The author behind the Bird Box novel that inspired the Netflix movie of the same name reveals that the book will get a sequel. Bird Box became a cultural phenomenon when it released on Netflix in late 2018. Although the movie received little marketing before its release, it went on to inspire a series of memes and wild fan theories, as well as a series of dangerous Bird Box challenges.
The story of Bird Box is simple enough as it follows a woman, Malorie (Sandra Bullock), who must travel down a river with two children, Boy and Girl, while blindfolded to avoid mysterious monsters that when seen, cause people to commit suicide. Through a series of flashbacks, viewers learn about how this terrifying world came to be, although the movie never went so far as to show what the monsters look like. Bird Box became a massive hit for Netflix; the company claimed over 45 million people watched it during the first week it was on the streaming subscription service. The film also became a social media phenomenon with people discussing it months after its release.
Now, the novel that the movie was based on is getting a sequel. Esquire spoke to Bird Box author Josh Malerman, who offered up some details about what the new book, Malorie, would entail. Malorie will be released Oct. 1. Given its title, it’s no secret that the focus is on the main character from the first film. Malerman said:
One thing to note about the Bird Box novel is that the ending is different from the one in the Netflix movie. The film’s conclusion proved a little more hopeful than the original, but the director of the movie continues to defend making that choice. That means that any Bird Box sequel could end up being a little different from Malerman’s new novel. Considering how popular the movie was, a sequel is not entirely out of the question.
“In the time between Bird Box coming out and the time since I’ve been writing Malorie, I’ve been asked a ton of times: people want to know what happened with Boy and Girl. But as much as I care about Boy and Girl, this isn’t their story. The Bird Box world is Malorie’s story, and I wanted to know more about her. I wanted to get to know her even better.”
The Bird Box movie was not without its controversy, though. Netflix chose to include some footage in the film from a real-life train crash that happened in Canada in 2013 that killed 47 people. Netflix eventually decided to remove that footage and replace it with something else. However, that hasn’t stopped Bird Box from being one of the most popular movies created by the streaming subscription service, and it won’t stop a sequel, should the company decide upon it. In the meantime, fans can find out what happens next when Malorie hits bookstores in October.
More: Bird Box’s Ending & Monsters Explained
Source: Esquire
