With equal parts action thriller, sci-fi, and romance, The Gorge has been one of 2025's biggest movies so far since it was released on Apple TV+, and many are eager to see the story continue in a sequel.
The movie tells the story of Miles Teller's Drasa and Anya Taylor-Joy's Levi, who were sent by a shadowy organization to guard each side of the mysterious Gorge, only to uncover a shocking mystery and find love along the way.
Why The Gorge 2 Could Happen on Apple TV+
From the moment The Gorge dropped on Apple TV+, the movie had piqued the interest of many. Ultimately, the reactions were strong, especially for a streaming original action movie (a type of film which has often accrued mixed opinions in recent years), landing 64% from critics and 77% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.
Viewers were quick to praise the pairing of Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy who head up the cast of The Gorge, which also includes Sigourney Weaver.
The biggest factor in every potential franchise's future will always be the numbers, and The Gorge's seem to be strong. An exclusive report from Deadline stated that, while Apple didn't disclose exact figures, The Gorge had surpassed Wolfs to become the biggest film premiere in Apple TV+ history.
The Gorge came about when Zach Dean wrote a spec script that made it onto the infamous Black List of 2020's most-liked unproduced screenplays. Skydance Media acquired the script in a competitive bidding war and brought Derrickson on board as director before Apple TV+ signed on to distribute the movie.
Presumably, any potential sequel would ride on Dean's interest, and based on a recent interview with Forbes, it seems he would be on board. Promisingly, the writer told how he "would very much like" to revisit this world as he "[has] ideas, particularly for a prequel" which could flesh out The Gorge universe more:
“I have ideas, particularly for a prequel. Original [ideas in Hollywood are] hard to get done, but if you can do it, there’s an audience for it. People want original stories. If I have my way, we’ll have original franchises. We’ll have more Tomorrow Wars and more Gorges. That's a dream come true, man."
After the movie drove double-digit growth globally and boosted new viewers on Apple TV+ by over 80%, Apple Original Films' head of features Matt Dentler called Scott Derrickson's The Gorge world as "unforgettably original and inventive:"
“It’s been a thrill for all of us at Apple to see the unforgettably original and inventive world Scott has created with ‘The Gorge’ resonate in such a massive way with audiences around the glob. Embarking on this immensely fun, genre-melding ride with our partners at Skydance has been an absolute joy, and we can’t wait to watch as even more fans discover the on-screen movie magic of Miles and Anya’s captivating performances.”
Furthermore, The Gorge has held the number one spot on Apple TV+'s Top 10 movies almost every day since its release in nearly all territories. Between that, its record-breaking status on Apple TV+, and the strong reactions, there's no denying this action thriller has been a huge commercial success.
But will that be enough to bring The Gorge 2 to life on Apple TV+?
As The Gorge has been so successful, Skydance and Apple TV+ ought to be more than open to hearing Dean out on its follow-up ideas. So, the chances of a sequel happening may ride on if he can come up with an idea worth bringing to life.
But as The Gorge 2 is still very much in the ideas stage, fans should expect to wait a while for the potential sequel or prequel to start streaming, likely in 2028 at the earliest if it happens at all.
What Could The Gorge 2 Be About?
Following the events of The Gorge, the titular sci-fi chasm has been destroyed, and Levi and Drasa have vacated their posts on the two sides' towers. As such, any potential sequel would require a new setting, possibly reuniting the Western and Eastern duo for another action-packed adventure.
While Dark Lake's attempts to create super soldiers from the gorge's Hollow Men had been thwarted and its face, Bartholomew, was seemingly killed, it would be surprising if such a large-scale operation stopped there.
As Bartholomew was killed in the movie's climax, Sigourney Weaver likely wouldn't be back for The Gorge 2. However, the Alien actress will be returning to sci-fi next year in The Mandalorian & Grogu, the next Star Wars movie which recently wrapped production ahead of its May 2026 release.
As the shadowy organization dates back to World War 2, Dark Lake's roots could be planted worldwide with further dodgy experiments. Perhaps The Gorge 2 could bring Levi and Drasa back, maybe now as a couple, to take on another of Dark Lake's operations that would further expand this world.
Alternatively, as Zach Dean suggested a prequel to The Gorge could be in order, the obvious answer for that could be to rewind time to the origins of the Hollow Men and Dark Lake's early experiments. This could even switch out the action thriller angle for more of a dark horror set in The Gorge's depths.
The Gorge is streaming now on Apple TV+.
