In 2017,Netflixreleased a movie calledBrightfeaturingWill Smithand Joel Edgerton. The film hailed from Suicide Director David Ayer, and featured a stellar cast that included the likes of Noomi Rapace and Edgar Ramirez. The movie seemed to have everything going for it, with then-in-demand writer Max Landis having even penned the screenplay. In December of that year,Netflixofficially ordered a sequel for the movie from Ayer, with Smith and Edgerton confirmed to return. Unfortunately, though, that movie never came to fruition.
So, what exactly happened toBright 2? Unlike most sequels, which tend to be canceled due to low ratings or profits,Bright 2 suffered a much different fate. One that ultimately came down to the actions of the film’s leading man, Smith. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at what could have been withBright 2, and why Netflix decided to ultimately pull the plug on the project before it entered production.
What went wrong with Netflix’s Bright?
Netflix’sBrightwas David Ayer’s first film after the poorly-receivedSuicide Squadmovie the director worked on with Smith. That movie, which Ayer has confirmed wasthe result of studio interference, was an unfortunate blimp on an otherwise promising director’s resume. Prior to the film, Ayer had proven his abilities with films likeFuryandEnd of Watch, which is why fans were excited when the director signed on to directBrightfor Netflix. The movie, which reunited Ayer and Smith, had the director’s usual grit and featured law enforcement once again - but this time, it also included orcs, elves, and fairies. The movie had a rather simple premise. Smith and Edgerton had to learn to work together to keep a thought-to-be-forgotten relic - a wand - from falling into the hands of the wrong party. Otherwise, the world as they had known it could be destroyed. Sadly, both critics and fans alike felt the movie was a misfire as it tried - and failed - to provide social commentary while also serving as a fantasy movie and a cop drama.Brightwent on to earn a 26% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which is far from admirable, but was still able to impress with massive viewership numbers for the streaming service.
The film’s biggest downfall, however, came after the film was released. Following a tweet by Netflix to promote the movie,one actress cameforward with allegations against the film’s writer, Landis, claiming he had abused and assaulted various victims. The allegations ultimately overshadowed the film, and as more information began to come out concerning the writer,Brightfound itself buried beneath the concerning claims.
Reasons for the Delay or Cancelation of Bright 2
When Netflix ordered the sequel toBrightin late 2023, things were already looking bad for the project. By this point, Landis' career was all but stalled after the allegations made about him duringBright’s rollout. This, of course, led to the streaming service initially hiring Ayer and Evan Spiliotopoulos, who is best known for penning Disney’slive-action take onBeauty and the Beast, to write the screenplay forBright 2.Everything seemed to be on track for the movie, although a timeline for production had yet to be confirmed. Then, in 2022, Will Smith caused plenty of controversy himself when he took to the stage at the Academy Awards toslap host Chris Rockfor a joke concerning his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. This caused various studios and films to part ways with the actor. Some films simply removed the actor from the project, while other films, likeBright 2, were completely axedin the wake of Smith’s actions. Since the incident, Smith has slowly worked his way back to the top, having recently appeared inEmancipationandBad Boys: Ride or Die. Next up for the actor isthe sequel toI Am Legend, which he will star in alongside Michael B. Jordan.
As it stands,Bright 2is still canceled, and it seems unlikely Netflix will reverse that decision anytime soon. Since the first movie premiered, the streaming service has undergone massive leadership changes, and has suffered from the strikes and COVID, much like the rest of Hollywood. This has seemingly resulted in a tighter focus on the content being put out by Netflix. It’s also worth noting that it’s not clear how far Ayer and Spiliotopoulos had made it with the screenplay forBright 2, as the sequel seemed to have been in stuck in development for years before Smith’s actions impacted it. It’s entirely possible the project was a mess beforehand, and was on the verge of being axed prior to Smith’s actions at the Academy Awards. Either way, no one seems too upset overthe loss of aBrightsequel, and that’s probably for the best.
Brightis currently streaming exclusively on Netflix. There’s also an anime movie inspired byBrightthat is available on Netflix, titledBright: Samurai Soul, available to watch now.
