Gareth Edwards’ cinematic debut for Hollywood was a small-budget, independently produced movie called Monsters. It was a unique take on an over-saturated genre. Bold. Gripping, and above all concise. But after grossing a respectable $4 million globally, Vertigo Films announced last year that they were planning a sequel called Monsters: Dark Continent, which has now entered filming.
They also provided a brief plot synopsis which you can check out below:
Seven years after the events in “Monsters,” the Infected Zones have spread worldwide. Humans have been knocked off the top of the food chain, with disparate communities struggling for survival. American soldiers are being sent abroad to protect US interests from the Monsters, but the war is far from being won.
Now, being a huge fan of the original I find this pitch to be quite disconcerting. What made Monsters so special was because of its limited perspective. Tethering the inherently science fiction story to Andrew and Samantha, the two central characters, allowed the film to pick at the audiences’ emotions like a locksmith expertly opening a safe. But spread worldwide. That has the connotations of a blockbuster popcorn film where the spirit and fidelity of the original is discarded in favour of, you know, pointless explosions.
Of course, at this point in time we can only speculate how director Tom Green (Misfits) will expand the universe that Edwards established three years ago. Now that the latter has departed for Japanese shores for his reboot of Godzilla, Edwards can only act as producer for the Monsters’ sequel – meaning his filmmaking style that suited Monsters so well will undoubtedly be diluted.
Monsters: Dark Continent is currently without a release date and the only cast details we have to offer is that Joe Dempsie and Sam Keeley, known for their roles in Game of Thrones and What Richard Did, respectively, will star. I can only hope that Tom Green’s vision will still provide the mystery and depth offered in Gareth Edwards original, although I have a gut feeling that that may be wishful thinking.
What do you make of the news? Are you excited? Bemused? Let us know!
