Following its impressive box-office success, one of 2018’s most innovative thrillers – Searching – is getting a sequel.
Searching was one of the biggest breakout successes of 2018 and perhaps the best example so far of a film utilising the ‘screen-life’ format, where cinema replicates the way that we often view the world through the prism of technology. The film took place entirely on a MacBook as desperate dad John Chu tried to find his missing daughter by getting access to her computer and searching for details about her private life.
Ultimately, Searching would go on to gross an exceptionally impressive $75m from a production budget of less than a million dollars. With that kind of return, a sequel was perhaps inevitable, and Sony has announced, via Deadline, that it’s closed a deal with Will Merrill and Nick Johnson to direct a follow up.
Searching 2 will mark a couple of changes from its predecessor.
The film will tell an entirely original story and not continue with the events of the first film. Likewise, Searching’s director, Aneesh Chaganty, will not return to helm, although he will produce. Merrill and Johnson, the first film’s editors have duly been promoted to the director’s chair(s). Lots of other key creatives from the original film are returning and production is set to begin in the spring.
Back in 2018, Searching was a really enjoyable thriller, cleverly framed in a fresh format. With lots of the talk about the sequel focusing on how the next film could stretch the boundaries of that ‘screen-life’ style, it will be interesting to see what the sequel brings. More news on this one as we have it.
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