Taking place in an alternate Los Angeles filled with humans, orcs, elves, fairies, and more, David Ayer's BRIGHT was a huge hit for Netflix, so much so that the streaming service quickly ordered a sequel, but we haven't heard all that much about the project over the past year. Deadline has now reported that Netflix is negotiating with Louis Leterrier, best known for NOW YOU SEE ME, CLASH OF THE TITANS, and THE TRANSPORTER, with helming the BRIGHT sequel.
David Ayer was attached to direct BRIGHT 2, but he's reportedly been focusing on rewriting THE DIRTY DOZEN remake for Warner Bros. and has other projects in the works at Netflix. The sequel to BRIGHT will once again star Will Smith as Ward and Joel Edgerton as Jakoby, the latter of whom happens to be the first orc to join the LAPD. Not much is known about the sequel, but Deadline says that it will be set on an international stage. The script was penned by David Ayer and Evan Spiliotopoulos (SNAKE EYES: G.I. JOE ORIGINS), with T.S. Nowlin (THE MAZE RUNNER) contributing to a rewrite. Production on BRIGHT 2 is expected to begin as soon as the COVID-19 shut-down ends.
The official synopsis for BRIGHT:
Set in an alternate present-day, this action-thriller directed by David Ayer (Suicide Squad, End of Watch, writer of Training Day) follows two cops from very different backgrounds (Ward, a human played by Will Smith, and Jakoby, an orc played by Joel Edgerton) who embark on a routine patrol night that will ultimately alter the future as their world knows it. Battling both their own personal differences as well as an onslaught of enemies, they must work together to protect a thought-to-be-forgotten relic, which in the wrong hands could destroy everything.
David Ayer confirmed earlier this year that the BRIGHT sequel was still on Netflix's slate, saying that it will be "a great opportunity for all of us to explore the world more. I think people felt like there was a lot of doorways to explore. People were like, ‘Tell us about the dragon. Tell us about this, the history.’ So it’s a very rich world and I think we’re going to drill down some more." While BRIGHT didn't receive the best reviews, I certainly enjoyed the film enough to keep an open mind for the sequel.