EXCLUSIVE: Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse have been tapped to write the sequel to Tom Cruise and Doug Liman’s sci-fi sleeper hit Edge Of Tomorrow. The original film, also starring a buffed-up Emily Blunt, was a surprise and pleasure for many genre fans with its time-bending narrative and stylish chemistry between its leads. Although a slow opener domestically, it eventually hit $100 million in the U.S. More importantly, it was a bone fide smash internationally, grossing a further $270 million or so to make the case for a sequel pretty compelling.
The original seemed to square up any loose ends pretty efficiently, though, so Shrapnel and Waterhouse will have to be inventive to find a way to get Blunt back in the mix with Cruise. Liman is attached to direct with Erwin Stoff and Tom Lassally producing. Christopher McQuarrie, who wrote the first film, is in talks to board as a producer and is developing the script with the writers.
Shrapnel and Whitehouse are much in-demand. After getting their first proper feature produced this year with the Jesse Owens biopic Race, the pair were brought on to do a rewrite of The Gray Man, based on the novel by Mark Greaney, at Sony. McQuarrie is also set to direct this one with Charlize Theron attached to star. Theron’s Denver and Delilah label is also aboard as producers alongside Joe Roth.
Recent Comments
The duo also adapted Circle Of Treason, based on a book by CIA agents Sandy Grimes and Jeanne Vertefeuille about their pursuit of fellow CIA agent and traitor Aldrich Ames.
Shrapnel and Waterhouse have also adapted Rhidian Brook’s The Aftermath for Ridley Scott’s Scott Free and BBC Films. That book, which earned critical raves, is set in post-World War II Hamburg in 1946. Charged with overseeing the rebuilding of this devastated city, a British colonel is joined by his grieving wife and only remaining son. But rather than force the owners of the house they’re staying in — a German widower and his traumatized daughter — to leave, the two families live together, setting up a charged and claustrophobic atmosphere as enmity and grief give way to passion and betrayal.
Shrapnel and Waterhouse are repped by CAA, Grandview, and The Curtis Brown Group.
Awesome!
Loved the first one but a sequel seems pointless. It was a self-contained story that concluded. It’s like the studio decided to just make a sequel for the mere sake of making a sequel. That rarely works out well.
Precisely. It’s a great popcorner but it doesn’t need a sequel.
the manga didn’t have a sequel too…. not that the original material matters too much in this situation.
Either… didn’t have a sequel either.
Neither.
No.
Nope. Either.
Thank you
It’s interesting to hear perceptions of this film change over time. The big news the summer of it’s release seemed to be “disappointment for Cruise”, “sluggish buzz”, “a summer loser”… and now words like “sleeper hit” are being used? Come on! I’m saying this as a big fan of the film. I was so sick of the negative press it got upon release when in actuality it had a great multiple (nearly 4x its opening) and a very strong overseas performance. For all intents and purposes the movie was ultimately successful, but that wasn’t the headline they wanted to use…
NOW they decide to call it a sleeper hit? *rolls eyes*
The reason there was such a disappointed response is because the budget for the movie was $178 Million. It’s hard for anyone to feel entirely comfortable when your total domestic return is $100M and your total global return was $370M. This was Tom Cruise in a leading role with all the money to make an awesome move that comparatively no one saw. It was awesome, and should have, by all rights, been a movie that pushed a billion dollars. Instead it’s what would be considered a very expensive cult movie. It’s not fair to try to push some agenda on “them” when they were reporting on it. The marketing was atrocious. Everyone saw it and the news just reported on what we all saw. A great movie under served by the marketing and under viewed by most people.
No one can call a sleeper hit on release. It’s the opposite of the definition.
No, but there are certain elements that should be considered when you term a hit a “sleeper” hit – and I don’t think a $200 million action/FX movie from a major film studio with one of (if not the) biggest stars on the planet would (or should…) qualify.
Napoleon Dynamite? Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery? The Fault in our Stars? All sleeper hits…
“Sleeper” doesn’t really have much to do with the Budget, though it’s true that most sleepers are much lower budget than Edge of Tomorrow. Sleeper usually denotes a movie that didn’t have much buzz and didn’t get a lot of press while it was out, but was a good movie that wound up being successful with a lot of word-of-mouth promotion.
Good point. It was a Tom Cruise sci fi actioner that did nearly $400 million world wide. How on earth can that be considered a “sleeper hit.” You’ve got Tom Cruise in a time travel alien invasion movie. That’s about as slam dunk as you can get. I guess they were looking at it turning a $ billion.
But the beauty of it was it wasn’t one of those huge franchise movies (movies which I love, btw), but rather someone’s love and obsession with an obscure manga. Glad this is getting a sequel, and, more importantly, bringing back Cruise.
No guilty pleasure here. Edge of Tomorrow is fantastic.
How was this a guilty pleasure? It was a good movie.
First one was real good , second one can definitely be awesome!
That film was so much better than I ever would have guessed. But a part 2??? Do we really need that?
First one was a surprise to me and a lot of fun. This does not need a sequel but this is not surprising for hollywood.
The first movie was great. Totally botched marketing by WB. But it eventually found its audience… as good movies always do.
WB seems to be lost, they need someone new to take over their marketing. This movie was awesome but the previews and promotion was atrocious. Not sure whatbis going on at WB but they are in need of some help.
Well, I’m sure they’ll solve all of their problems by throwing more dour, soulless grit and darkness at everyone!
This was one of the stupidest movies ever!
You’re stupid
loved this movie. saw it in the theater, have the blu ray, but the choice of biopic drama writers seems at odds with the essence of the movie, which is a fun action movie.
and I agree with others, it’s funny how the press revises history to make themselves look better. but it’s people who love films who are the last and true deciders.
So true. How ever will these writers be able to write anything outside of what they’ve written in the past. Everyone knows writers can only write one genre. This thing is doomed because of the writers. No bout adout it.
Biopic writers? Oy. Another case of “drama elitists” trying to play genre writer. Saw it already with the Nichol “darling” Arndt trying to write Star Wars 7. Now there’s Thor 3, where the writer was hired off a Black List “live read event.” (If Franklin Leonard and his drama loving queens are so enamored with live stage plays they should move their asses to Broadway. Seriously, how soon before a 911 call goes out to the Russos or the Ant-Man guys on that one?) McQuarrie better have a detailed 50 page treatment for these drama darlings, or it’s another 911 call a few months from now.
I’d have gone with Dante Harper on this one. He wrote an adaptation of the original manga on spec. It was action packed and above all…fun.
How in the hell is this a “guilty pleasure” movie? Edge Of Tomorrow was fantastic. And this is coming from someone who loathes Tom Cruise.
It was not an original. It was based on a manga called no pain no game.
It was based on “all you need is kill”
Great movie. Awful title. Will be curious what they name part 2 … gotta keep some of the brand intact, right? Maybe the bigger question is … why? Does Cruise feel so uncertain of his career that he has to make a sequel to a story that clearly doesn’t demand one?
For anyone interested, Edge of Tomorrow is based on an interesting Japanese book titled, “All You Need is Kill”
Meh
I really like the first movie so I’m all in for a sequel.
Does it NEED a sequel? No. Will I take it? God yes!
No Sequel, but a prequel called “The Angel of Verdun”.
Uh… It’s called “All You Need is Kill” (sorry)
Full Metal Bitch.
There needs to be a prequel called the Angel of Verdun.
Great News! Edge of T is one of the best hard Sci Fi, exciting and interesting film in a long time. I rate it as highly as the The Terminator (also underrated at the time of release) and Predator.
We may have defeated the Aliens on Earth … but “they are out there”. Lot’s of sequels possible.
My one plot objection to the film was the reliance on volunteering to fill the military. In WW2 the US resorted to the draft a few months after Pearl Harbor and in the UK they even drafted women (18 to 60) to work in factories or wherever needed.
Everyone would be subjected to military law under the “end of the world” scenario.
No…..The movie was well done as it is. To add another “Time loop” sequel is piss poor thinking, redundant and a waste of money. The story was an “all-in-one”…and NOT a 8-10 star movie. This is NOT a franchise movie…not an Aliens, that had an open ending, not a Tom Clancy movie…not a superhero flick. This will be the “OOPS! The aliens are coming back for revenge!” or a ” An evil man was also effected by an Alpha nad is hell bent on taking over the world” or ” One was left behind and it was a MOTHER ARRRRGGG!!”…..I mean seriously…
Sweet!!!!
The first one was great! Let’s hope the second one will be as well.
They destroyed the alien that caused time to repeat. What will they do now? Shouldn’t they make a sequel for Oblivion instead?
Yes but time then reversed outsell so the alien is no longer destroyed and they still have to fight them.
I’d much rather have a 2nd Oblivion, Hell ya! btw, what’s up with the sequel to I AM LEGEND?