The French thriller Under Paris 2 has recently shared some positive news about its progress. The film, which features Bérénice Bejo as scientist Sophia trying to thwart a shark attack in the Seine during the Olympics, originally premiered on Netflix in June 2024. It swiftly rose to become the platform’s second highest-viewed non-English film ever, only surpassed by the Norwegian film Troll, attracting 102.3 million viewers and reaching 177.3 million hours watched. A follow-up to the film was confirmed in November 2024, with Xavier Gens returning as director and co-writer, and Bejo reprising her role from the original Under Paris.
In a recent discussion with Variety, Xavier Gens revealed that Under Paris 2 has advanced to the scripting phase, marking significant progress nearly six months after the sequel’s announcement.
Implications for Under Paris 2
Timeline for Production
Despite the positive update, it appears that the premiere of the sequel to the shark thriller Under Paris 2 on Netflix is still a while away. The main delay, which prompted Variety to contact the director, is due to Gens preparing to direct the thriller Lady Chang, set in Thailand and slated for a nine-week filming beginning May 12, secured by Prime Video.
Lady Chang will feature Anais Parello from Under Paris, along with Pascale Arbillot, Anne Marivin, and Franck Dubosc.
Given that production of Lady Chang begins shortly after this announcement, the screenplay for Under Paris 2 is unlikely to be finalized until the completion of that project’s production and well into its post-production, unless Gens delegates the screenplay responsibilities. This could delay the script’s completion until at least late 2025, with production and post-production to follow, potentially pushing the release to late 2026 or later.
Our Perspective on the Under Paris 2 Development
Progress Remains Steady
While fans might have to wait a bit longer for Under Paris 2, the timeline aligns with Netflix’s typical schedule for non-English original successes. Troll followed a similar path, with its sequel Troll 2 announced nine months after the original’s release and commencing production a year later. Despite the potential delays from the Lady Chang project, it’s still feasible that the wait for the shark movie sequel could be shorter than expected.
Ava Thornton is an entertainment journalist with a keen eye for the latest in Hollywood, indie films, and streaming trends.
Her work blends insider knowledge with a deep appreciation for storytelling.
