Netflix’s Shark Saga Continues: Under Paris 2 Dives Into Production

If you thought the era of giant killer shark movies was fizzling out, think again—because Netflix is doubling down in a big way. After the aquatic carnage of Under Paris racked up huge streaming numbers earlier this year, the platform has decided to throw another bloody steak in the Seine and see what bites. Yep, Under Paris 2 is officially on the way, and there are some interesting new wrinkles, from the cast to the director.

Sharks in the Seine: The Story So Far

Just to get everyone back up to speed, the first Under Paris had Bérénice Bejo playing Sophia, a marine biologist carrying some serious baggage after she loses her team to a shark attack. Fast forward a few years, and surprise: Paris isn’t just the city of lights; it’s now also home to a rogue shark swimming up the Seine, threatening to turn the place into a buffet. Directed by Xavier Gens, the movie did big numbers for Netflix—think 102 million views since its debut—and became their most-watched French film ever. Not bad for something that isn’t a romcom about pastries.

Now Playing: Flooded Paris, Shark Redux

Netflix greenlit a sequel pretty much the moment they saw those viewing stats, but most of the story details only just surfaced. Here’s the rundown:

• Time jump: The sequel picks things up three years after the first film’s 'Paris triathlon disaster.' Apparently, the city’s shark problem got handled about as well as you’d expect—Paris is now partially flooded. Real estate prices presumably unchanged.
• The mission: Sophia (Bérénice Bejo) and Adil (Nassim Lyes, also back from the first movie) are teaming up again, this time hunting for Lilith, the original shark that started all the mayhem. The plot teaser hints at something weird lurking beneath the whole 'killer wildlife' angle, but Netflix is keeping details murky for now.
• Returning and new faces: Besides Bejo and Lyes, new cast additions include Guillaume Gouix, Philippe Bas, Manon Bresch, and Anne Marivin.

A New Director With Serious Shark Cred

This is where things get especially interesting for genre fans. The first film’s director, Xavier Gens, isn’t returning to helm the sequel, but he is sticking around as a co-writer and producer. Instead, directing duties are going to Alexandre Aja—the horror specialist whose work on Piranha 3D and Crawl basically qualifies him as a B-movie aquatic chaos expert. Seriously, if you haven't seen Crawl, it's a tense alligator siege thriller that probably cost half as much as Under Paris and delivers twice the claustrophobia.

If you needed any more proof Aja is genuinely excited, there you go. Plus, he’s also co-writing and producing, so he’s got a hand in shaping everything this time around.

The Reception Last Time (AKA People Fought About It Online)

Despite—or maybe because of—its wild premise, Under Paris got a very mixed reception. It just barely eked out a 'Fresh' score on Rotten Tomatoes from critics (64%), but regular viewers were much harsher, slapping it with a measly 30%. It’s the kind of polarized reaction that makes you wonder if Netflix is hoping Aja brings some of his horror fanbase along for the ride and maybe shores up some of the complaints from round one.

Release Date? You’ll Have to Wait

The bad news: Under Paris 2 doesn’t have a set release date yet. Word is, Netflix is eyeballing 2027, which is practically prehistoric in streaming years—but production is underway, so more updates are likely to surface soon. And with those numbers from the first movie, don’t be shocked if this ends up as a trilogy.

If you’re into big, silly, bloody aquatic thrillers—or you just want to see Paris go full dystopian shark zone—this should be on your radar. At the very least, Alexandre Aja’s track record promises we’ll get some genuine tension and hopefully a few nasty surprises along the way.