Hope you like Will Smith in sci-fi/fantasy movies, because he's heading back to Netflix for Bright 2. Netflix is investing somewhere in the neighborhood of $90 million for Bright, which doesn't arrive on the streaming service until December 22. Despite the fact that they haven't even been able to gauge the audience reaction to their first major, blockbuster-worthy movie, they feel confident enough in what they have to move forward with a sequel, as they reportedly already have one lined up. Here's what a new report from Bloomberg has to say about it.
"'Bright' is the company's first attempt at a big-budget Hollywood production, bringing together a bona fide movie star in a fantasy, buddy-cop tale that could have come from any studio playbook. Directed by David Ayer, who also made Suicide Squad, it's a warning shot to studios and theater owners that Netflix is targeting a big chunk of the $38.6 billion global box office. To underscore the commitment, the company has already ordered a sequel with Smith signed on."
Bright, which is written by Max Landis (Chronicle) is set in an alternate reality and follows two cops from very different backgrounds. Ward (Will Smith) and Jakoby (Joel Edgerton) embark on a routine patrol night that will ultimately alter the future as the weird world they live in knows it. Battling both their own personal differences, in addition to an onslaught of various enemies, the unlikely duo must work together to protect a long-missing relic. In the wrong hands, this relic could destroy everything.
Given that we haven't seen the first Bright movie yet, it's almost impossible to imagine where Bright 2 could possibly go. It's also hard to figure how Netflix justifies something like this on their end. With a $90 million movie, most studios would expect massive box office returns. For Netflix, they're literally just trying to keep their current subscriber base happy and attract new ones. But can that really justify such a huge budget? Apparently so. And not only that, but Will Smith, one of the biggest stars on the planet, is embracing the new era of streaming movies enough to do another major movie with Netflix. This is a big statement from the streaming service that they can make big, flashy content with big stars.
It's going to be very interesting to see how Bright is received later this week once it arrives on Netflix. The streaming service historically doesn't reveal ratings numbers, so we'll have no idea how many people actually watch this thing. As for Bright 2, almost nothing is known at the current time, but Bloomberg has confirmed it's absolutely happening. It hasn't yet been made clear if David Ayer will return to direct, but he and Will Smith seem to get along, so it seems likely he's part of the deal as well.
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