Bird Box 3 rumours: Will Sandra Bullock return as Malorie for new sequel?

Netflix has turned yet another successful title from its repertoire into a franchise with Bird Box Barcelona. The post-apocalyptic thriller debuted in 2018 as 'Bird Box' (starring Sandra Bullock) and attracted positive responses from both critics and viewers to go on to become the third most-streamed Netflix film to date. This success has thus spawned a potentially larger series of films with Bird Box Barcelona being the first step in this direction.

Bird Box to go international as an anthology?

Does that mean that there's Bird Box 3 on the cards? Well, the makers have subtly hinted at this possibility without committing to anything yet. Also, going by how Netflix has generally functioned so far, it is likely that more instalments will enter the realm so that they could expand the narrative. Should Bird Box Barcelona find any considerable success, there seems a definite chance that Netflix will consider more localized versions of the film to tap into the global reach of the platform. 

"Malorie's journey was just the first chapter of this global, apocalyptic event. As we were developing the original film, we often discussed what would be happening at the same time in different countries around the world. During this extinction-level event for humanity, how would families in Europe, Asia, Africa respond to the mysterious creatures' sudden appearance around the globe? What unique challenges would people face based on their geography, culture, their politics? Bird Box: Barcelona gives us the opportunity to expand and explore the mystery further," says Chris Morgan, one of the producers of both Bird Box and Bird Box Barcelona. 

Also Read:
Bird Box Barcelona review: A subpar sequel that wishes to be a bit too highbrow 

Sandra Bullock to return as Malorie?

What's interesting, though, about the latest spin-off is that it occurs as many as five years after the first film did, which is slightly uncharacteristic of Netflix. In their defence, the coronavirus pandemic attributes to about 2 years of this delay and later in 2022, Bird Box marquee star Sandra Bullock announced a sabbatical, of sorts, from acting. Could her decision have determined Netflix's choice to take the narrative in a different direction and set the spin-off in a new location altogether? Well, maybe not because Bird Box Barcelona was announced back in 2020 but Bullock's absence certainly does not allow the makers to extend the storyline involving her character Malorie.

It must be noted that Josh Malerman, the author and creator of the Bird Box universe, penned a follow-up novel named Malorie in the year 2019. The sequel book leaps the story 12 years forward with Malorie and her two kids - Tom and Olympia - finding themselves living in an abandoned Jewish camp after the creatures manage to break into their safe haven (the school for the visually challenged) almost a decade prior. She soon learns of another shelter that is currently also housing her two parents but the challenges are more intense and terrifying than ever before. 

So, based on this, one could speculate that the series will return to its original story direction and pick up things from they were left off in the 2018 film. That is, of course, if Sandra Bullock makes a return to reprise the role of Malorie.

Where is Bird Box 3 heading?

We have listed two solid options for the third instalment - one that the series takes an anthology route and sets the new story in a new region, exploring a new culture like in Bird Box Barcelona. Or Malorie could return to resume the story of the 2018 film and take the main narrative towards closure.