The Adam Projectwas, according toCBR, originally planned as an action movie that would star Tom Cruise in the leading role. However, in 2020, Netflix picked up the project that instead starred Ryan Reynolds as Adam Reed and was directed by Shawn Levy. Now thefourth most-watched movie on Netflix,The Adam Projectsees the titular Adam going back in time to stop time travel from ever being invented as a result of the corruption and catastrophe it has inadvertently caused in the future.
After the success ofThe Adam Project, fans began speculating the possibility of a sequel, and with thehuge success of the film, it seems inevitable that Netflix and the movie’s creators might be considering the same. However,The Adam Projectfeatured a definitive end to the overall conflict, so the question remains: could a sequel even happen?
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How The Adam Project Ended
Unfortunately, the ending ofThe Adam Projectdid not leave much room for the possibility of a potential sequel, so most ideas around this are merely speculation. The ending of Shawn Levy’s Netflix movie wraps up the main plots of the story quite well — Adam was successful in stopping the invention of time travel, and the future timeline he lives in appeared to be free of a need for fighter pilots — so there doesn’t seem to be an obvious way for the story to pick up. This does not mean, of course, that a sequel can be immediately ruled out of the question, as we have seen many movies which look to have been wrapped up after the first film and then a sequel is later picked up due to strong performance or fan demand.
Could a Sequel Happen?
If the sequel were to happen, it’s likely that fans and whoever was involved with the project would be gunning for Reynolds to return, since hischaracter was so centralto the plot. It’s also likely that audiences would want Walker Scobell, who was recently announced as thenew Percy Jackson, to return as the young Adam Reed. Jennifer Garner and Zoe Saldana also featured in prominent roles, and it would make sense for them to return as well.
That being said, Netflix and Levy would be hard-pressed to find a viable story about time travel since, by the end ofThe Adam Project, time travel no longer exists. As it stands, forcing a sequel to happen would essentially be seen as the studio’s desire to capitalize on the success and popularity achieved byThe Adam Project. This, of course, wouldn’t be the first time a studio has done this, but what happens more often than not is a sequel becoming a disappointment to fans of the original. That being said,Shawn Levy’s movieshave all proven to be original, thoughtful, and engaging, so, if a sequel were to happen with Levy, there would be no doubt that the creative mind behindFree GuyandReal Steelwould be able to conjure up a refreshing way to visit the world created byThe Adam Project.
Related:These Are Some of the Best Movies About Time Travel
What’s Known About a Possible Sequel
There’s been no official news regarding a sequel or its possible release date, so it’s not exactly clear when exactly we could expect the sequel toThe Adam Projectto be released — or that it’s happening at all. If this were to be commissioned in the near future, it would still take several years for the project to begin moving. Levy and Reynolds both have very busy schedules at the moment, so slotting in for filming would prove difficult in the near future.
It is likely that if there are any announcements coming up then these will be released soon, as Netflix likes to announce any upcoming sequels as close to the hype of the original release. Whether the possible sequel would be a direct sequel or a continuation in the same universe remains to be seen.
