The impact of Steven Spielberg‘s Jaws continues to be felt to this day because, without the success of the 1975 thriller film, there perhaps wouldn’t be such a large influx of shark attack movies as we have today. This summer, Spielberg‘s iconic blockbuster inspired yet another addition to the beloved sub-genre with Under Paris, which was released on Netflix to record-breaking numbers. Under Paris recorded the highest launch for a non-English movie on the streamer with over 102.3 million views, proving that our collective fascination with the underwater creature isn’t dwindling anytime soon. It now appears that Netflix is looking to capitalize on that success as the streamer is reportedly developing a sequel to the film.
According to a recent report at Variety, Under Paris director, Xavier Gens is developing a sequel to the film with two actors from the original film confirmed to return. Oscar-nominated actress Bérénice Bejo and Nassim Lyes will both return to reprise their roles as a marine biologist, Sarah, and Seine River police commander, Adil, respectively. The news of the sequel was first revealed by Bejo, who said earlier that the sequel would begin filming last fall. However, fresh reports now suggest that development is still in its infancy and filming won’t start until fall 2025.
Written by Gens, Maud Heywang, and Yannick Dahan, Under Paris is set within the titular French city just as it is about to host the World Triathlon Championships. The story follows Sarah, a scientist who, after learning of the presence of a large shark within the depths of the Seine River (the venue for the swimming sports), teams with an environmental activist, Mika, and police officer, Adil to capture the shark and prevent it from killing the athletes.
To enhance immersive horror, Under Paris‘ release was timed to coincide with the Paris 2024 Olympics. While completely delivered in French, Under Paris found only little success within its country of origin but turned out an enormous international hit on Netflix. Critical receptions were mixed at best, but the movie earned the praise of horror legend, Stephen King who deemed it “really quite good.”
What Is the Plot of the ‘Under Paris’ Sequel?
Plot details for the sequel have not been revealed, however, director, Gens earlier teased that a potential sequel “will take place in a Paris that is entirely submerged under water.” His suggestions sync with the ending of the film that took audiences to the famous underground Catacombs, a feature that is bound to raise the horror elements of the sequel. With the shark still at large, the sequel will likely see Sarah assemble a new team with a better strategy to take it down for good.
Under Paris remains only bested by the 2022 Norwegian monster movie Troll as the highest-viewed non-English movie on Netflix. However, with the announcement of the sequel, the movie will likely attract even more audiences.
via Collider