Since Edge of Tomorrow (or Live. Die. Repeat.) became a modest hit and earned a strong audience following, talk of a sequel has been a hot topic… for about a decade. The action-packed, Groundhog Day-esque, acclaimed alien invasion movie still has yet to see its oft-discussed follow-up, Edge of Tomorrow 2, see the light of day.
With director Doug Liman and scribe Christopher McQuarrie gushing over the story they have crafted, and Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt having expressed interest in returning, why does this now beloved time loop movie’s sequel seem to be trapped in its own time loop? Let’s pull a Will Cage and go back to the beginning as we trace the development hell of Edge Of Tomorrow 2 (or Live Die Repeat and Repeat, or whatever the hell they are calling it now).
Tom Cruise Hatches An Idea For Edge Of Tomorrow 2
At first, it seemed like Edge of Tomorrow, which is inspired by Hiroshi Sakurazaka’s graphic novel All You Need Is Kill, was destined to be a box office dud until positive critical reception and word of mouth (despite some confusion over the title) turned it into an international hit. Inspired by the strong cult following the film had since earned, Cruise conjured a concept for a sequel in 2015, which his Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation director Christopher McQuarrie could not resist. Liman was on board for Cruise’s idea as well.
The only one who seemed resistant to returning to the world of Edge of Tomorrow was Blunt, expressing to Uproxx that year that she is “terrified of sequels” and would only reprise the role of Rita “Full Metal Bitch” Vrataski if the story was on par with the predecessor. While she certainly had reason to have reservations, especially considering the 2014 film’s happy ending, Liman and McQuarrie later teased that the follow-up would surpass the original. Of course, it needed a script first.
Screenwriters Are Hired To Pen Edge of Tomorrow 2
In April 2016, almost two years after the release of Edge of Tomorrow, Deadline reported that Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse were commissioned to write the follow-up. At the time, the screenwriting duo had gained traction for writing the sports biopic Race and being tapped for this project was shaping to be their most challenging yet, especially after what the director would reveal soon after.
When speaking with Collider in October 2016, Liman teased that Edge of Tomorrow 2 would be a “sequel that’s a prequel.” Despite a lack of clarity as to how that would be achieved at the time, what was clear was the director’s unbridled enthusiasm for what he promised to be a story that is “much better than the original film.” But that premature praise was nothing compared to the claims he would make soon.
Edge Of Tomorrow 2 Teased As A Sequel Like No Other
Around the same time as his Collider interview, Liman told IGN that Edge of Tomorrow 2 would “revolutionize how people make sequels,” but was unable to elaborate. Months later, we received some form of elaboration in the announcement of its new official title: Live Die Repeat and Repeat, to reflect Liman’s preferred title for the original.
McQuarrie would chime in the following year, promising to make sense of Edge of Tomorrow’s explanation-demanding ending in a tweet, while Liman would return to the conversation soon after, promising a stronger evolution to Cruise’s character, William Cage. He would later elaborate on this detail by also revealing to Yahoo Movies that the “sequel that’s a prequel” will start where the first film left off before going backward in time. However, it would soon become apparent that the sequel’s timeline was not the only thing about it going backward.
Edge Of Tomorrow 2 Script Goes Into A Second Draft
In January 2018, Liman assured Collider that, after resolving scheduling conflicts, the only thing holding Edge of Tomorrow 2 back was Shrapnel and Waterhouse’s script, which was still being written. However, the following May, Blunt revealed to IndieWire that another sequel script was in the works, which Liman later revealed would be written by him and the first film’s co-scribe, Jez Butterworth.
While Liman seemed positive that the story of Edge of Tomorrow 2, which he “loves,” was rapidly approaching a home run, McQuarrie was less certain in his comments. In response to a fan’s question over the status of the sequel on Twitter, the filmmaker revealed that, while mentioning that it was being worked on, he had “no idea how or when it will happen.” Eager fans would be able to put their concerns to rest soon enough… but not for long.
Edge Of Tomorrow 2 Goes Into Development… Or Does It?
In March 2019, nearly four years after Tom Cruise’s idea was first put into motion, Deadline reported that Edge of Tomorrow 2 was officially in development at Warner Bros., under the official title Live Die Repeat and Repeat. This announcement came with the additional update that a third script was being written by The Invention of Lying scribe Matthew Robinson after he pitched his own take on the story.
If that did not already sound like a reason for concern, it was months later when, for the first time in the sequel’s progression, Liman became the one to express uncertainty over the film’s future, telling Collider that he “had no idea” what its chances were, and citing scheduling conflicts as the roadblock. In January 2020, Liman posted an Instagram photo of multiple blurred-out whiteboards that covered story concepts for the sequel. From the looks of it, if this sequel finally makes it to the big screen, we may be in for quite the head-scratcher.
In January 2021, Doug Liman Said The Sequel Hinges On Cruise And Blunt’s Commitment To The Script
Almost exactly a year after Liman’s Instagram post with the whiteboards, he offered another update on the progress of Edge of Tomorrow 2. He was speaking to Collider about his 2021, Max-exclusive film Locked Down when the long-awaited sequel was brought up.
The filmmaker said that the film’s potential relies on whether or not Cruise and Blunt would be willing to pull the trigger, adding that actors are the “gatekeepers” in Hollywood these days.
Emily Blunt Says She Is “So Ready” For Edge Of Tomorrow 2 In August 2023
Emily Blunt is often asked about the Edge of Tomorrow sequel. One of the most notable instances of this was her mid-2023 appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast when she assured host Josh Horowitz that she is “so ready” to come back as Rita.
She also mentioned previously reading a script that Liman “slithered over to” her before adding she is not sure “when or how” the sequel could finally become a reality. She even says that Cruise and his many Mission: Impossible movies seem to be the real deterrent here. However, another major update showed promise to his commitment.
Tom Cruise Signs New Warner Bros. Deal In January 2024
After decades as Paramount’s Golden Boy, Tom Cruise signed a deal to develop and produce films with Warner Bros. in early 2024. Of course, the Academy Award nominee had previously worked with the company on a few notable hits, such as Edge of Tomorrow.
A report by THR mentions that Warner Bros. studio chiefs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy had been hoping to partner up with Cruise for the sci-fi flick’s long-awaited follow-up. Of course, it also mentions that the actor’s commitment to the upcoming Mission: Impossible 8 will prevent him from starring in WB productions for a while.
Edge Of Tomorrow 2 Demand Ramps Up When Original Trends On Netflix In September 2024
As of September 2024, Edge of Tomorrow has become one of the best movies on Netflix, and right now, one of its most popular. The day after the critically acclaimed Rebel Ridge arrived exclusively on the platform at Number One on September 6th, the decade-old sci-fi flick became the third most-viewed movie on the platform before creeping up to second place two days later.
Its stunning performance on Netflix not only proved that audiences still love this sleeper sci-fi movie classic but clearly want more from its world. We have seen many films and TV shows experience a major boost in popularity on Netflix – such as the Halle Berry-led 2013 thriller The Call – but if the streaming platform ends up becoming a determining factor of seeing Edge of Tomorrow 2 finally get off the ground, it will make history.
As you can see, despite all the information we've gotten over the last decade, we still do not have a definitive answer to the initial question, with no release date for Live Die Repeat Repeat set at the moment. Until we have all the answers, be sure to check back for updates on the Edge of Tomorrow sequel.
