Netflix to Bring Back Hit Sci-Fi Road Comedy for a Sequel

Netflix and Sony Pictures Animation are teaming up for a sequel to the hit animated film The Mitchells vs. the Machines, Variety reports.

Phil Lord and Christopher Miller will return as producers, but original director and co-writer Mike Rianda will not be directing the new movie. Guillermo Martinez, who worked as head of story on the first film, will co-direct alongside JP Sans, known for his work on The Bad Guys 2.

Writers Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin from The Great North have been signed on to write the script Variety says.

The first Mitchells movie premiered on Netflix in 2021 and became a critical favorite. It earned eight Annie Awards and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

The film was praised for its animation style, voice cast, humor, themes, and visual effects, as well as its positive representation of LGBTQ+ characters.

The Mitchells vs. the Machines is a 2021 animated science fiction road comedy about the chaotic Mitchell family, who must save the world from a global robot uprising. Rianda developed the film after working on the animated series Gravity Falls, and he co-wrote the script with Jeff Rowe.

The voice cast included Danny McBride, Abbi Jacobson, Maya Rudolph, Eric André, and Olivia Colman, with support from Fred Armisen, John Legend, Conan O’Brien, and Doug the Pug.

The animation used a hand-painted watercolor look, with technology adapted from Sony Pictures Animation’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

The score was composed by Mark Mothersbaugh, a frequent collaborator with Lord and Miller. Originally set for a 2020 theatrical release under the title Connected, the film moved to Netflix due to the COVID-19 pandemic, where it retained its original title and was released on streaming in April 2021.

The film’s success established a strong foundation for a potential franchise, and fans have been eager for a sequel. The new project marks a significant step for Netflix in building its animated film library with a sci-fi franchise.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!