January 18, 2008 is a day that will forever be embedded in the minds of sci-fi movie fans. That was the date that Cloverfield debuted in theaters, which would usher in a new franchise of Large Scale Aggressors and the humans who faced them. In recent years, a new project has been developing, which some would call Cloverfield 4.
With this fourth film further developing the Cloverfield timeline, the tactics seem to be changing a bit. As such, we’re going to run down what we know about the next Cloverfield, in order to keep sifting through the pieces. The picture that emerges will continue to develop, and we’ll be updating this information as new pieces are collected. So far, here’s what we know about Cloverfield 4.
What Is The Cloverfield 4 Release Date?
At the moment, we don’t have any information on a release date, or even a production start date, for Cloverfield 4. That's probably by design, as Paramount will more than likely want to replicate the same sort of surprise attack strategy the previous movies have employed.
That much seems readily apparent, especially when considering how The Cloverfield Paradox trailer from 2018 turned out to be a surprise announcement that the film was launching on Netflix. Whether this new Large Scale Aggressor adventure hits theaters or streaming, that short takeoff approach would still work wonders; as seen with 2016's 10 Cloverfield Lane campaign.
There's been no further updates past that previous enthusiasm from the project's writer seem hopeful that Cloverfield 4 would be in production sooner rather than later. And 2023's twin strikes from the WGA and SAG-AFTRA may have complicated things a bit further. However, there’s still quite a bit that we do know about what’s going on with this fourth installment of the Cloverfield anthology.
This New Film Is Supposed To Be A Direct Sequel To 2008’s Cloverfield
The Cloverfield sequel was first announced at CinemaCon 2018, which included franchise producer J.J. Abrams noting how this new adventure was a direct sequel. This goes against the trend of making anthology entries like 10 Cloverfield Lane, but at the same time works with the loose connection to the original film used in the ending of The Cloverfield Paradox, the third installment in the saga.
However, reporting from Deadline back in September 2022 seemed to suggest that this could change. The outlet reported that plot details were not being revealed at that time, and that it was unknown how the upcoming movie would tie into the previous Cloverfield films. So we'll have to wait for more information to confirm.
At the same time, a SyFy interview from 2023 with Matt Reeves did reveal how he would potentially tackle Cloverfield 4. And his status as executive producer/series originator may allow him the clout to influence the story of this direct sequel to approach a story that hits along these lines:
There’s no question it would be a viral movie, right? It would be about a virus. … I think today, it would absolutely come from the uncertainty of what you can't see and the idea that being next to someone, you could catch something. There have been some really scary [viral thrillers]. Contagion is certainly really scary ... There would be a scary [Cloverfield] movie to do for sure about the spread of the virus.
Considering the fate of poor Marlena Diamond (Lizzy Caplan) and how bites from Clover's parasites caused her to spontaneously explode, Matt Reeves could be onto something here. While we still don't know what the story of Cloverfield 4 is with any authority, this is some clever food for thought; which could also take advantage of another difference this sequel could have.
Cloverfield 4 May Not Be Bringing Back The Found Footage Angle
One change that will apparently be staying in the Cloverfield franchise’s DNA is the abandoning of the found footage angle. The big gimmick that made the original film stand out was dumped the moment 10 Cloverfield Lane changed things up, and it could be out for good.
Updated reporting over time has hinted at Cloverfield 4 ditching found footage, so this isn’t terribly new. Then again, the same report that seemingly calls into question whether this new movie is a direct sequel to the 2008 original or not didn’t seem to mention this factor.
Babak Anvari And Joe Barton Are The New Creatives In The Cloverfield Universe
The latest Cloverfield movie has ushered in two new participants in the creative team! On the story front, the current draft of the film is being written by Joe Barton, the man known for Netflix projects like Girl/Haji and The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself.
It should also be noted that Barton was collaborating with Matt Reeves on the now defunct spin-off series to The Batman, which would have focused on the Gotham P.D. Per his remarks to Variety in October 2022, a finished script sounded pretty close at hand.
Joe Barton himself seemed confident on that front, as around that same time director Babak Anvari was named the director of Cloverfield 4. Another Netflix alum, Anvari previously made a splash with his thriller I Came By, but also has horror films like Wounds to his credit.
Cloverfield’s J.J Abrams And Matt Reeves Are Still Part Of The Sequel Team
As you could gather from some of the information above, Cloverfield 4 hasn’t been abandoned by two of the men who helped create the magic. J.J. Abrams is still reported as producing, and The Batman director Matt Reeves is still on board as an executive producer.
How much input both Reeves or Abrams will have on Cloverfield 4 is undetermined at this point. But as discussed earlier, the War for the Planet of the Apes helmer might not be done with using epidemics as a source of tension. Executive producers kind of have that sort of pull in the right situations.
It Seems Unlikely We'd See Any Of Cloverfield's Original Cast Returning
At the time of this writing, there continues to be a lack of casting or character information for Cloverfield 4. It's still safe to assume that most of the featured cast of the 2008 adventure will not be returning, as we saw quite a few of them die during those fateful events. Though if anyone was going to return, it would probably be Jessica Lucas, as her character Lily was one of the survivors who made it out of Manhattan through a successful helicopter evacuation.
Cloverfield 4 Probably Won't Be The Film’s Final Title
For as much as we keep repeating the title Cloverfield 4, that’s not with any authority that the movie will actually bear that title. Just as secrecy has been key to all of the previous movies, the next installment of this cryptic cryptid caper probably has a different name attached to its script.
We just aren’t privy to that knowledge just yet; and considering how the Cloverfield timeline has developed, it'd be a really misleading title. At this point, the only safe assumption is the name that started it all will be a part of whatever moniker this fourth chapter has taken on.
A Direct Sequel To Cloverfield Has Been A Long Time Coming
Matt Reeves, Drew Goddard, and J.J. Abrams have been interested in doing a direct sequel ever since the first movie was released. The big reason that prevented a previous direct sequel to Cloverfield, as Reeves confirmed in an interview with Collider, is scheduling conflicts and life in general.
And that's not the only potential direct sequel we could see, should Cloverfield 4 become a success. Per an interview with CinemaBlend in 2023, 10 Cloverfield Lane director Dan Trachtenberg apparently has some ideas for a potential follow-up. Not only that, but he's talked with star Mary Elizabeth Winstead about those ideas, and is so optimistic that he declined to mention anything further.
Almost two decades later, the events of New York’s monstrous invasion could be coming back into the frame. But while we seem primed to learn more about how those fateful events changed the world, we're still mostly in the dark on what's to be expected from Cloverfield 4.
Secrecy is the native tongue of the Cloverfield series, so naturally we’ll learn more about this latest endeavor whenever the powers that be deem it relevant. Whenever something new is revealed to the world, we'll be updating this rundown. So don't forget to check back in every now and then to see what the latest happens to be.
You can revisit that first day of disaster in Cloverfield, as the movie can be purchased through Amazon, or wherever you choose to build your entertainment library, on digital HD, 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD. At the time of these most recent updates, you can stream the film through PlutoTV or a Paramount+ subscription. Keep your eyes open when you do, as no one can tell where the next clues will pop up on the path to this mysterious new adventure.
