John Cho's 2018 film, Searching, is getting a sequel, but don't expect a retread of the twisty techie thriller.
"The story will NOT follow the same characters or plot line as the original," director Aneesh Chaganty wrote on Twitter on Wednesday. "We all see this second installment as a wonderful opportunity to tell another original tech-driven thriller. With all due respect to Taken, this is not Taken."
Hey all! Some clarity: the story will NOT follow the same characters or plot line as the original. We all see this second installment as a wonderful opportunity to tell another original tech-driven thriller. With all due respect to Taken, this is not Taken.
— Aneesh Chaganty (@aneeshchaganty) August 14, 2019
Searching had a novel twist: The entire film plays out via screens, whether laptop searches, FaceTime phone calls and more. Cho plays a father whose teen daughter has gone missing, and who must try to draw clues from the internet, social media and other platforms to find her. Our review called it a "smart suspenseful movie dealing with the internet in a clever, funny way."
The sequel's plot hasn't been revealed, but Slash Film says that Cho won't be returning, and the director seemed to confirm the focus on new characters and cast members.
"Most importantly, we see this as an opportunity to tell another original, tech-driven thriller," Chaganty said in another tweet Wednesday. "If we can do that AND help bring new faces/voices to the industry, bonus points."
Deadline called the original Searching "the bargain of 2018 Sundance." The thriller cost just $5 million and grossed $75 million worldwide, the site reported.
