Will There Be A Need For Speed 2?
Film studios can't resist the allure of turning highly profitable video game IPs into movies, but whether or not they ever live up to the quality of their source material is up for debate. While Hollywood has produced some entertaining and mega-successful video game adaptations throughout the years, the general consensus is that most of them aren't very good and filmmakers should steer clear of making more of them. "Need for Speed" is one of several video game flicks that was savaged by critics upon release in 2014, though it seemed to have fared better among audiences.
Inspired by the success of the "Fast & Furious" saga, "Need for Speed" was released with franchise goals in mind. While Aaron Paul was hot of the heels of "Breaking Bad," the movie underperformed at the domestic box office and seemingly ended any chance of a sequel coming to fruition. That was until "Need for Speed" did some big business at the Chinese box office and rumblings of a sequel started making the rounds. But is "Need for Speed 2" actually happening?
Need for Speed 2 isn't happening anytime soon
The "Need for Speed" sequel rumors began circulating in 2015, with reports claiming that China Movie Channel, Jiaflix, 1905.com, and video game company Electronic Arts were collaborating to bring it to life (per IndieWire). Unfortunately, the project hasn't gained any momentum since that announcement, and if Hollywood history has taught us anything, it's that we shouldn't hold our breath for movies that are stuck in development hell. Then again, nothing is impossible either.
That being said, Aaron Paul seems willing to return for a "Need for Speed" sequel, but he has some requirements. While speaking to Collider back in 2016, he said that he'd step behind the wheel again if the material excited him. However, the actor also claimed that he'd only heard rumblings about the movie through the grapevine, suggesting that the project hadn't made any significant progress at the time.
"Need for Speed" is a popular video game series, so chances are it'll return to the screen in some form at a future date. Whether that's in the form of reboot or a sequel remains to be seen.