Sequel to Netflix's divisive shark horror hit Under Paris finds director in The Hills Have Eyes and Crawl helmer

It looks like the shark horror subgenre is here to stay, as Netflix moves forward with a sequel to its 2024 hit Under Paris and finds a new director to take the reins.

As found by The Hollywood Reporter, French filmmaker Alexandre Aja will direct Under Paris 2. But this won't be Aja's first rodeo with a horror movie centered around a swimming monster. The director is best known for helming the 2010 horror comedy Piranha 3D, following flesh-eating fish, as well as the 2019 killer croc thriller Crawl.

The first Under Paris movie takes place during the Paris Olympics and follows a marine researcher who must save the city from a mutant shark that has adapted to live in fresh water. It's a race against the clock before the triathlon sees swimmers dive into the river Seine, which has since become home to the finned monster and its offspring.

The film debuted to mixed reviews, earning a 63% Rotten Tomatoes score. However, Netflix users seemed to love it, with Under Paris launching into the streamer's top 10 list of non-English language films, as per Tudum. The movie sits in second place behind Norwegian thriller Troll, and has been watched 102.3M times on the platform.

Although Netflix has yet to comment, lead star Bérénice Bejo is expected to return, as well as producer Vincent Roget.

It is unclear why Under Paris writer-director Xavier Gens is not returning for the sequel. However, we can assume that Under Paris 2 is in safe hands with Aja, whose credits also include the highly popular 2006 The Hills Have Eyes remake, as well as Mirrors and Horns.

Under Paris 2 does not yet have a release date. For more, check out our list of the best shark movies, or keep up to date with upcoming horror movies heading your way.