Bird Box Barcelona trailer has the series vibe but maybe not the memes

Netflix has brought back the Bird Box series. The series that helped cement the streamer’s original movies as important pop culture touchstones is back with the new trailer for Bird Box Barcelona. But while the first movie was an unprecedented hit, there’s no guarantee Netflix can recapture that same energy for a sequel.

Many ways Bird Box This was the beginning of streaming as we know today. The movie’s release in 2018 received middling reviews, but a ton of interest from Netflix subscribers and an avalanche of memes helped propel the Sandra Bullock movie to becoming the most watched Netflix original movie ever — and it’s still in the top three. More than arguably any other movie before it, it proved a streaming service’s original movie could be a massive hit.

For those who don’t remember (statistically speaking, the odds are pretty good you watched this movie), Bird Box follows Malorie (Bullock), a woman living in a post-apocalyptic world where strange creatures cause anyone who sees them to lose their minds and attempt to die in the most immediately available way possible — or in some cases, try to make other people look at the creatures instead.

It’s exactly the kind of premise that lent itself to massive twists as well as some genuinely creepy moments — though not necessarily a good movie. But director Susanne Bier managed to keep tension high enough to both grab viewers early and keep them from getting too distracted; in other words, Netflix’s winning combo.

Consistent excitement allowed the film to grow into a viral phenomenon in January 2019. Of course, it was also helped by a mountain of memes that largely circulated on Facebook — because 2019 was bleaker than you remember it.

But that perfect alchemy of virality, suspense, and general spookiness isn’t easy to replicate. And it’s hard to imagine this year’s horror sequel hitting as hard as its predecessor, especially as Netflix’s latest hits continue to be driven by massive stars, A-list ensembles, or lots and lots of action. Netflix still manages to be clever in its positioning, despite all the skepticism. Bird Box Barcelona.

Netflix’s content and its audience has become increasingly global in the last 5 years. As Netflix expands across the world, shows like Squid Game, Elite” Money Heist consistently prove that Netflix’s increasingly global audience loves shows from all around the world. This production is a bit more international as it takes place in Spain and casts a lot of non-English actors.

Photo: Andrea Resmini/Netflix

It is important to note that Barcelona is missing the notable star-power of the original; there’s no Sandra Bullock to pull people in this time. It has Georgina (an excellent actress) instead.BarbarianThe list includes a variety of actors, including Diego Calva and others who already have Netflix credits under their belts.Babylon, Narcos Mexico), Michelle Jenner (The Back GirlsMario CasasThe Innocent). Even the movie’s directors, the the Barcelona-born duo David and Alex Pastor, worked with Netflix as directors and writers of the 2020 movie The Occupant.

While that is quite a bit of Netflix talent, it’s not quite clear if Netflix talent is enough to attract and audience to a Netflix movie. And with streaming now suffering from a post-boom slowdown, it’s just not clear that Netflix can really pull off a second Bird Box.

Bird Box BarcelonaRelease date is July 14, 2014.