Hidden Gem: Unearthed 4-Year-Old Horror Movie, Produced By Sam Raimi, Takes Netflix by Storm

Summary

Crawl is a Netflix hit, landing at No. 8 on their Top 10 English-language movies list.

The creature feature movie amassed a total of 4.2 million viewing hours, attracting 2.9 million viewers. Despite its age of four years, Crawl ranked on par with recent Netflix releases such as Spy Kids: Armageddon and Love at First Sight.

Crawl, a 2019 movie produced by Sam Raimi and directed by Alexandre Aja, has unexpectedly become a hit on Netflix. Starring Kaya Scodelario and Barry Pepper as a young woman and her estranged father, the film tells the story of a hurricane-stricken coast in Florida. The woman visits her father's isolated home, only to find him trapped in a flooded basement with hungry alligators. These terrifying creatures target both of them, leading to a thrilling and suspenseful plot.

Netflix recently released their Top 10 English-language movies for the week of September 18 to September 24, with Crawl ranking at No. 8. The film gathered an impressive 2.9 million viewers, who collectively watched a total of 4.2 million hours. Despite being released four years ago, Crawl has achieved comparable success to more recent Netflix movies like Spy Kids: Armageddon and Love at First Sight.

Why Hasn't There Been a Crawl 2?

Crawl not only gained popularity as a streaming hit, but it was also a box office success upon its initial release. With a budget of around $15 million, the movie raked in $91.7 million, securing its position as the 81st highest-grossing movie worldwide that year. Although it couldn't compete with the astronomical box office earnings of Avengers: Endgame, which claimed the top spot with a staggering $2.8 billion, Crawl still delivered a substantial return on investment, making a sequel a potential possibility.

In fact, as early as the month the movie premiered, director Aja had expressed interest in exploring a sequel. Despite scarce updates on this front, in 2021, it was revealed that a screenplay for the sequel was in the works. While further details were not disclosed, it is likely that the sequel will introduce new characters, as this idea was mentioned during the original discussions about a potential follow-up.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 may have disrupted the pre-production of a potential sequel to the movie Crawl. However, news about the screenplay emerged after global film productions had resumed, and as of now, there is no further update on the matter. There was sufficient time for additional information to emerge before the 2023 writers strike commenced in May, which concluded this past weekend with a tentative agreement. Therefore, the release of a follow-up to the horror film featuring CGI alligators may not happen for a considerable period, if it happens at all.