Will There Be An Awake 2?
Horror film "Awake" released directly to Netflix on June 9. Its title refers to its central concept: Suddenly, the majority of humans lose their ability to sleep. Of course, as with many plague-based horror stories, the main family in "Awake" includes someone who has an immunity — in this case, the daughter, Matilda (Ariana Greenblatt). The ensuing journey of mother Jill (Gina Rodriguez) and son Noah (Lucius Hoyos), then, revolves around protecting Matilda from a human population becoming increasingly agitated over a growing lack of sleep.
In something of a double whammy, when the majority of humans become unable to sleep, electronics likewise begin to lose functionality. At one point during the film, Dr. Murphy (Jennifer Jason Leigh), an acquaintance of Jill's, explains that the likely cause of both the widespread loss of most people's ability to sleep and the powering down of all electronics was a solar flare. Fortunately, while this serves as an adequate explanation within the film's fiction, this scenario is highly unlikely in real life.
"Awake" tells something of a complete story, but a sequel is never entirely out of the question for virtually any film in the horror genre. While those involved in the making of "Awake" have yet to confirm or deny the prospect of an "Awake 2," a confluence of factors ultimately suggest that a sequel is unlikely.
The biggest obstacle would be reassembling its cast
Gina Rodriguez stars in "Awake" in its central role, and therefore would most likely be a key component of a hypothetical sequel. Rodriguez's IMDb page currently lists two upcoming projects. First, Rodriguez is slated to star in legal drama "Bobbie Sue" in its central role (via Deadline). After that, Rodriguez is scheduled to play the titular role in a new live-action adaptation of "Carmen Sandiego." Ariana Greenblatt and Lucius Hoyos, the actors who portray Jill's children in "Awake," both have at least one upcoming project lined up. Reuniting these three central cast members for an "Awake 2," then, couldn't happen any time soon, at the very least.
That said, an "Awake" sequel wouldn't necessarily have to feature the same characters, but could rather tell an entirely new story in a world where humans have lost the ability to sleep. From this perspective, the single most important factor becomes the first movie's performance. While viewership numbers have yet to be released, and may not ever be, given Netflix's general reluctance to do so, reviews have not been kind to "Awake." The film currently holds a 33% critical score and a 35% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
"Awake 2" isn't out of the question, but with the cast's busy schedule and the negative critical reception of the first installment, the prospect of a sequel does not look good at this point.