Netflix: No one understood this fantastic film that could have become a saga

Alex Garland quickly established himself as one of the science fiction directors to watch closely. After the acclaimed Ex Machina in 2014, it was expected to turn the tide. With Annihilation , four years later, it could hit the big time: psychological horror and hard science fiction, all based on Jeff VanderMeer’s 2014 debut novel of the same name. The mystery was thick, the visuals stunning and intriguing – and Natalie Portman on screen. Moreover, what could become a franchise had all the promise. But considered too difficult, it was not successful.

In DestructionLena, a biologist and ex-soldier, takes part in a mission to find out what happened to her husband in the quarantine zone, where a mysterious and terrifying phenomenon is spreading along the American coast. After the members of the expedition discover that the landscapes and animals have undergone mutations and despite the beauty of the place, danger reigns and threatens their lives as well as their mental integrity.

Starring Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, and Oscar Isaac, the film has received positive reviews, calling it an incredibly ambitious project. According to Empire magazine, he addresses “Depression, grief and the human tendency to self-destruction”: complex topics that provoke real reflection in society.

However, the feature film lost everything at the box office: it earned only $43 million worldwide (where it was released in only a few territories) against an estimated budget of $40 million…

The first part of a trilogy? Not for Alex Garland!

However, the film’s poor performance at the box office was not the reason Destruction In the end it did not become a franchise. Apparently the director said no. The film is actually an adaptation of the first volume of the trilogy South Rapart from Jeff VanderMeer. A literary saga begins Destruction And continues the volumes Authority and reception.

“I don’t mind anyone doing it, but I don’t care for the idea of ​​a sequel“, he said Alex Garland During an IndieWire discussion to celebrate the film’s Blu-ray release in 2018.I feel like we made this movie and this is the movie that we made.“

The filmmaker continued:When the project is done, I’m done. I instantly start moving forward, so I don’t even think about continuing Annihilation. Throughout the film, I was very clear with everyone, from the studio to the cast, that I didn’t really see it as part of the franchise. My goal was to make this film and do the best job I could.“

“I didn’t even envision this as the beginning of a trilogy. Sequels just aren’t what I’m interested in. It’s like when you don’t like steak, you don’t decide not to eat steak, you just don’t. I just don’t do sequels– he concluded at last. Then the director moved on to something else, like the excellent sci-fi series Devs (2020) or the horror drama Men (2022).

However, the studio could have hired one or more directors and completed the trilogy, but the failure at the box office certainly stopped them. However, it would be interesting to see what other directors could bring to this strange literary saga. Unfortunately, we will remain hungry.

Destruction can be (re)discovered in Netflix streaming.