Gerard Butler Anticipated Sequel Finally Happening After Years In Development
Gerard Butler’s 2020 disaster film Greenland was an unexpected hit for the actor and now the sequel is officially entering production in April. The new sequel, titled Greenland: Migration, will see Ric Roman Waugh returning to the director’s chair and Chris Sparling returning to pen the script. Morena Baccarin is also set to return as Butler’s co-star.
Greenland Is Getting A Sequel
Greenland starred Gerard Butler as John Garrity, a structural engineer who gets separated from his wife Allison (Baccarin) and son Nathan (Roger Dale Floyd) when a comet threatens Earth. The film follows the three attempting to reunite amidst the disaster. Roger Dale Floyd is also set to return for the sequel, and Mitchell Lafortune will join the team as a co-writer with Sparling.
After The Apocalypse
The sequel to Gerard Butler’s Greenland will take place in the wake of the extinction event, as John and his family must seek out a new home in post-apocalyptic Europe. The first film was originally going to get a theatrical release but was delayed multiple times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Eventually, it did get released during the pandemic, albeit through video on demand.
A Pandemic Era Hit
Eventually, Gerard Butler’s Greeland got a theatrical release in other territories and surprisingly managed to bring in $50 million at the box office while also attracting impressive streaming numbers on HBO Max and Amazon Prime. The movie got mostly positive reviews and was made on a relatively small production budget of $35 million, making the film a success, all things considered. The sequel got the green light fairly quickly but entered development hell almost immediately after.
The Sequel Was Tied Up In Red Tape
The long wait for Gerard Butler’s Greenland sequel was primarily due to STX Entertainment, a co-producer on the first film, being put up for sale. STX Entertainment reportedly acquired the domestic and international rights to Greenland 2 for $75 million. However, STX would put the film in bankruptcy protection a year later while searching for a buyer for the company.
Surviving Bankruptcy
STX Entertainment was acquired by Najafi Companies in 2022, and the film was reportedly put in bankruptcy protection to prevent the other co-producer, Anton, from taking the Greenland sequel to the next step without STX. Fortunately, all of these messy details got ironed out, and now Gerard Butler, Morena Baccarin, and Roger Dale Floyd will be back for more disaster action. Hopefully, production of the sequel will be fast-tracked, and we will get a release date sooner rather than later.
Gerard Butler Isn’t Just The Star
Along with starring in Greenland: Migration, Gerard Butler will also be on board as a producer through his G-BASE banner. Thunder Road Pictures and CineMachine will also be producing the film, with Robert Simonds, Noah Fogelson, and Sam Brown executive producing for STX Entertainment. Ric Roman Waugh and Chris Sparling are also both on board as executive producers.
Butler Is Appearing Next In Another Sequel
While we may have to wait a little while to see Gerard Butler in Greenland: Migration, fans can look forward to seeing the actor in two projects in 2024. Butler is set to appear in both Den of Thieves 2: Pantera and Ark: The Animated Series. In 2025, Butler will be reprising his role as Stoick in the live-action adaptation of How to Train Your Dragon.
