Looks like the robot uprising is back on. Netflix made the surprising announcement today that The Mitchells Vs The Machines 2 is now in development, with much of the same creative team returning including executive producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller.
Like the plot of the film itself, it’s been a weird and wild road trip toward this moment. Sony Pictures was originally going to release this film themselves in 2020, but, ah, you might imagine that plan hit a snag. They changed the title to “Connected,” offered the movie to Netflix, and then changed the title back (some merch, like the official novel, came out with the “Connected” logo). The Mitchells Vs The Machines debuted on the small screen in 2021, though there was a limited theatrical release to get it to qualify for the Oscars (of which it earned a nomination). A Blu-Ray set was released in 2022.
The Mitchells Vs The Machines is about a dad who wants to take his family on a road trip, but they’re too absorbed in their screens to care. He feels like he’s fighting a losing battle against technology, but little does he know how literal that scenario is about to become. Midway through the Mitchells’ trip, the robot apocalypse hits, and the family must learn to get along while waging war against the gizmos all around them.
Director Michael Rianda had attracted the interest of Sony due to the strength of his resume (he’d just finished a writing and creative directing position for Gravity Falls). But they rejected his first pitch and he had to come up with something quickly. Over one long car ride back to his home, Rowe turned on a tape recorder and began brainstorming a story based on his own family. His father in particular loved the outdoors and hated technology, so Rianda wondered aloud how he’d handle a robot uprising. Patriarch Rick was the result, with wife Linda in turn being based off Rianda’s mom. He mixed in his own children to create Katie and Aaron.
The Mitchells vs. the Machines starred the voices of Danny McBride, Abbi Jacobson, Maya Rudolph, Eric Andre, and Olivia Colman. It’s unknown at this time if any of them will return, but we can’t seeing there being much of a problem.
The sequel will be directed by Guillermo Martinez (head of story for the first film) and JP Sans (The Bad Guys 2). Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin will craft the script — you may recognize those names from the recently cancelled “The Great North”; good to see they bounced back.
This announcement was not made mid-development…it will be years before the picture is finished. Work on The Mitchells vs. the Machines 2 is expected to begin in early 2026.
The post Netflix Announces The Mitchells Vs The Machines 2 appeared first on Anime Superhero News.