Don't hold out hope for a Chaos Walking 2 any time soon. Based on the popular Patrick Ness novel series of the same name, Chaos Walking stars Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley in a sci-fi dystopian adventure that once looked to have significant franchise potential, boasting big stars, an established fan base, and a fascinating concept. Set on the colonial planet of New World, Tom Holland is Todd, a resident of the male-only Prentisstown. Not only is Todd's home female-free, but the thoughts of all men are completely audible, making it very difficult to surprise people, tell lies, or play Guess Who.
While filming officially wrapped in 2017, Chaos Walking didn't hit theaters until March 2021. And "hit theaters" is perhaps a little strong, given how many cinema screens are currently still closed or restricted due to varying degrees of lockdown still in place across the world. Chaos Walking is now available on-demand, opening the star-studded effort to a far wider audience. Unfortunately for those who enjoyed Chaos Walking, the chances of a sequel happening are fairly remote.
Even before Chaos Walking released in the middle of a pandemic, the signs were far from promising. News of extensive reshoots emerged in 2018, with Ridley and Holland both required to return and Fede Alvarez recruited to assist original director, Doug Liman, film the additional material in 2019. Reports at the time claimed Lionsgate was less than impressed with the early cut, and hoped Chaos Walking could still be salvaged.
Chaos Walking's distribution strategy perhaps gives some idea of how Lionsgate felt about the film after reshoots. Despite an initial COVID delay from January to March, there was no simultaneous VOD or streaming release, and no attempt to wait a few more months, by which point (fingers crossed) theaters will be far more accessible. Unlike the vast majority of releases over the past 12 months, Chaos Walking was effectively dumped into theaters, suggesting the project had already been written off. The box office has been poor, as expected, but reviews haven't been kind either.
It's bad enough when a blockbuster releases to significant fanfare, only to bomb spectacularly and ruin any chances of a follow-up. In Chaos Walking's case, there wasn't even that initial fanfare, and this alone renders a sequel extremely unlikely. With critical reaction falling somewhere between average and poor, there really is no reason to adapt book 2.
If, by some minor miracle, Chaos Walking 2 does go ahead, what can fans expect? Chaos Walking is largely based on Ness' first entry in the book series, The Knife of Never Letting Go, and the big screen adaptation sets up a sequel, with Daisy Ridley's Viola surviving, the second wave of colonists arriving safely, and the fate of Mads Mikkelsen's villain left dangling. Titled The Ask & The Answer, book 2 sees Todd and Viola on separate paths to begin with. Todd is forced to work alongside Davy Prentiss Jr., driving the enslaved Spackle in New Prentisstown (formerly Haven), while Viola joins up with a resistance movement called The Answer. Responding to this new threat, Mayor Prentiss forms The Ask, recruiting Todd and Davy to his new team. By controlling his noise, Todd is able to momentarily get the better of Prentiss in the climactic scene, but their feud is put on hold as war breaks out with the Spackle, leading into book 3.
Should Chaos Walking 2 happen, Daisy Ridley and Tom Holland would both be required to reprise their roles as Viola and Todd, respectively. Mads Mikkelsen would also be called upon to return as "Bad Dave" while his on screen son, played by Nick Jonas, would enjoy a more prominent role alongside Todd, partially redeeming himself for past crimes. New castings would be needed for the pivotal roles of Lee (a love interest for Viola), Mistress Coyle (leader of The Answer), 1017 (a Spackle survivor), and Con Ledger (the previous mayor).
Never, probably. It'll be a while before movie studios start taking risks again after the pandemic, so even if Chaos Walking 2 were to happen, it's still years away from development. Far more likely is an eventual reboot. One advantage to Chaos Walking releasing under the radar is that Hollywood needn't wait as long to have another crack. The books carry so much potential, directors may start circling around Chaos Walking again come 2030.
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