The 47 Meters Down sequel, entitled 47 Meters Down: Uncaged, has had its release date delayed by nearly two months. Though the first film in the series didn’t garner much of a critical reception upon its release back in 2017, it was still able to achieve substantial commercial success, raking in $43 million on a mere $5.5 million budget. With that kind of financial clout behind it, a sequel was sure to be in the cards.
The first film focused on two vacationing sisters, played by Mandy Moore and Claire Holt, who decide to try out cage diving with sharks during a trip to Mexico. When the chain suspending their cage breaks, Lisa (Moore) and Kate (Holt) are sent to the bottom of the sea, trapped inside the cage. The two siblings then find themselves in a fight for their lives against the dual threats of running out of air and the countless number of hungry great white sharks encircling them. The film’s claustrophobic tone and vicious sharks seemed to hit a note with audiences, making it one of the highest-grossing indie films of 2017. Its sequel was originally scheduled for a late-June 2019 release.
Unfortunately for fans of the burgeoning franchise, that release date has now been altered. According to Bloody Disgusting, the new release date for 47 Meters Down: Uncaged, will be nearly two months later, on August 16, 2019. Neither the film’s director, Johannes Roberts, nor its production company, Entertainment Studios, have given any indication as to why the change has been made, though most likely it has to do with the third installment of the Annabelle series and its own late-June 2019 release date.
While it doesn’t appear that any of the cast from the original film are returning for 47 Meters Down: Uncaged, the confirmed cast of the sequel remains small, ensuring that costs will again be kept to a minimum. This time around, the plot deals with four teenage divers who lose their way in the labyrinthine caves of a ruined underwater city. As the friends swim deeper and further lose their way, they are stalked by “the deadliest shark species in the ocean”. Whether this mystery species are once again great white sharks, or perhaps something a little more fantastical and unfamiliar, has yet to be revealed.
If the arrival of the third Annabelle film is indeed the reason for altering 47 Meters Down 2’s release date, then Entertainment Studios continues to show a strong business sense with regard to their growing franchise. There’s literally no point in keeping production costs down if the end product has to compete with a repeatedly proven audience favorite like Annabelle. The summer is always going to be a busy time for cinema goers, so bumping back such a popular title is unlikely to be problematic. The real test for 47 Meters Down: Uncaged then, is whether or not it can offer audiences anything more than a toothless retread of its predecessor’s concept and scares.
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Source: Bloody Disgusting
