Reports suggested Netflix had been optimistic about a sequel to its blockbuster Bright, the fantasy/buddy cop genre mashup starring Will Smith with a budget of $90 million that seems to have gone down well with fans, despite hitting a sour note with critics. Now, Netflix has made that official.
Netflix will officially be making a follow-up, after reports that suggest up to 11 million people watched Bright over its first three days of availability on the streaming service. Variety reports that Will Smith and co-star Joel Edgerton are likely to return, as is director David Ayers.
Critics took issue mainly with Bright‘s attempts at using societal divisions between human, orc and other fairytale beings as a heavy-handed means for social commentary, but audiences didn’t seem to have much of a problem with the narrative approach. The film scored a 28 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes from critics, but an 88 percent positive rating from general audiences.
It’s a movie that represents Netflix’s first real attempt to branch out not only into Hollywood blockbuster territory, but also into making a film series and potentially a cinematic universe. Given its critical reception and divisive fan response, the sequel will have a lot riding on it.