Edge Of Tomorrow 2 Will Be Smaller, More Character-Driven

[Nergal]

Edge of Tomorrow 2 will be a much smaller and more personal story, according to director Doug Liman. The original film, 2014’s critically acclaimed sci-fi action thriller Edge of Tomorrow, starred Emily Blunt and Tom Cruise as soldiers in a war against a horde of alien creatures, who relived the same day over and over every time they were killed in combat. Edge of Tomorrow 2’s script has reportedly been ready for some time, but there have been no concrete moves to begin production.

Edge of Tomorrow was based on All You Need Is Kill, an illustrated Japanese light novel from Hiroshi Sakurazaka and Yoshitoshi Abe. The core concept is the same through both versions – soldiers in mechanized battle armor reliving the same day of fighting against an advancing extraterrestrial force. Both the novel and Liman’s film released to widespread acclaim, and fans of the movie have waited patiently for a sequel for years.

While no official moves on production have been announced, Liman has revealed new details about what Edge of Tomorrow 2 would be if it gets made. “I’ve always been interested in the idea of a sequel being more character-driven than the first film,” Liman said in an interview with Collider, “because that’s not how things are normally done. That’s been my approach when developing the sequel and because Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt are such phenomenal actors.” It’s an admirable goal, but understandably a difficult one when working in a genre that thrives off of bombastic spectacle. “I get sometimes the sequel just has to have more firepower or more explosions but no visual effect is going to top what you’re going to get from a great scene performed by Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt.”



Edge of Tomorrow was especially praised for its visual effects upon release, even winning multiple awards for them. Any studio footing the bill on a follow-up would surely like to see that aspect continue in an even bigger form, which could be part of the dilemma keeping Edge of Tomorrow 2 from being made at the moment. Of course, the production realities of filming during the covid-19 pandemic are challenging enough, and many greenlit projects have been put on the backburner until further notice.

Streaming platforms, especially Netflix, have become increasingly common venues for sci-fi action of late. Films like The Old Guard and Outside the Wire are beginning to turn Netflix into a leader in sci-fi, and a rights agreement could turn Liman’s proposed Edge of Tomorrow 2 into a streaming project as easily as another theatrical release. Given his apparent focus on smaller, more personal storytelling, it could be a great fit. For now, though, Edge of Tomorrow fans will just have to keep their fingers crossed.