Netflix is no longer merely a streaming powerhouse; it is a significant contributor to the entertainment industry and a contender for the best films being made, both studio-backed and independent, aside from those it commissions exclusively. It now has Oscars to its name, courtesy of Alfonso Cuaron’s superb ‘Roma last year.
Among numerous originals, Will Smith’s ‘Bright,’ released in 2016 amid considerable fanfare, was a numbers game Netflix played. Its critical reception was, I’d argue, somewhat rightfully awful, a fact that the hit fantasy cop comedy cared nothing about.
‘Bright’ remains the most expensive Netflix film to date, bought for $90 million.
However, in a universe where sequels are planned and produced on a whim, the machinery must function in both directions. Despite a lackluster critical reaction, ‘Bright’ became a fan favorite, as fans scored it significantly higher than reviewers.
Many people streamed it within the first week, signaling to Netflix that a sequel was almost certain.
‘Bright 2’ was launched in September 2017 and is now in the last pre-production phases, with filming set to begin later this year. The following is all we presently know about the sequel.
Bright 2 Release Date
Bright 2 was initially scheduled to begin development in spring 2019; however, that date has been pushed back to suit a new production plan.
Bright 2 has been in development for some time, and Netflix has already published an anime spin-off dubbed Bright: Samurai Soul. Smith’s second film, Fast and Loose, was previously blocked by Netflix.
Netflix secretly rejected the Bright sequel, according to Bloomberg journalist Lucas Shaw. They have not officially canceled Smith’s crime biopic, The Council, although the project may be too far along for them to abandon now.
NatGeo has delayed the start of production on its big Will Smith show following the Slap. But it's still happening.
Netflix has also abandoned plans to make a sequel to Brright, but that is unrelated to the incident.@chrispalmeri https://t.co/rj5T5RNc3y
— Lucas Shaw (@Lucas_Shaw) April 21, 2022
Bright 2 Plot
To director David Ayer and author Max Landis’ credit, the universe that ‘Bright’ creates, and specifically, a contemporary urban circumstance dealing with racism and corruption set against the backdrop of an alternate fantasy world, is largely innovative and noteworthy, one of the few things that kept me engaged throughout the film.
The buddy policeman aspect of it was only a means to an end, which is something I’d like to think.
However, the broad universe it intended to create and the comprehensive social commentary and real-world analogies it wished to draw about its setting looked out of proportion to its scale at the time.
Not to notice the mammoth task of having to introduce a world, its personalities, their possible motives, the different social strata that exist in this fantastical world, including humans, orcs, elves, werewolves, goblins, lizardmen, giants, dwarves, ogres, fairies, and even dragons, rotating a plot around them, and trying to pull them off satisfactorily.
Over half of the species listed in the official synopsis were never acknowledged, much less investigated, in the first film. An astute remark would be that aspects of the first that were unquestionably admirable became the basis of huge criticisms from the bulk of critics, including myself.
One may explain this to a lack of time, but the universe the designers attempted to construct and inhabit in ‘Bright’ would take at least two further sequels to analyze and explore properly.
Despite the original film’s mediocrity, I believe a sequel, even if only as a world-building exercise, was necessary.
Additionally, the magic wands and the Brights who possessed them were significant story elements. Even though they are incredibly rare, we had at least two of them living at the first film’s end, including Will Smith’s Daryl Ward.
The sequel might dig into Ward’s life following his discovery of his Brightness, and it’s also logical to expect that more of Ward and Jakoby’s banter as fellow officers would be included.
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Bright 2 Trailer
Bright 2 has yet to have a trailer, as filming has not yet begun. Check the Bright trailer here: