While Clint Eastwood's Juror #2 is one of 2024's biggest successes, whether it could get a sequel is difficult to answer.
Starring Nicholas Hoult (ahead of his work in DC Studios' Superman), Toni Collette, and J.K. Simmons, Juror #2 is the latest drama from director Clint Eastwood. The story highlights a high-profile murder trial in which one of the jurors struggles with a moral dilemma that could affect the entire trial.
The film opened in theaters on November 1, 2024 although its path to release was far from easy.
Does Juror #2's Ending Set Up a Sequel?
Juror #2 features Nicholas Hoult as Justin, who is lined up to serve on a routine round of jury duty. While he does not want to serve due to having a pregnant wife at home, he is selected as juror no. 2 on the case, a murder trial in which a man is accused of killing his girlfriend.
Once he hears the case details, Justin realizes he was not only at the same bar where the fight happened but that he hit something while driving away. Upon that realization, he realizes he may have been responsible for the girlfriend's death by running into her.
Being a recovering alcoholic, Justin expresses his worries to his AA sponsor and lawyer, asking if he should come forward about buying a drink that night (which he did not consume). His lawyer says to remain on the jury, stay quiet, and help find a verdict quickly to allow everything to roll over easily.
Justin cannot make a quick decision alongside the rest of the jury, which starts a long string of complications that keep the trial going. After a while, he decides to convince everybody to vote guilty, sending the boyfriend to jail for life.
Meanwhile, another juror, Toni Collette's Faith, won the election to become the city's district attorney. She begins connecting some of the dots in what happened during the incident while Justin does everything but outright admitting he was the one responsible for the murder.
With his family and her career in danger, Justin convinces Faith to drop the ordeal for now. However, the film ends on a major cliffhanger: Faith comes to his door and confronts Justin, but nothing is said before the movie cuts to black and concludes.
What Are the Odds of Juror #2 Getting a Sequel?
While Juror #2's ending sets up a thrilling idea for a sequel, the odds of that happening do not appear high.
Initially, the movie was envisioned as an exclusive for Max, but it received a limited theatrical release in the United States and a wide theatrical release in the United Kingdom. This was a great decision, as it currently has a 93% Tomatometer score and a 91% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Unfortunately, reports accused parent company Warner Bros. of burying the movie. Making it that much more suspicious is the fact that this could be the final movie Clint Eastwood directs, as he is currently 94 years old.
Warner Bros. ultimately did not report on the film's domestic box office earnings during its limited run in less than 100 theaters, which is highly unusual for Hollywood studios. However, it is not unprecedented, as Disney did the same thing to Daisy Ridley's Young Woman and the Sea before moving it to Disney+ two weeks after its theatrical debut.
Despite its critical success, the film is not considered a likely major contender for the 2025 Oscars.
While the streaming era may have something to do with Warner Bros.' hesitancy to push this movie, the company seems set on keeping its release under the radar.
Given all of these financial factors, plus the purposeful ambiguity of the cliffhanger ending, it's doubtful that a sequel to Juror #2 will be developed soon.
Juror #2 is playing in select theaters.
