There have been plenty of instances in which a film or TV show, it becomes available to Netflix subscription holders and it experiences a resurgence. This seemed to happen this past week with Geostorm, which landed on the streamer and seemingly made waves. As exciting as that is, fans of the film should get pumped for another reason. That’s because a different movie starring Gerard Butler is about to get a sequel.
Upon its arrival on Netflix, Geostorm managed to crack the streamer’s Top 10 list, hitting the No. 4 spot. That would seemingly indicate that a solid number of viewers decided to watch the film, which as a Rotten Tomatoes critic score of 18%. While it has since fallen off, I’d still say that’s impressive. What I’d argue is even more notable, though, is that the other Butler-led film I alluded to is receiving a sequel after experiencing a wild release.
The film receiving the sequel is Greenland, which didn’t exactly get its due when it was released back in 2020. The film was delayed several times at the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic and ended up receiving an at-home release, eventually becoming available with a Max subscription by the end of that year. Despite the hiccups and the release date woes, the Ric Roman Waugh-helmed flick surprisingly performed well financially, and that’s arguably what sparked a sequel titled Greenland: Migration.
The fact that the 2020 survival movie, which has a 77% critics score on RT, didn’t have a traditional theatrical opening is truly a shame, because it’s a really good disaster movie better than many might expect. The film follows a family who fights for their survival as a comet races towards Earth and threatens to exterminate the human race. Greenland received mostly positive critical reviews, and Gerard Butler gives one of the strongest performances of his career.
Butler is no stranger to the action/thriller genre, having starred in movies like Plane, Olympus Has Fallen and 300. However, Greenland showcases a more grounded, down to earth performance from him and he really shines.
Migration directly follows the events of its predecessor. The central family, who survived within a bunker in the OG flick, are forced to leave their shelter and embark on a dangerous journey to find a new home in decimated Europe. The movie has already wrapped filming and will be released by Lionsgate sometime this year. It sounds like a great popcorn film and, once a trailer is finally released, it may encourage people to check out the original film as well.
Hopefully, Migration gets its due in the way the first film should have. I also could totally see this title thriving on a platform like Netflix. If a critically-panned movie like Geostorm is able to find an audience on Netflix, and even rank in the Top 10, a film with a film with a bit more oomph could gain even more attention. I’m rooting for this sequel and hoping that it lives up to the quality of the original while also finding a solid audience.
You will be able to see Greenland: Migration this year, as it’s expected to drop amid the 2025 movie schedule at some point. As for the first movie, it’s still available to stream on Max. Finally, if you’re looking for even more spectacle, check out Geostorm as well.
