The 2018 screenlife thriller Searching is getting a follow-up story courtesy of Sony’s Screen Gems division.
2018’s Searching was something of a revelation. Instead of sitting in your living room gawping at your phone or laptop, the film gave you the chance to go to the cinema and stare at somebody else’s device instead.
Of course, the thrilling events that unfolded throughout the movie were far more interesting than the sudoku games or hamster GIFs that occupy most of our screens. And although some of its later sequences stretched the credibility of the screenlife format, the film would be remembered as one of the year’s better thrillers and a strong entrant in the emerging genre.
Searching's success was bolstered by a strong leading performance from John Cho and although Cho won’t be returning, there will be another film in the series, imaginatively titled Missing.
The film, which will be directed by Nick Johnson and Will Merrick, will not pick up on the first movie’s story, nor will it feature any of the same characters. In this case, it’s the format that will provide the continuity in the series with events presumably unfolding once more upon the character’s screens.
Missing is set to be released in February 2023 and Sony will be hoping that it can amass the same box office upside as its predecessor. Searching earned over $75m at the box office from a production budget of less than $1m.
The sequel is set to star Storm Reid, Nia Long, Joaquim de Almeida, Tim Griffin, Daniel Henney, and Amy Landecker. Aneesh Chaganty, the first film’s director has stepped back and will produce the sequel.
It will be interesting to see how the reception to a follow-up film plays out. Searching's novelty factor undoubtedly played into its success. plus the film wasn’t without its critics with some seeing the restrictions of the format as a kind of ‘anti-cinema’ style. Either way, the sequel will need to pack a very good storyline or risk accusations of flogging a played out idea. We’ll bring you more on this one as we hear it.
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