari was attached could mean that the project has been retooled in the meantime. It is possible that, instead of Cloverfield 2, the movie will eventually become another standalone spinoff. However, the previous two installments were developed from unrelated screenplays that had franchise elements added rather than being directly developed, so that may not be the case.