‘Cloverfield’ Crossover Briefly Considered By J.J. Abrams; Other Secrets Revealed
Just in case you’re not burned out onCloverfieldnews, here’s something new. Bad Robot big cheeseJ.J. Abramstook part in a Facebook Q&A forThe Cloverfield Projectand revealed that he once considered aCloverfieldcrossover that would tie all the movies together and reunite past characters.
One of my favorite things about theCloverfieldfranchise is that (for the most part) the films aren’t directly connected. The way I see it,Cloverfieldis a brand name used to distribute supernatural/sci-fi-type stories, sort of like feature-length versions ofThe Twilight Zone. In other words, I don’t need these films to be direct sequels to each other; I’d personally prefer if all theCloverfieldfilms remained completely separate.
The Cloverfield Crossover
Cloverfieldfranchise producer J.J. Abrams, however, may think otherwise. During a recentFacebook Q&A(viaScreenRant) aboutThe Cloverfield Paradox, Abrams revealed aCloverfieldcrossover film was considered. Per Abrams, the crossover idea was little more than a “what if” scenario. Specifically, the question was asked, “What ifMary Elizabeth Winstead’s character from10 Cloverfield LanemetGugu Mbatha-Raw’s character fromThe Cloverfield Paradox?":
While Winstead and Mbatha-Raw are both great actresses and I’d love to see them work together in some capacity, I’m glad this idea never got off the ground. TheCloverfieldfranchise works better if the stories stand alone (save for a fewconnecting Easter Eggshere and there). You may think otherwise, but (spoilersforThe Cloverfield Paradoxfollow)The Cloverfield Paradoxall but confirms that this franchise was never meant to crossover.
Paradoxfeatures a direct connection to the firstCloverfield, going so far as to reveal how the original Cloverfield monster was created. This is presented in the laziest, most lackluster way imaginable. Removing this connection completely would’ve definitely helped improve the film. It would be wise if Bad Robot put this crossover idea to bed for good.
Cloverfield Paradox Secrets, Revealed
During the same Q&A, Abrams,Cloverfield ParadoxdirectorJulius Onahand starsDavid OyelowoandRoger Daviesrevealed some background information aboutThe Cloverfield Paradox. Abrams confirms (viaThe Verge) what we already knew:The Cloverfield Paradoxstarted off as a script calledGod Particle, and Abrams and company came in to make several substantial edits to turn it into aCloverfieldfilm:
“[W]e started to think, ‘What are ways that this might fit into the world?’ But when we started shooting the movie, it was still something we were thinking about. Because the idea for theCloverfieldseries was not so much that it be this narrative throughline, but more that they be these really fun sort of thrill rides. Like, if you imagine an amusement park, that’s a Cloverfield amusement park, and every ride has a different purpose, but they all connect in some way or another.”
This is a pretty good take on the franchise as a whole, and I wish Abrams and company had stuck with it before they inserted the direct connections to the firstCloverfield. Abrams confirmed the film’s earth scenes – the most pointless scenes in the film – were added thanks to test audiences. After viewing an early cut of the film, test audiences wanted to know what was happening on earth.
Let this be a lesson to you, filmmakers: don’t always listen to test audiences.
