‘Under Paris 2’: Netflix Developing Sequel to French Shark Movie With Bérénice Bejo Returning

As a seasoned film enthusiast who has seen my fair share of shark movies and French cinema, I am thrilled to hear about the upcoming sequel to “Under Paris.” While it may seem unlikely for a post-apocalyptic shark movie to have a sequel, the success of the first film speaks volumes. The return of key cast members, particularly Oscar-nominated Bérénice Bejo, promises an even more captivating storyline.

Despite not having a conventional narrative setup for a sequel due to its post-apocalyptic ending, the French shark movie “Under Paris” has garnered such massive success that filmmaker Xavier Gens is planning another underwater journey. This new adventure has been officially confirmed by EbMaster.

I’m excited to share that some key figures from the original cast will rejoin us, having miraculously escaped the jaws of sharks. Among them is Bérénice Bejo, an Oscar-nominated actress known for her role in “The Artist”, who will portray a grief-stricken activist. Nassim Lyes, famed for his performance in “Mayhem!”, will also be back as a police officer.

According to a recent interview with La Tribune, Bejo has stated that the sequel will begin filming in September 2025. However, sources close to the production have confirmed to EbMaster that the project is currently under development, but it’s still very early on and shooting might not start until as late as 2026.

Released on Netflix on June 5 prior to the Paris Olympics, the film “Under Paris” humorously depicted the zeitgeist of the era by featuring a satirical storyline about triathlon competitors who mysteriously vanished during a river swim in the Seine. The movie’s political commentary, which highlighted the mayor dismissing safety issues for economic gain and publicity, resonated strongly with viewers. In real life, Mayor Anne Hidalgo faced criticism when she promised to make the river clean enough so athletes and tourists could swim in it during the Olympics.

After the conclusion of the sporting event, the follow-up could explore an altogether new direction and delve deeper into genre, similar to the later segments of “Under Paris” set within the Catacombs. During their conversation about a potential sequel in June, Gens mentioned that if produced, it would be set in a Paris completely submerged under water.

Currently, “Under Paris” stands as the second most-viewed non-English film on Netflix, trailing only behind “Troll.” Despite receiving negative reviews in France due to its genre seldom doing well locally, it has been a global success. Even horror maestro Stephen King commended it, expressing his initial skepticism that it would be a humorous movie like “Sharknado” but ultimately finding it quite impressive.

Originally, a filmmaker who was motivated by “Don’t Look Up,” earlier shared with EbMaster that he faced difficulties in securing funding for his film “Under Paris” through conventional channels where budgets for genre movies are usually minimal. He explained, “People in France were reluctant to get involved because they thought only Americans or Koreans could make shark movies.” However, with Netflix backing the project, “Under Paris” was eventually produced within a budget of €15-€20 million ($16-$21 million). Future projects from this team might receive even larger budgets due to the global success of their first film, which was co-written by Gens, Maud Heywang, and Yannick Dahan.

Previously, Gens has collaborated with Netflix, taking charge of episodes in their successful series “Lupin”. He is particularly renowned for his work directing films within the genre, notably “Hitman” from 2007 and “Mayhem!”.

2024-11-14 20:47

‘Under Paris 2’: Netflix Developing Sequel to French Shark Movie With Bérénice Bejo Returning

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