Following the breakout success of “War Machine” earlier this year, the streamer has confirmed that a sequel is in development, with star Alan Ritchson expected to return to reprise his leading role and filmmaker Patrick Hughes also set to come back behind the camera.
According to The Wrap, which first reported the news, work on the follow up is already underway, with Netflix later confirming the project through its social media channels.
‘War Machine 2’ Will Pick Up After the Film’s Cliffhanger Ending
The announcement comes as little surprise given the performance of the original picture. Released globally on Netflix in March, “War Machine” quickly became one of the platform’s biggest action hits of the year. The military science fiction thriller spent two weeks as Netflix’s most watched movie worldwide and accumulated more than 118 million views during its first five weeks on the service.
Directed by Hughes, the first installment followed a traumatized Army Ranger candidate known only as 81, played by Ritchson, whose training exercise spiraled into a deadly confrontation with an extraterrestrial machine. What began as a survival story gradually expanded into a larger invasion narrative, ending with the revelation that humanity was facing a global war against an army of alien-controlled machines.
One of the most discussed aspects of the film was its refusal to provide clear answers about the invaders. Rather than explaining where the machines came from or who controlled them, the story concluded at the moment the larger conflict was just beginning. Hughes has since revealed that the ambiguity was intentional, designed to place viewers in the same state of confusion as the characters confronting an unprecedented threat.
That approach appears set to change in the sequel. Hughes has indicated to the Wrap that the next part will finally explore questions left hanging by the original ending, including the origins of the machines and the forces behind them.
While Netflix has not yet announced the full cast, Ritchson is currently the only returnee expected to reprise his role as development on “War Machine 2” moves forward.