Jeremy Renner’s Best Movie Is Getting A Sequel, But He Is Being Replaced?
Jeremy Renner was the star of Wind River, but he won't return for the confirmed sequel.
A sequel to 2017’s Wind River is currently in development, with Jason Clarke, Scott Eastwood, and Chaske Spencer joining the cast. Kari Skogland will direct the project from a script by Patrick Massett and John Zinman. Martin Sensmeier will reprise his role as Chip Hanson, while stars of the original movie, Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen, are not involved.
Written and directed by Taylor Sheridan, Wind River follows wildlife officer Cory Lambert (Jeremy Renner), who discovers the body of an 18-year-old woman on a Native American reservation in Wyoming. When an autopsy reveals that she was raped, FBI agent Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen) arrives to help with the investigation.
The pair eventually finds themselves in danger as the mystery surrounding the Wind River murder takes a dark turn. The movie received positive reviews from viewers and critics, earning $45 million against a budget of $11 million. Although Sheridan wrote the story to raise awareness about the number of Indigenous women who are raped and murdered, the film was criticized in later years.
The biggest issue that bothered some folks was that a Caucasian man with no fundamental understanding of Native American culture told the Wind River story. Others were uncomfortable with how the filmmaker portrays Indigenous characters in his other projects, like Yellowstone and its spinoffs, citing sensationalized on-screen violence against Native women.
Still, Wind River: The Next Chapter follows a similar story. After several unsolved ritualistic murders, terror escalates on the infamous reservation. When the FBI enlists Chip Hanson to help, the fish and game tracker finds himself caught in a desperate, dangerous fight between law enforcement, vigilante justice, and the place he calls home.
Wind River: The Next Chapter is produced by Matthew George for Acacia Filmed Entertainment and Castle Rock Entertainment. Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee also produce for Thunder Road Pictures. Executive producer credits include Rob Reiner, Michele Reiner, Derrick Rossi, Jonathan Fuhrman, Courtney Shepard, and Hernan Narea, The Hollywood Reporter says.
However, details regarding the roles the new cast members will play in the Wind River sequel have yet to be revealed. Scoot Eastwood recently starred alongside Charlie Day, Jenny Slate, and Gina Rodriguez I Want You Back for Amazon. He will also appear in Fast X and the Los Angeles riots drama April 29, 1992.
Before Wind River: The Next Chapter, Chaske Spencer’s acting credits include the Western miniseries The English, where he starred opposite Emily Blunt. He also starred in Independent Spirit Award-nominated crime drama Wild Indian alongside Michael Greyeyes, Jesse Eisenberg, and Kate Bosworth. He has also appeared on Jessica Jones and is set to start in the Disney+ series Echo.
Jason Clarke currently stars in the HBO series Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty as Jerry West. He also appeared opposite Helen Mirren in Catherine the Great. The actor will next be seen in the Christopher Nolan-directed Oppenheimer, which is set for release on July 21st. Along with Wind River: The Next Chapter, his other credits include First Man, Zero Dark Thirty, Everest, and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.
