The Invisible Man 2: Will It Happen? The Director Weighs In!
Elisabeth Moss's Hopeful Update and the Director's Unexpected Response
Big news for fans of The Invisible Man (2020)! Earlier this year, Elisabeth Moss, the star of that amazing horror flick, hinted that a sequel, The Invisible Man 2, might actually be happening. It's pretty huge and has massive potential. And now we have more insight! Recently, original director Leigh Whannell chimed in – and the update is unexpected.
Whannell, after achieving major success directing that gripping, intense horror story which remains fondly remembered by audiences even after several years; also achieved enormous critical and commercial success that still gets noted, even generating impressive critical reviews on Rotten Tomatoes; also achieved a strong financial result, exceeding its production costs multiple times and continuing his reputation as a high-quality director. He then stated in an interview that he feels The Invisible Man is a "closed story." He stated explicitly: “With Invisible Man, I really felt good about where we ended, for me. I don’t own the IP for Invisible Man so Universal can make a sequel if they want to – but for me, as a filmmaker, I really think that was a closed story. I can’t see that there’s any more story to tell.” This raises massive questions for future productions, however, as we’ll later explore, there still remains significant opportunities.
What This Means for a Potential Invisible Man 2
Whannell's amazing talent shows those kinds of skills he brings to the forefront – especially after directing critically-acclaimed horror gems such as Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015) and Upgrade (2018). He is largely what gave The Invisible Man its very specific style, its atmospheric dread and its incredible camerawork – all these elements combined create the intense visual suspense and unique pacing which completely separated it from all those other horror releases that came out earlier.
But his not directing The Invisible Man 2? That's a huge obstacle! It is an immense difficulty! Although Moss and company can still create a sequel, that very unique style was mostly what gave this title that particular success. A sequel might still be possible but without Whannell’s involvement; recreating the success seems incredibly hard, unlikely; it is not exactly simple; and it needs significant changes and new creatives if these new filmmakers wish to try to reach those prior success levels.
Our Take: Should Invisible Man 2 Even Happen?
It’s been four years since The Invisible Man was released and many people might think this very long gap means another movie simply isn’t a good idea. The original remains amazing – that huge success makes future films exceptionally difficult! That means there’s potential for a major let-down if this is just a hasty sequel! Whannell’s own comments seem to hint toward not continuing: it may be that Cecilia’s story already ends very satisfyingly, creating some much-needed finality which doesn't necessarily demand an immediate and hasty sequel. It’s also notable that other recent films created by the same production teams, notably Wolf Man, a sequel-themed release shows another take and new story arcs within similar genre space and suggests many opportunities.
But that doesn’t mean all is lost! If that story continues effectively with the very particular strengths required; bringing along talented creators to help make this potential project happen and give this new release its unique character; that same amazing suspense – could totally work, given some high levels of creative input, new and unique choices. Whether or not that is possible remains entirely up in the air. However, people should be expecting something significantly changed; not necessarily a mere rehash of the original.
Conclusion: The Future of The Invisible Man Remains Uncertain
The Invisible Man 2 remains incredibly uncertain; even with Moss's positive comments. Whannell’s comments bring further uncertainty; he’s not involved if this happens. Whether The Invisible Man 2 happens— and succeeds remains incredibly uncertain – however, if the project happens, audiences need to accept a lot of changes. If a great storyline appears – capable of sustaining an entirely new experience then it is entirely possible to see those same heights. Until then, all remains to be seen.
