After 10 Years, A Sequel To An Incredible Sci-Fi Thriller Has Become More Likely

10 years ago, the sci-fi genre received an incredible horror/thriller with 10 Cloverfield Lane. The movie starred Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Michelle, who, after a car crash, wakes up in a bunker with Howard (John Goodman) and Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.) and is told she's unable to leave due to the air becoming poisonous after an attack.

Directed by Dan Trachtenberg, it was a surprise second installment in the Cloverfield franchise, coming eight years after Matt Reeves' original sci-fi monster movie. 10 Cloverfield Lane took a very different approach, telling a tense and psychological story before alien ships and more enter the picture by the end.

The movie proved to be a hit with critics (91% on Rotten Tomatoes) and audiences ($110 million box office), with the Cloverfield franchise branching out from there. That response never led to a direct 10 Cloverfield Lane sequel entering development. The chances of it happening at this point have always seemed low, until now.

Dan Trachtenberg's Paramount Deal Could Spark 10 Cloverfield Lane Sequel Discussions

Hope may be alive for Michelle's story to continue with a 10 Cloverfield Lane sequel thanks to Dan Trachtenberg setting up a new deal with Paramount Pictures, the studio that produced the 2016 film. He now has a three-year first-look deal with the studio to develop movies for them. This could include original stories from the director, but franchises are also sure to be part of the mix.

He's landed the deal after spending the last several years working for Disney and 20th Century to bring the Predator franchise back to life. And he did just that, delivering three critically-acclaimed films that generated fresh excitement for the IP. Trachtenberg could get his hands on major Paramount franchises like Star Trek, G.I. Joe, or Transformers with this deal.

But a return to Cloverfield is also in the cards. 10 Cloverfield Lane is the movie that made Paramount familiar with Trachtenberg in the first place and where he made his directorial debut. It'd be a full circle moment for him to expand the story now that he's back.

This isn't purely wishful thinking, either. Back in 2023, Trachtenberg told CinemaBlend that he remains interested in making a 10 Cloverfield Lane sequel, and that he and Winstead had some "what if" conversations before:

I would still totally be open to it. I think Mary [Elizabeth Winstead] would. … We talked a little bit in like ‘what if’ scenarios. And then I was pulled, all the filmmakers were sort of pulled into other things. But I would still consider it.

After spending a few years in the franchise expansion game with Predator, perhaps he's ready to do it with 10 Cloverfield Lane next.

Why A 10 Cloverfield Lane Sequel Still Needs To Happen

Even though a full decade has passed since 10 Cloverfield Lane, that does not mean its missed its window to have a sequel. Paramount is still looking to utilize this IP. Cloverfield 2 is in active development even as we approach the 20th anniversary of the first film. There's still room for 10 Cloverfield Lane to get its own proper sequel, then, too.

The movie remains beloved, after all. I know I'm not the only one who wants to see Winstead return and continue Michelle's storyline. It might be too late to do a direct sequel showing her battling aliens in Houston, but a sequel exploring the state of the world a few years later and the ongoing fight with the extra-terrestrials would be worth doing.

Ultimately, Trachtenberg has proven he can brilliantly spin new stories out of existing worlds that aren't what audiences expect. Seeing what direction he'd take a 10 Cloverfield Lane sequel is worth Paramount putting it into development, especially if any of Trachtenberg's "what if" scenarios are exciting enough for him to want to pursue.