Deep Blue Sea 2 (2018)

Deep Blue Sea 2 is a 2018 American science fiction horror film directed by Darin Scott. It is a stand-alone sequel to the 1999 film Deep Blue Sea, and stars Danielle Savre, Michael Beach, and Rob Mayes.

The film was released direct-to-video on April 17, 2018. A followup, Deep Blue Sea 3 is slated for release on July 28, 2020.

Plot
Shark conservationist Misty Calhoun is invited to visit the sea-based facility Akhelios by pharmaceutical billionaire Carl Durant. She and neurobiology students Leslie and Daniel Kim are taken to the facility by Durant's associate Craig Burns on a motorboat. When they arrive, they meet Durant, as well as the facility's crew, which include shark trainers Trent Slater, Mike Shutello, and Josh Hooper, and computer technician Aaron Ellroy. As a demonstration, Durant throws Aaron into the water, letting the sharks chase him: at the last possible second, he uses a key to drive them away in formation. Durant explains that he has been genetically altering the brains of five bull sharks to make them smarter, which enrages Misty.

The group subsequently convenes in the wet lab, where Durant explains to Misty that the reason he invited her is because the alpha shark, Bella, has been acting strangely, to which Misty concludes is because she is pregnant. Durant is puzzled by this for her pregnancy did not come up on any tests they ran on her, and Misty theorizes that their genetic alterations hid this. Durant then brings Bella into the wet lab, and has Josh take samples of her saliva, although Bella attempts to bite his arm off; he narrowly avoids this. Meanwhile, on the surface, a second shark pushes the motorboat into an electric control box, causing it to explode, and creating significant damage on the surface. The sharks then begin flooding the facility and Craig is eaten while the others remain in the wet lab. Misty then realizes that Bella went into labor after being dropped back into the pool, and has given birth to a series of shark pups, which attacked Craig.

Mike attempts to swim to the surface, but one of the sharks knocks him unconscious. Trent rescues him and Misty manages to revive him. As he leans over the pool to taunt the sharks, one of them decapitates him. As a result of a lack of pressure stabilization in the room, the water from the pool pours in, and the group becomes separated; Leslie is knocked unconscious in the flooding; Durant and Daniel both end up alone. Misty and Trent become stranded together, as do Aaron and Josh. Trent reveals to Misty that Durant has been doing the same experiments on himself using a genetics-altering liquid in order to make himself more intelligent, due to his phobia that technology will one day rule the world. Durant reunites with Misty and Trent soon after, and they make their way to an air ventilation shaft that will lead to the surface.

Cast

 * Danielle Savre as Dr. Misty Calhoun
 * Rob Mayes as Trent Slater
 * Michael Beach as Carl Durant
 * Nathan Lynn as Aaron Ellroy
 * Kim Syster as Leslie Kim
 * Jeremy Jess Boado as Daniel Kim
 * Darron Meyer as Craig Burns
 * Adrian Collins as Mike Shutello

Production
In 2008, Warner Premiere was planning a direct-to-video sequel to Renny Harlin's Deep Blue Sea, which would be directed by Jack Perez and released sometime in 2009. The project, though, did not materialize. Even so, in June 2017, it was announced that the sequel directed by Darin Scott had begun filming in Cape Town, South Africa. In January 2018, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment released a trailer for Deep Blue Sea 2.

Release
On April 17, 2018, Deep Blue Sea 2 was released on Blu-ray combo pack, DVD and Digital HD, the first two of which contain two featurettes—"Returning to the Deep – The Making of Deep Blue Sea 2" and "Deep Blue Sea 2: Death by Shark"—gag reel, and deleted scenes.

The direct-to-video release Deep Blue Sea 2 debuted at #8 on the Top 20 Sellers for the week ended April 21, 2018, alongside two theatrical new releases; Tom Hanks starrer The Post (#4 debut) and Liam Neeson starrer The Commuter (#3 debut.) Deep Blue Sea 2 achieved an Index of 12.56 versus 28.71 for The Post and 36.83 for The Commuter. Blu-ray disc accounted for 35% of the sales for Deep Blue Sea 2 versus 48% for The Post and 50% for The Commuter. The Deep Blue Sea 2 home video debut Ranking and Index was approximately on-par with the home video debut of theatrical release Insidious: The Last Key two weeks earlier. While it remained in the top 20 Sellers in its second week of release (the week ended 04-28-18,) Deep Blue Sea 2 dropped ten places in its second week, a drop approximately in line with The Post which dropped seven places in its second week. Deep Blue Sea 2 also released the same week on VOD. It debuted at #10 on the Microsoft Store VOD chart for the week ended 04-23-18 just behind theatrical release Insidious: The Last Key and maintained its position at #10 the following week (for the week ended 04-30-18) just behind theatrical release, Matt Damon starrer Downsizing. The Deep Blue Sea 2 VOD debut ranking was approximately on-par with the VOD debut of theatrical release Winchester the following week. Deep Blue Sea 2 was the only non-theatrical release to appear in the top 10 of any VOD chart for the months of April and May 2018.

Sequel
On August 22, 2019, a third film is in the works and will be released on Netflix.