Netflix is expanding its Bird Box cinematic universe

Bird Box
(Image credit: Netflix)

Remember Bird Box, that Netflix movie which saw a blind-folded Sandra Bullock struggling to stay alive in a dystopian world where opening your eyes can lead to death? Well, the streaming service is banking on you remembering.

Alex and David Pastor, the brothers behind the science-fiction thrillers Carriers and Self/less, have been hired to make a Spanish-language spin-off movie. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix has fast-tracked production, with filming anticipated to start in Spain by the end of the year. 

The report notes that the spin-off is an example of the streamer "mining its intellectual property to build out a sort of cinematic universe from the local level on up." Netflix has already begun experimenting with creating new cinematic universes with Army of the Dead, Zack Snyder's upcoming movie, getting a prequel set in Germany – a country, like Spain, that's key for Netflix.

Bird Box, based on Josh Malerman's novel of the same name, was a hit back in 2018, with 26 million people watching the movie within its first week. Malerman previously revealed a sequel is in development at Netflix. 

The Pastor brothers herald from Barcelona, and the combination of Spanish language and sci-fi thriller appears to be a perfect match. The duo recently created Head, a 2020 series set at the South Pole, that aired in the US on HBO Max. There's currently no word on what story the Bird Box spin-off will tell, but the movie will be set in Spain.

While we await the Bird Box spin-off, be sure to check out all the best Netflix thrillers currently available to stream.

Jack Shepherd
Freelance Journalist

Jack Shepherd is the former Senior Entertainment Editor of GamesRadar. Jack used to work at The Independent as a general culture writer before specializing in TV and film for the likes of GR+, Total Film, SFX, and others. You can now find Jack working as a freelance journalist and editor.

Read more
Danny Huston in 30 Days of Night
The Hunger Games director to follow up Stephen King adaptation with Netflix series based on "30 Days of Night meets The Last of Us" horror podcast
Millie Bobby Brown in The Electric State
The Russo brothers’ upcoming Netflix movie The Electric State includes a section that takes place before the graphic novel due to its "vague narrative"
Chris Hemsworth in Extraction 2
There may be no more news on Extraction 3 yet, but the Russo Brothers universe is expanding with a new Netflix spin-off show
Robert Pattinson in Mickey 17
Mickey 17 director Bong Joon Ho would love to tackle the book's sequel too, but has a "plethora of new, weird ideas" he wants to make first
Giancarlo Esposito in The Electric State
The Electric State star Giancarlo Esposito explains why adapting the bleak novel into a family friendly adventure was the right decision: "I'm going to bring my children with me"
Train to Busan passengers
Train to Busan director is returning to the horror sub-genre with a new movie described as the culmination of his zombie universe
Latest in Action Movies
Anthony Mackie in Captain America: Brave New World
Brave New World box office crosses milestone for Captain America movies, even though it still might not break even
Michael Bay
Michael Bay and James Cameron had a call to commiserate over the state of the movie industry: "No one can greenlight anything anymore"
Daniel Craig in No Time to Die
James Bond will reportedly remain male and British under new Amazon management, as Pierce Brosnan says it's "a given" that the next actor must not be American
Batman and Catwoman talking
Robert Pattinson is hoping to team up with his The Batman co-star Zoe Kravitz on another project soon
Keanu Reeves and Brzrkr
Justin Lin to helm Keanu Reeves' comic book movie adaptation BRZRKR for Netflix
Black Widow post-credits
Avengers Tower will have a new name in Thunderbolts, and the movie's director says it's "a symbol of things taking a darker turn"
Latest in News
Jordan A. Mun looks at herself in a mirror in just a vest in Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet screenshot
5 years after starting development, Neil Druckmann says Naughty Dog's new game Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is "still evolving and changing as we're making it"
Silent Hill f
After 2 years of silence, the next mainline Silent Hill game is getting a dedicated stream this week with "the latest news"
Original Xbox console
Former Microsoft exec says the first Xbox was killed early in favor of 360 because it was "losing money left right and center," but luckily "we could afford to hemorrhage cash"
A Monster Hunter Wilds character holding binoculars.
Despite Monster Hunter Wilds suffering monstrous performance problems on PC, it still outsold the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions in the US
Jordan A. Mun looks at herself in a mirror in just a vest in Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet screenshot
The Last of Us creator Neil Druckmann says Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet will also be about "being lonely," as if his zombie apocalypse wasn’t isolating enough: "I really want you to be lost"
A screenshot of Jordan drinking a soda during the reveal trailer for Intergalactic: The Hertic Prophet.
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is "a game about faith and religion," which Neil Druckmann jokes will surely get less hate than The Last of Us 2