Extraction 2: Everything We Know So Far

When "Extraction" debuted in 2020, it broke viewership records for Netflix and became the most-watched original movie in the streaming service's history up until that point. A sequel wasn't guaranteed, but after early test screenings, director Sam Hargrave purposefully created an ambiguous ending to keep that option on the table should Netflix want to continue the story. After the first film performed so well (at least according to Netflix; they don't share hard viewership data, so we have to just take them at their word), it's no surprise the streamer decided to make a sequel. At this past weekend's "Tudum" event, Netflix confirmed earlier reports that "Extraction 2" is officially in the works.

When And Where To Watch Extraction 2

The sequel will likely receive a small theatrical release in limited cities, but like the first movie, "Extraction 2" will primarily be available to watch on Netflix. No official release date has been announced yet, but the end of the recent teaser trailer proclaimed that the film would be "coming soon."

What We Think Extraction 2 Will Be About

The ending of "Extraction" featured ex-military mercenary Tyler Rake getting shot multiple times on a bridge in India after transporting his target – a young boy named Ovi – to safety. After taking an absurd amount of damage and having an emotional catharsis as he flashes back to his dead son, Rake falls over the edge of the bridge into the water, seemingly to his death. Eight months later, Ovi surfaces in a swimming pool and sees a figure standing at the edge of the pool watching him. Is that mystery figure Rake? Is it some other random dude?

Now we have an answer. According to Netflix, "Extraction 2" will feature the return of Tyler Rake. The teaser shows him bursting up through the water to gasp for air. "The beauty of an ambiguous ending is that there's a lot of ways you can go," the director of the original said in an interview about the sequel in 2020. "You can go forwards or backwards. Either way you look on the timeline are very interesting stories." There had previously been talk about the possibility of making a prequel that fills in some of the relationship between Tyler Rake and his old teammate Gaspar, but the fact that this teaser sort of picks up where the original movie left off makes it seem like the narrative will move forward instead of backward. 

It's unclear whether Ovi will also play a role in the sequel story – Rake may have just been dropping in to check on him in that pool scene, and it seems narratively cleaner for the mercenary to take on a whole new mission with the new lease on life he acquired by saving Ovi.

What We Know About The Extraction 2 Cast And Crew

We know that Chris Hemsworth ("Thor: Ragnarok") will be back to reprise his role as Tyler Rake, but as of now, that's the only guarantee when it comes to "Extraction 2." We don't know if Rudhraksh Jaiswal will be back as Ovi, or if we'll see any of the earlier days of Rake and Gaspar, played by "Stranger Things" actor David Harbour. If the filmmakers do decide to go back in time, I'd love to see more of Saju Rav, the head of Ovi's father's personal security unit who was also tasked with rescuing the boy in the first movie. He definitively died in that climactic bridge shootout, but actor Randeep Hooda brought such a palpable swagger and propulsive quality to that role that it could be fun to explore his character further.

Joe Russo ("Avengers: Endgame"), who wrote the original, is confirmed to be back as a writer and producer, and Sam Hargrave, who made his feature directorial debut with the first film, seems likely to return behind the camera, but that has not been made official just yet. "I would like to be as involved as possible but I also don't want to be greedy," Hargrave said last year when asked about directing more movies in the "Extraction" universe. "There's a lot of other super talented filmmakers out there who would have very unique visions and would bring something new and fresh to the franchise that I would be excited to see as a fan. Hopefully we get to do the second one with all the same team and really establish the franchise, if you will. But from there I would love to see, as a fan of cinema, other young directors who, again, can push the level of action."

Read this next: 'Extraction' Review: Chris Hemsworth Broods In This Ho-Hum, Non-Stop Shoot 'Em Up

The post Extraction 2: Everything We Know So Far appeared first on /Film.

from /Film https://ift.tt/3oidU3v