According to a new report, we’re finally getting another “Cloverfield” project from J.J. Abrams‘ Bad Robot and Paramount Pictures. And boy is screenwriter/showrunner Joe Barton, the man of the moment.
READ MORE: ‘Gotham PD’: Joe Barton Named New Showrunner Of HBO Max/’Batman’ Spin-Off
The studio has tapped Barton to write the untitled “Cloverfield” project, and it sounds like it could be a true sequel to the original. Movies like “10 Cloverfield Lane” and “The Cloverfield Paradox” were retroactively added to the franchise to market them to a wider audience. The WWII horror flick “Overlord” was long-rumored to be given the same treatment —add “Cloverfield” elements to sexy it up to audiences— but Bad Robot ultimately nixed the idea and allowed the film to be its own thing.
While the main crux of the announcement is that Joe will be writing the script, a director or list of hopefuls wasn’t mentioned. Details on the project aren’t likely to be announced anytime soon as Bad Robot enjoys using the mystery box to hide plot elements from audiences forcing them to develop their own theories before the film’s release.
Barton was recently hired to replace Terence Winter as the showrunner on the untitled DC Comics series on HBO Max that would be a direct spinoff of Matt Reeves‘ “The Batman” taking place in Bruce Wayne’s first year as the caped crusader, focusing mainly on the Gotham Police Department. He is also the writer and creator of the Yakuza drama series “Giri/Haji.”
Matt Reeves directed the original “Cloverfield” film released in 2008, which saw a group of friends in New York City filming a real-time event that includes a giant Godzilla-like creature destroying the city with the filmmaker using the found-footage technique that had been popularized by “The Blair Witch.” Perhaps working with Barton on that series has given him and Bad Robot even more confidence in his abilities.
It’s interesting to hear that Abrams and Bad Robot would still be cranking out this stuff since they’ve signed a lucrative deal over at WarnerMedia, including an HBO Max series with “Justice League Dark.” [THR]