For those of you who went and saw Upgrade this past weekend, you already know what an amazing movie it was. It had the right blend of action, horror, violence, drama, and humor for almost anyone to like. If you’re into those sorts of things, that is. If you’re a movie fan – why wouldn’t you be? Leigh Whannell should truly be proud of his creation. When talking about a sequel to the film before its release, Whannell didn’t seem too optimistic, however.
While speaking to THR, he said:
“Is there going to be a sequel?’ All I’ll say is this: In light of what I’m hearing trackingwise, no. There’s not going to be a sequel. Cinematic releases are getting into an interesting space where the only movies that make money are giant tentpole superhero movies, or low-budget horror movies like Get Out and A Quiet Place. I have a quote from a producer that I’ll leave nameless, actually saying to me, ‘Leigh, you are making an action movie for a low budget. Don’t expect it to do well.’ “
While the film’s actual budget hasn’t been revealed, it’s speculated that it’s in the $3-5 million range. The film’s box office this past weekend wasn’t bad given the limited release and small marketing, as it managed to make $4.6 million on 1,457 theaters. If that budget range is accurate, it could actually end up breaking even or making a small profit.
When Whannell was asked by Forbes yesterday about a sequel, and whether or not he had any ideas, he said:
“If I’ve ever flirted with the idea in my mind I try to push it out, purely as a holistic exercise in self-preservation. I don’t want to get excited about a sequel idea to then only have it ripped away from me by the damning force of reality. Upgrade is an independent film, it’s being given a limited release in 1,500 theaters, we don’t have a huge advertising budget and there’s not the expectation of this being a giant hit.
In that mindset, I’m not even entertaining the thought of a sequel right now. I’m happy that the film has been received well by critics and by the people who have seen it but the champagne will stay on ice for the time being.”
He did seem pleased with the reaction the film is getting, however:
“I’ve seen the reaction from critics, it’s been great to see the audiences that have seen the film around to the country reacting to the movie that way that I hoped they would and it’s gratifying. When you make a film you essentially make a bet, a Vegas bet, the world is going to care about some imaginary stories that you conjured out of nothing. To stand back and look at it, that’s a pretty foolish bet to make because what are the chances that anyone in the world is going to care?
It almost takes a foolish person to get ahead in this industry because you have to have that fool hearted belief. It is nice to be validated by audiences and have people come up to you after a screening and tell you that they loved the movie. It never gets old.”
If you haven’t seen it yet, you definitely should get out and go watch it. It currently sports a very high rating on Rotten Tomatoes, as critics everywhere are universally praising the film. It’s unique, and should be experienced in the theater. It’s almost certainly going to gain a cult following, just like 2012’s Dredd eventually did – which Upgrade reminds me of a lot.
Honestly, though, I thought the ending of the film was perfect the way it was. If there’s no sequel, that might end up being better. After all, Whannell wrote Saw, and that’s a movie that honestly probably would have been better off with out a sequel, looking back on it. I mean – after the first one, did we really need 30 more films re-hashing the same shit? No, I don’t think we did.
Upgrade is currently playing in select cities across the United States.
What do you think of this? Would you like to see a sequel to Upgrade? Do you think it would work with the film’s shocking ending? Be sure to tell us your thoughts in the comments down below!