For better or worse, Netflix’s 6 Underground delivered exactly what was to be expected if Michael Bay was handed $150 million and almost complete creative freedom to put together an R-rated action blockbuster any way he saw fit. As per the majority of the filmmaker’s career, the story was convoluted to the point of incomprehension, but the set pieces were suitably spectacular.
It was the single most excessive film he’s made since Bad Boys II sixteen years previously, with the extended opening car chase in particular arguably one of the best action sequences Bay has ever put together in a career that’s been almost entirely defined by his personal brand of pyrotechnics. Unsurprisingly, the combination of Bayhem and Ryan Reynolds yielded big numbers, with 6 Underground the fourth most-watched Netflix original in the company’s history after being viewed 83 million times in the first four weeks it was available to stream.
Naturally, the talk has turned to potential sequels, especially with Reynolds having a number of projects in the works for the platform including Red Notice, The Adam Project, Upstate and Dragon’s Lair, and we’ve now heard from our sources – the same ones who told us Han would be returning in Fast & Furious 9 long before it was confirmed – that the proposed follow-up will retain the R-rating of its predecessor and push it to the limits, with Bay said to be eager to include more blood and violence in the film.
The director is currently hard at work blowing sh*t up on the set of his next thriller Ambulance while Reynolds is one of the busiest stars in the business, so 6 Underground 2 might not be happening for a while yet, and it hasn’t even been officially been announced by the streamer. That being said, Netflix are desperate to boast their own lineup of big name franchises, so you can be sure it’ll be right at the top of the list.
