Sam Raimi Teases New York City Setting for ‘Crawl 2’

Alexandre Aja’s recent return to aquatic horror has fans once again circling the waters around Crawl 2.

It was announced over the weekend that Aja (High Tension, The Hills Have Eyes, Piranha 3D) is set to direct Netflix’s Under Paris 2, prompting renewed questions about whether he’s still attached to the long-gestating sequel to his 2019 alligator hit Crawl.

The last official word had Aja returning to direct Crawl 2, with the sequel relocating the action from hurricane-ravaged Florida to a partially submerged New York City. Now, producer Sam Raimi has provided a promising status update while speaking with The Wrap.

“We’ve been trying to get a go from the studio, and they changed hands—Paramount Pictures did,” Raimi explained. “Now the new group that’s come in, I’ve worked with before. They’re great at development, and they’re interested in Crawl 2. That’s all I can really say right now, but I’ve got new hope to make it.”

Raimi also defended the creature-feature roots of the franchise, embracing its pulpy appeal.

“It’s a little bit, I think, embarrassing to make an alligator-in-the-basement picture,” Raimi said. “I don’t know if that’s what their lofty ambitions were, but there’s a crowd that loves those kinds of films if they’re well-made and honestly trying to be suspenseful and scary. Yes, it’s a B movie—but it’s a blast. I really like that kind of picture.”

Released in 2019, Crawl pitted Kaya Scodelario against a Category 5 hurricane and a pack of relentless alligators. The lean, mean survival thriller proved to be a box office success, earning over $91 million worldwide on a reported $13 million budget, with sequel discussions beginning almost immediately.

Andrew Deutschman and Jason Pagan (Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension) were previously attached to write the sequel’s screenplay. For now, Crawl 2 remains in development—but Raimi’s comments suggest the gators may not be done biting just yet.

Stay tuned.