A 'Bird Box' Movie Sequel Is In The Works, But The Book Is Coming Even Sooner

Bird Box was a surprise hit for Netflix when it arrived on the service in December of 2018. By the end of the month, Netflix claimed a staggering 45 million accounts had watched it over the holiday weeks. Despite the film feeling like a single story, with a very definite ending, viewers have since wondered if Netflix might make another one. It seems that will be the case, as writer Josh Malerman has confirmed there is a Bird Box movie sequel in the works.

Malerman first published the novel Bird Box back in 2014. Set in three time periods, "The Problem," "After Birth," and "Present Day," the novel told the story of Malorie, who gives birth to a child during an apocalyptic scenario, where unseen creatures drive humans mad when gazed upon. Malorie attempts to survive in a group house that includes a fellow pregnant roommate, Olympia. But as they give birth, the creatures attack, and everyone dies, including Olympia.

Malorie spends the next few years training her children's survival skills to go to the next safe house, which turns out to be a school for the blind. Upon the completion of their treacherous and terrifying journey, Malorie seems to have found safety and finally gives her two children names. But that isn't the end of the story. A new novel from Malerman, titled Malorie, arrives on July 21, 2020. And he assures fans a movie adaptation will follow.

Speaking to Inverse, Malerman admitted he couldn't divulge details about the project as yet. "I can't say much, but I can say that it is in development," he explained. "Sometimes it’s weird, all this secrecy, but I'm game."

Fans can thank their enthusiasm for inspiring Malerman to return to the world of Bird Box for a new story. As for the novel, here's the synopsis:

Twelve years after Malorie and her children rowed up the river to safety, a blindfold is still the only thing that stands between sanity and madness... But then comes what feels like impossible news. And with it, the first time Malorie has allowed herself to hope. Someone very dear to her, someone she believed dead, may be alive. Malorie has already lost so much: her sister, a house full of people who meant everything, and any chance at an ordinary life. But getting her life back means returning to a world full of unknowable horrors — and risking the lives of her children again.

But this time, the creatures have evolved:

Because the creatures are not the only thing Malorie fears: There are the people who claim to have caught and experimented on the creatures. Murmurings of monstrous inventions and dangerous new ideas. And rumors that the creatures themselves have changed into something even more frightening. Malorie has a harrowing choice to make: to live by the rules of survival that have served her so well, or to venture into the darkness and reach for hope once more.

There's no word on when the movie sequel will premiere or if Sandra Bullock will reprise her lead role. However, Malorie the book hits shelves on July 21, 2020.