Paramount Pictures is moving ahead with its 2019 survival thriller Crawl sequel, with Mason Gooding and Emily Rudd set to star in the new film. Alexandre Aja, who directed the original, will return as director, with production scheduled to begin later this month in Hungary.
The sequel will introduce a new set of characters and expand the franchise beyond the confined setting of the first film. The story will reportedly take place in New York City, where alligators emerge across the city following a hurricane, including through its streets and sewer system.
Gooding and Rudd will lead the new film, replacing the central father-daughter pairing played by Barry Pepper and Kaya Scodelario in the original. Gooding is known for his work in the Scream franchise and Heart Eyes, while Rudd has appeared in Netflix’s Fear Street films and stars as Nami in the live-action series One Piece.
Aja’s return marks a key link to the 2019 film. Crawl followed Haley (Scodelario) as she attempted to rescue her injured father, Dave (Pepper), after a Category 5 hurricane flooded their Florida home. As the water rose, the pair became trapped inside with several alligators.
The original film was produced on a reported budget of approximately $13.5 million and became a strong theatrical performer for Paramount. Crawl grossed approximately $91.5 million worldwide, including around $39 million in the domestic market and $52.5 million internationally.
The sequel’s screenplay is being written by Jason Harry Pagan and Andrew Deutschman, with Aja and Gregory Levasseur also involved in the writing. Aja, Sam Raimi and Craig Flores are producing, while Levasseur and Zainab Azizi are executive producers.
Production is set to take place in Hungary, with the country expected to double for the film’s New York setting. Further details about the plot, supporting cast and release date have not yet been announced.
The sequel represents Paramount’s return to a property that delivered a substantial theatrical return relative to its modest production cost. With Aja back at the helm and a new cast and setting, the studio is expanding the original’s contained survival concept into a larger-scale urban creature thriller.
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