Cloverfield (franchise)

Cloverfield (2008)

The first film of the series, released in 2008, is a found-footage monster horror film directed by Matt Reeves, produced by J. J. Abrams and Bryan Burk, and written by Drew Goddard. Before settling on an official title, the film was marketed as 01-18-08. The film, which is presented as found footage shot with a home camcorder, follows six people fleeing from a gigantic monster that attacks New York City while they are having a farewell party. The film was well received by critics and grossed over $170 million at the box office against a $25 million budget. 'Cloverfield was first publicized with a two-minute teaser trailer that did not advertise the film's title, only its release date: "01·18·08"; January 18, 2008.^[2] Elements of the viral marketing campaign included MySpace pages created for fictional characters,^[3] unusually intense secrecy over the film's plot, and websites created for fictional companies alluded to in the film.^[4][5]

10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

The second film, released in 2016, is a psychological horror-thriller film directed by Dan Trachtenberg, produced by Abrams and Lindsey Weber, and written by Josh Campbell, Matt Stuecken and Damien Chazelle. The film was developed from a script titled The Cellar, but under production by Bad Robot it was ultimately adapted to be set in the same universe as the first Cloverfield film, thus establishing the grounds for a franchise. The film follows a young woman who is held in an underground bunker with two men who insist that a hostile event has left the surface of the Earth uninhabitable. The film presents the questionable truth of such statements made by the owner of the bunker. The film is presented in a typical third-person narrative, in contrast to its predecessor's found footage style. Critical response was largely positive, and the film grossed over $110 million against a $15 million budget.

The Cloverfield Paradox (2018)

The third film is a science fiction horror film directed by Julius Onah and written by Oren Uziel and Doug Jung, based on Uziel's original spec script God Particle, which originally was wholly unconnected to Cloverfield. Set in 2028, the film follows a team of astronauts who are left stranded in space after they perform a particle accelerator test that causes their vessel, the Cloverfield Station, to travel into an alternate universe, from which they must find their way back. Meanwhile, the test causes other realities to open up on their home Earth, creating supernatural attacks across time.^[6] After the script was purchased by Paramount and Bad Robot, Abrams saw ways to adapt the film to be a centerpiece of the Cloverfield franchise; with the particle accelerator accident, he liked "how something in the future could be an origin for something in the past" to explain the events of the previous films and set up for additional narratives.^[7]

By December 2016, Paramount Pictures, removed God Particle from its schedule, and in its place a Cloverfield IMAX Film was added, to be released on February 2, 2018.^[8] On January 2, 2018 the film's release date was pushed back to April 20, 2018.^[9] The film's title was reported in January 2018 to be Cloverfield Station.^[10] On February 4, 2018, during Super Bowl LII, a TV spot was shown announcing the film's title and a surprise release of the film on Netflix after the game. The film received mostly negative critical reception. Paramount executives stated that handing off the release to Netflix was an easy way to get instant return on the film, and the surprise reveal and release a good way to keep in line with the mysterious mystique in the franchise. This said, they clarified that they still have intentions of having theatrical releases for future films in the series.^[11]

Future

In March 2016, franchise creator and producer J. J. Abrams talked about having come up with an idea of what they could do next with the Cloververse franchise, and that he had an idea which, if they had the chance to make it, "could be [something] really cool that connects some stories".^[12][13] Trachtenberg said he considers the ideas of doing a direct sequel to 10 Cloverfield Lane or another standalone Cloverfield movie as equally valid.

In February 2018, during a Q&A on his social media page, Abrams stated that in mapping out the franchise's overall plot, there is potential for character crossovers in future films. The producer confirmed that the idea of a team-up film starring Michelle and Ava, respectively the two characters played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Gugu Mbatha-Raw, has been discussed and considered during the development of the franchise.^[14]

Although the 2018 film Overlord was widely speculated to be the fourth film in the series during its production, Abrams eventually denied the rumors but confirmed an unrelated fourth Cloverfield film to be in development.^[15] Abrams further described the film as a "true" and "dedicated" sequel to the first film, and confirmed that it would be theatrically released.^[16]

Cloverfield

Clover is the production name given to the giant monster that attacks New York the same night the main characters throw a going-away party for their friend Rob. Clover is the main antagonist of the film. Various members of the filmmaking crew referred to the monster as "Clover" throughout the special features of the Cloverfield DVD. Additionally, actor Michael Stahl-David reported that the monster was referred to as "Clover" prior to the movie's release.^[17]

While rescuing Beth, Hud gives various theories on where the monster may have come from — which included being from the ocean, from outer space, or created by the government. The monster killed Jason when he smashed the Brooklyn Bridge with his tail and later killed Hud by biting him in half. The parasites that drop off its body during his rampage also bite Marlena, who later dies gruesomely as a result.

Seemingly, according to the tie-in manga Cloverfield/Kishin, and hinted at slightly by the viral marketing websites, a Japanese oil-drilling company known as Tagruato (of which Slusho!, where Rob was supposed to work, is a subsidiary company) captured the monster for unknown reasons. In the manga, the monster has some kind of biological connection to Kishin Aiba, the main character, due to a result of tampering and experimentation of their cells. Kishin Aiba is able to control the monster without it harming him, thinking that the child is its kin or brethren.

Marlena Diamond (played by Lizzy Caplan), 26, is good friends with Lily, and, during Rob's going-away party, is seen mostly avoiding Hud during the party while he tries unsuccessfully to flirt with her. She is bitten and killed by one of the monster's parasites.

In spite of not being initially told the premise of the film, Lizzy Caplan stated that she accepted a role in Cloverfield solely because she was a fan of the Abrams-produced television series Lost (in which her former Related co-star Kiele Sanchez was a recurring character), and her experience of discovering its true nature eventually caused her to state that she would not sign on for a film in the future "without knowing full well what it is." She indicated that her character was a "sarcastic outsider," and that her role was "physically demanding."^[18]

Lily Ford (played by Jessica Lucas), 27, is friends of Beth and Marlena and the girlfriend of Jason. In the film, she suggested to Jason that they should throw a farewell party for his brother, Rob, before his departure to Japan to accept a new job. During the evacuation of Manhattan, Lily is put on a different helicopter from the rest of the group, but her overall fate is left unknown.

Hudson "Hud" Platt (played by T. J. Miller), 27, was Rob's best friend and inadvertently filmed nearly the entire attack by the monster.^[19] Hud, much like T. J. Miller in real life, is the comedian of the group, and often provides comic relief throughout most of the film.^[20] During the evacuation of Manhattan, the monster attacks the helicopter he, Beth and Rob were in, causing it to crash. The next morning, he is killed by the monster.

Hud himself was also originally to have survived, but producer J. J. Abrams suggested having him getting eaten by the monster, allowing the audience to vicariously experience this. The scene was then planned as having Hud be eaten instantly after turning around, but it was decided that the audience deserved a clearer look at the monster, which resulted in the longer shot with the monster leaning down to inspect Hud before biting and killing him.^[21] According to the "Special Investigation Mode" on the Cloverfield Blu-ray release, Hud was "posthumously awarded for his brave work in documenting and providing the Department with rare close-up details of Cloverfield events."^[22]

Robert "Rob" Hawkins (played by Michael Stahl-David), 27, is the protagonist of the film. During the evacuation of Manhattan, the monster attacks the helicopter he, Beth and Rob were in, causing it to crash. His ultimate fate is unknown.

Jason Hawkins (played by Mike Vogel), 28, was Rob's older brother and boyfriend of Lily. He is killed when the monster attacks the Brooklyn Bridge during evacuation of Manhattan.

Elizabeth "Beth" McIntyre (played by Odette Annable), 23, is the long-time platonic friend of Rob Hawkins. After a heated argument between Beth and Rob during his farewell party, she and a friend Travis leave the party. Upon the monster's arrival, however, she becomes trapped in her father's apartment during the onslaught. After Rob, Hudson, and Lily rescue her, she, along with Rob and Hud, board a helicopter that is treated to a bird's eye view of the assault on the monster, but is attacked in the process. She survives the monster attack and crash. After the death of Hud, she and Rob take cover under a nearby bridge and make a final recording, dedicating it to profession of love towards each other and letting whoever watches the video know who they are, and what happened. The bridge is then destroyed by the bombs on the final trump card used in the attempt to kill the monster. Her ultimate fate is unknown.

Ganu Yoshida is the C.E.O. of Tagruato. He was attacked in New York City by a group that he suspects is T.I.D.O. Wave weeks after the Chuai Station sank in the Atlantic and just before the monster attacked.

Jenn and Antonio (played by Margot Farley and Theo Rossi) are close friends of Rob Hawkins. Jenn and her boyfriend Antonio are seen frequently through the party, showing that both are close friends with Hud as well. They are both last seen in the streets soon after Jason made the decision to cross the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan. Their ultimate fate remains unknown.

Charlie (played by comedian Brian Klugman) first appeared prominently in the teaser trailer; towards the beginning of the trailer he directs the comment "You owe me eleven dollars," to Rob. Charlie again appears at the very end of the trailer, stating "This is going to be the best night ever!", which is not seen in the film. He also appears in the extended theatrical trailer, though briefly, and is only visible during the short party scene at the beginning. He is not seen again for the rest of the film and his ultimate fate is unknown.

Travis Marello (played by Ben Feldman) is Beth's new boyfriend. He was seen in the party with Beth which upset Rob. According to the Special Investigation Mode on the Cloverfield Blu-ray release, Travis drove home to New Jersey before the end of the party and survived the attack.

Sergeant Pryce helps the group by allowing them to go search for Beth and afterwards escorting them to a chopper. He is last seen entering a departing Humvee as the monster attacks the evacuation site. His fate is unknown.

Heather (played by Liza Lapira) was a girl at the party and a close friend of Lily. She is seen multiple times during the party. Heather is then seen in the streets after the monster rampages down the street where Rob, Hud, Lily, Marlena, Jason and the other party guests and people in the buildings were standing watching the destruction. Her ultimate fate is unknown

Cloverfield/Kishin

Kishin Aiba is a troubled boy, who had been repeatedly tormented by a couple of bullies in a public restroom within their school. Although he was saved from humiliation by a girl named Aiko Sasahara, they continue their activities with him and decided to leave him within the confines of an emergency safety house. He had a long history of being bullied due to his mother being "strange", and along with her, he was badly ridiculed for this. When his mother died, he was so stricken with grief that even into his teens, he wished he had died with her. His emotional torment continues, and which at the same time the monster begins to come to surface within Tagruato's oceans. He later escapes the school grounds with Aiko's help to his house after seeing news coverage about the monster. Here, the two bond together while on their way to Kishin's apartment to seek shelter, only to stumble across an unknown cult bent on using him for a dark purpose tied to the monster.

Unlike his mother, Kishin and his father are not on good terms, as seen in some panels. Medical records seen at his father's room, along with the cult tracking him down, heavily implies that Kishin is part of a series of experiments with an item revered by the cult, that ties him to the monster itself. In the third chapter, it is seen that his system has been mixed with the monster's own stimuli made into a tiny organ called the Splinter of Amnion to allow him to control it without him falling to its wrath. Kishin's father confirms this as an act of sabotage by his mother, whereby she used Kishin as a vessel under the cult's orders, but dies by Tagruato's hands.

Kishin succumbs to madness due to the betrayal of his mother and now uses the monster to cause more destruction. He is able to control the monster without it harming him, it thinking that the child is its kin or brethren. In the final chapter, with the help of Aiko, Kishin gains his sanity back, learns to value the life of others and his own and faces the monster, where it removes the Splinter of Amnion from his system to its own, but it cannot feed on the emotions Kishin has laced it with, it leaves Kishin in the seas of Japan where he is rescued by Aiko and the bullies. The manga ends as they embrace, having finally found the one thing he cares for in his life.

Yoko Aiba is the mother of Kishin. According to the manga she was ostracized by the children and the adults due to her eccentric nature, which is later revealed that she was part of the cult that worshiped the monster. She is deeply attached to her son, comforting him at his troubled times. She doesn't care for her well-being so as long as her son believes in her. She dies due to being targeted by Tagruato, leaving her son alone and in emotional pain for most of his life after that. During her time with Kishin's father, She obtained the device that could transmit and control the monster. She placed this biological device within Kishin so he may be able to control the monster.

Aiko Sasahara is Kishin Aiba's classmate. She keeps an uptight attitude and is optimistic despite her troubled past with her parents. Her father died two years prior to the story and her mother is an abusive drunk who exploits her husband's finances over their daughter's well-being, she is determined to live her life on her own terms, she has a deep fear for rodents/mice, as seen in the recent chapter. She escapes the school with Kishin after hearing a report on the monster's rampage on the coastlines of Japan, she bonds with Kishin by discussing his personal conflicts to one of Slusho!'s stars promoting the drink, Yuki. They arrive at Kishin's residence where two unknown men from a cult comes looking for Kishin, she tries to seek help but to no avail and is last seen being escorted to a shelter by the cult's underlings, but her mind is still set on saving Kishin. She is thrown out of the shelter by the very same group that bullies Kishin and is last seen fighting off the parasites before coming to view Kishin and the monster causing destruction in Japan. Unlike Kishin, she has good physical prowess and can fight if needed be, even able to defeat a parasite with no bites or injuries. She and Kishin has a fan following for one of the popstars promoting the product Slusho! from Tagruato named Yuki. Her role is greatly expanded in the final chapter, she helps bring Kishin's sanity back by confessing her feelings to him. She, Kishin and the bullies hold off the parasites while Kishin leaves to deal with the monster. The monster, unable to feed on the stimuli on Kishin's emotions due to his love for Aiko, leaves him in the seas of Japan, where she and the bullies rescue him while it retreats back to the oceans. The manga ends with Kishin and Aiko in embrace at the wake of the disaster.

Kurosaki is a sailor unknowingly escorting the monster in one of Tagruato's ships. He was a father-to-be and loves to show off pictures of his wife and unborn child to his fellow unit, much to their chagrin. However, he longs to return home to see his family again. When the monster escapes Tagruato's grasp, he and his unit attempt to fight off the beast whilst waiting for backup, only to fail miserably. He gives the last transmission for airstrike and laments his death while musing at his wife's picture before the monster claws its way into the ship's hull, devouring him. Due to his bleached hair, many assumed before his name was revealed that he was an American sailor. This is not the case as his name was mentioned in the second chapter. Before his death, it was heavily implied that he and his unit did not know of the monster's existence until the attack, despite being briefed with the mission being regarded as classified.

Mr. Aiba is Kishin's father and husband of Mrs. Aiba. He is revealed to be head of research of Tagruato's industries and has connections to the Slusho! drink. He is callous and cares little for his son, and therefore the two are not on good terms. He is found to be the scientist in earlier chapters and saves Kishin from being killed by the cult. He reveals to Kishin his true purpose and his tie to the monster, and attempts to destroy him before the monster can get to Kishin. His attempts fail after the monster shields Kishin from harm. Mr. Aiba is the researcher and founder of the Splinter of Amnion, a biological orb that controls the monster.

Three unnamed individuals bully Kishin, putting him down due to the eccentricity of his mother. Kishin, with the help of Aiko, evades them on the second chapter. They take deep pleasure in tormenting Kishin as evidenced throughout the manga. They are seen again in the shelter where the parasites rush into the city and purge its citizens. They play a large role in the final chapter with Kishin and Aiko, when one begs to be spared and is saved only by Aiko's intervention. With Aiko's help, they hold the parasites off until Kishin stops the monster.

Yuki is a famous popstar in the Cloverfield universe. He is first introduced in the second chapter promoting the Slusho! drink. Aiko Sasahara admires Yuki's performances and was surprised that Kishin has some connections to him.

The Cult are a mysterious worshiping fanatics who abduct Kishin and wish to use him in some unknown experiments. Their goal is to make Kishin a vessel to control the monster to purify Japan, which they believe has been tainted by human society. They also worship the creature itself, implying they know of its existence long before Tagruato or the Japanese government. Most are killed by Kishin's father. Kishin's mother is affiliated with the cult prior to conceiving him and entered a relationship with one of Tagruato's staff.

10 Cloverfield Lane

Michelle (played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is a young woman who leaves New Orleans and drives through rural Louisiana after an argument with her fiancé Ben that ends with her ending their relationship. Late at night, she turns on the radio only to hear that there were continuous blackouts in major cities. Distracted by a call from Ben, Michelle gets into an accident and is rendered unconscious. She wakes up in a concrete room chained to a wall, and is approached by a man named Howard, who explains that an unknown attack has taken place and that he brought her to his bunker after finding her on the side of the road. Michelle struggles with accepting the idea that some type of war has left the Earth uninhabitable and fights to know the truth of what is really going on.

Howard Stambler (played by John Goodman) is a man who brings Michelle to an underground bunker following her car accident, deciding to save her from an unknown attack that has taken place and that left the surface inhabitable. His motives and the truth of what is occurring on the surface seem to be mysterious to Michelle upon her arrival. A viral marketing site used to promote the film states that Howard was Tagruato Corporation 's Employee of the Month in February 2016.^[23] Stambler is later shown to be mentally unstable, and kills Emmett. During Michelle's escape attempt she kicks over a barrel of perchloric acid, which causes an electrical fire that kills Stambler.

Emmett DeWitt (played by John Gallagher, Jr) is another survivor who witnessed the attack and fled to Howard's bunker. He helped build the bunker for Howard and confirms to Michelle that something dangerous and deadly is taking place at the surface. Howard later shoots Emmett in the face for wanting to construct a weapon, though he was really covering for Michelle. Michelle later finds his corpse dissolving in perchloric acid.

Ben (voiced by Bradley Cooper) is Michelle's ex-fiancé. Michelle abruptly breaks up with Ben at the start of the film after an argument and leaves town, leading to her car accident with Howard.

Leslie (played by Suzanne Cryer) is Howard's neighbour who begs to be let into the bunker when Michelle is trying to escape. After noticing that she is suffering from severe skin lesions, Michelle realizes the air may not be safe and Leslie dies.

Box office performance

Critical response