Plane sequel reportedly cancelled after star Gerard Butler decided "last minute" that he "didn't want to go forward with it"

Gerard Butler and Mike Colter in Plane — (Image credit: Lionsgate)

A sequel to Plane, appropriately titled Ship, has been cancelled at Lionsgate after star Gerard Butler reportedly just didn't want to do it.

"It just, last-minute, Gerard [Butler] decided he didn’t want to go forward with it and there wasn't a lot of discussion about it," star Mike Colter told The Direct. "He just… two weeks out, he pulled out and we were sort of left trying to figure out what to do. And eventually, that dissolved."

Directed by Jean-François Richet, Plane stars Butler as pilot Brodie Torrance who is forced to navigate an emergency landing after his aircraft being struck by lightning. While he manages to make a safe landing, it seems the danger has only just begun as Brodie and the passengers find themselves in a remote part of the Philippines ruled by heavily armed anti-government militias. In order to find a way off the island, Torrance teams up with Louis Gaspare (Colter), a convicted murderer who was being transported on the flight.

The film debuted in January 2023 to positive reviews and managed to gross $75 million worldwide against its modest $25 million budget. A sequel was quickly greenlit that February, which was set to focus on Colter's Louis. Earlier reports stated that Butler was only meant to cameo in the sequel, not star, which makes the cancellation all the more confusing. However, according to The Direct, because the actor was set to executive-produce through his G-BASE production banner, Butler ultimately had final say as to whether or not the film moved forward.