Nealy 15 years after Coraline's release, audiences have begun to wonder if a potential Coraline 2 will ever be released from animation studio Laika.
Opened by the son of Nike owner Phil Knight in 1998, Travis Knight's stop-motion animation giant has become masters at their craft, producing some of the most beloved animated films of the last 20 years.
But it all started with 2009's Coraline. The adaptation of the cult classic Neil Gaiman novella followed a young girl (played by Dakota Fanning) as she discovered a new world hidden within her house with a dark secret.
The first Coraline film is still one of the studio's best-reviewed titles, sitting at 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, so one might think a sequel must have been inevitable. Well, maybe not.
Is Coraline 2 Ever Coming Out?
At this point, Coraline 2 has no official release information and does not look to be in the cards for Laika.
First of all, if Laika were to pursue a sequel to the 2009 film, the studio would have to do it without any source material to base it on.
The author of the original novella, Neil Gaiman (of The Sandman fame), has made it clear he has no plans to ever revisit the world of Coraline.
When asked if a sequel could ever happen on X (formerly Twitter), Gaiman simply said, "No."
In a 2022 interview with Comicbook.com, the author expanded on his Coraline 2 thoughts, remarking, "I wouldn't do a Coraline 2 unless I could come up with a story that was as good as Coraline 1" and he just "[hasn't] come up with [anything]...actually, as good or better:"
"What I've always said is that I wouldn't have do a 'Coraline 2' unless I could come up with a story that was as good as 'Coraline 1.' And so far I haven't come up with (anything)...Actually, as good or better because you don't want to do, you just don't want to do one of those sequels that sort of feels like a made for video sequel.
He added, that if he were to do it, he would want a story worthy of a "Toy Story 2 or The Godfather Part 2 level sequel:"
If you're gonna do something, it needs to be a 'Toy Story 2' or 'The Godfather Part 2' level sequel where you're actually upping your game. So I absolutely wouldn't rule it out, but would absolutely want to go 'Okay, that is the thing that is just even cooler than 'Coraline.'"
And it seems as though Laika themselves (the animation studio behind the film) have little to no interest in revisiting the world of Coraline as well.
Laika founder and president Travis Knight (who has directed films like Kubo and the Two Strings and Bumblebee) told Collider back in 2016 that he is "committed to not doing sequels:"
"I take a firm stand against sequels. My industry brethren are a little shocked at how firmly I’m committed to not doing sequels. Of course there are great sequels. 'Godfather II,' 'The Empire Strikes Back.' But I think if you look at where our industry is going, it’s dominated by franchises and brands, re-dos, re-makes, sequels and prequels, where all these old presents are re-wrapped and offered up as new gifts. The pendulum has gone so far in that one direction."
Knight believes the industry has become too reliant on sequels, opining that movies have become "continuing stories that are a regurgitation of the same things we’ve seen over and over again:"
"We used to go to movies to see stories about ourselves. It would transport us to new worlds and we’d see aspects of ourselves reflected back. As TV has become more like movies, movies have become more like TV. It’s gone the other way. There are these serials, these continuing stories that are a regurgitation of the same things we’ve seen over and over again. And I have no interest in doing that."
"I don’t want to tell the same stories over and over again," the Laika executive explained:
"You know how hard it is to make these things. You put so much of yourselves into these movies. It does come at a cost. You give and give and give to these movies. If we’re going to do that, it needs to matter; it has to mean something. I don’t want to tell the same stories over and over again."
He continued, "We imagine each film as if it’s the most meaningful experience of our protagonist’s life," so to follow up on that is a "diminishment of that:"
"The way we approach our stories is we imagine each film as if it’s the most meaningful experience of our protagonist’s life. If that’s your point of view, your sequel is automatically either going to be (A) a diminishment of that – is it the second most important experience of your protagonist’s life? Or, (B) you’ve got to crank up the volume so much, everything’s sensory overload, and becomes comical how much you have to ratchet it up to justify its existence. I’m not interested in that. I don’t want to do that. I want to tell new and original stories."
So, as it stands, it remains unlikely a Coraline 2 will happen at Laika, but never say never.
What Could Happen in Coraline 2 If It Ever Gets Made?
Coraline does not leave much in terms of tears for potential new stories in the universe.
The first film sees the titular character's predicament resolved, the door to this mysterious alternate world sealed, and her back with her parents safe from harm.
But there is always the potential for more should a good idea come to author Neil Gaiman.
One direction the sequel could potentially take could involve an adult Coraline as her son or daughter discovers the terrifying alternate world seen in the first film.
While Coraline did not bring her parents into this mirror universe, with the horrific button-eyed versions of them inhabiting this hidden domain, the sequel could be a fun opportunity to have her head back there alongside her kid.
After realizing the pandora's box her little bubble of joy has opened, she could head back to the place she thought she had done away with, taking on a new threat and hopefully sealing the connection between the real world and this alternate one for good.
Coraline can be streamed now on Max in the United States.
