Netflix has announced that it will produce two sequels to star-studded thriller Red Notice, which became the streamer’s most-watched movie of all time shortly after its release last year.
In total, the streamer claims that the first film has been viewed for almost 329 million viewing hours by Netflix users around the world, smashing the record previously set by Sandra Bullock’s Bird Box (282 million).
This is a particularly impressive feat considering that the film was hit by some highly critical reviews upon release, with RadioTimes.com describing it as “forgettable” and “tired” in a two-star Red Notice review.
Clearly audiences disagreed, propelling the action flick to levels of success that make its hefty $200 million price tag (including a reported $60m on the salaries of the main cast) seem like a worthwhile investment.
Director Rawson Marshall Thurber will return to helm the two Red Notice sequels, which will be filmed back-to-back, with production eyeing a start date in early 2023 (according to Deadline).
That will depend largely on the availability of its three main stars – Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds and Gal Gadot – who are all expected to return but are among the most in-demand actors in Hollywood right now.
There are no details yet on where the plot will go next, but it is believed that Thurber is already writing the scripts to both films, with the back-to-back shooting plan opening up the possibility of a cliffhanger ending for the second entry.
Red Notice is the latest Netflix original film to be turned into a franchise, following in the footsteps of Chris Hemsworth’s Extinction and Charlize Theron’s The Old Guard, both of which are also getting follow-ups.
Johnson also served as a producer on the first film through his company Seven Bucks, having built up a sturdy working relationship with Thurber through their previous collaborations on Central Intelligence and Skyscraper.
Red Notice is available to stream on Netflix. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.