Wolfs director says he’s the one who pulled the plug on the Wolfs sequel

Last Updated on November 25, 2024

UPDATE: It looks like the decision to pull the plug on the Wolfs sequel didn’t come from Apple, with director Jon Watts explaining via a statement to Deadline that cancelling the sequel was his choice. It turns out, it was Apple’s decision to pivot the movie to a limited theatrical release (one week only) before it’s streaming bow was the main culprit. He explains:

“I wasn’t even told about it (the pivot to streaming) until less than a week before they announced it to the world. I was completely shocked and asked them to please not include the news that I was writing a sequel. They ignored my request and announced it in their press release anyway, seemingly to create a positive spin to their streaming pivot. And so I quietly returned the money they gave me for the sequel. I didn’t want to talk about it because I was proud of the film and didn’t want to generate any unnecessary negative press. I loved working with Brad and George (and Amy and Austin and Poorna and Zlatko) and would happily do it again. But the truth is that Apple didn’t cancel the Wolfs sequel, I did, because I no longer trusted them as a creative partner.”

ORIGINAL POST: Wolfs, the action comedy starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt, became the most-viewed movie in Apple TV+ history upon its release. The streaming service was already developing a sequel, but now Wolfs writer/director Jon Watts isn’t so sure it will happen.

While speaking with Collider, Watts said, “I don’t know what I’m directing next, and I don’t think there’s going to be a Wolfs sequel.” Given the success of the film, it’s somewhat surprising that the sequel isn’t moving forward, although audience reception was certainly mixed. The film found Clooney and Pitt reuniting for the first time since Burn After Reading. Clooney plays a professional fixer hired to cover up a high-profile crime. But when a second fixer (Pitt) shows up and the two “lone wolves” are forced to work together, they find their night spiralling out of control in ways that neither one of them expected. The film was originally intended for a wide theatrical release, but that was later changed to a limited release, with most of the attention paid towards its debut on Apple TV+.

Matt Dentler, head of features at Apple Original Films, praised Wolfs after its release. “When George, Brad and Jon approached us with the idea for Wolfs, it was an easy call — a crackling, fun movie starring two Oscar winners who everyone knows are iconic together,” Dentler said. “Now, audiences have chosen in droves to make Wolfs part of their weekend, making the movie a global blockbuster. We always consider Apple TV+ to be the home for the world’s most talented artists to create and deliver their best work, and it’s exciting to see audiences embrace that so overwhelmingly.“

Our own Chris Bumbray enjoyed the film. Although he admits that the premise isn’t exactly original, the film’s success is largely due to the wonderful chemistry between Clooney and Pitt. “Both actors play to their strengths here. They’re famous for playing cool and collected, albeit with human touches and a sardonic sense of humour. This served them well in the Ocean’s Trilogy, and Wolfs is very much in the same vein, albeit with a bit of a harder edge. Like those movies, this is a crime caper, but Watts has an R-rating to play with, meaning lots of F-bombs, and some violence,” Bumbray wrote. “This is the two of them having fun, and with a contained setting, it’s a great hangout flick. Watching the two of them do their thing together has always been a blast, and Wolfs is their best as a combo since the original Ocean’s Eleven.” You can check out the rest of his review right here. 

Would you still like to see a sequel to Wolfs?