Searching sequel in works at Sony; director Aneesh Chaganty says it will be yet another 'tech-driven thriller'

Upon its premiere at Sundance Film Festival in January 2018, Sony Pictures’ and Stage 6 Films’ webcam thriller Searching proved to be a surprise hit, receiving rave reviews from critics, and after proving to be a large success at the box office. The studios have begun development on a sequel, reports  Deadline. Directed by Aneesh Chaganty, and starring John Cho and Debra Messing, the original followed a father’s cyber quest to find his missing daughter. In an extremely clever format, Searching distinguished itself by taking place entirely on screens: From IMessages, FaceTime screens to television screens. As the story continues to unravel, the mystery gets deep and darker, the father discovers plenty of secrets that his missing daughter was keeping from him. (Also read on Firstpost — _Searching_ director Aneesh Chaganty on how he crafted his game-changing tech thriller) Chaganty took to Twitter to confirm the news. However, he clarifies that the sequel will not necessarily follow a similar plot line, but will be yet another original tech-driven thriller. “We all see this second instalment as a wonderful opportunity to tell another original tech-driven thriller," wrote the filmmaker. Check out Chaganty’s  confirmation here 

It’s true. But note: the story will not follow the same characters or plot line as the first. Most importantly, we see this as an opportunity to tell another original, tech-driven thriller. If we can do that AND help bring new faces/voices to the industry, bonus points :) https://t.co/eg9AnfpD9V

— Aneesh Chaganty (@aneeshchaganty) August 14, 2019

After buying the project for $5 million, Sony’s Stage 6 Films imagined the first part to earn them back a modest return on their investment. However, surpassing all expectations, S_earching_ grossed about $75 million worldwide. Searching marked the directorial debut of Chaganty, who also wrote the screenplay with Sev Ohanian. Next up for the filmmaker is Run, a thriller starring Sarah Paulson, and newcomer Kiera Allen.