Shark-themed horror movies are becoming a staple of summertime. The trend began when The Shallows turned out to be one of 2016's most lauded thrillers. 2017 took us 47 Meters Down and, tonight, The Meg swims into US theaters nationwide. There's just something about the lazy days of summer that makes us crave the sights and sounds of aquatic mayhem! The wave of shark-themed horror movies is already set to continue in 2019, with today bringing word that the sequel to 47 Meters Down: The Next Chapter is in the works at Entertainment Studios.

No, it isn't called 48 Meters Down, as was reported when the project was first announced back in September, 2017; the film has been redubbed 47 Meters Down: The Next Chapter. The project is being helmed by Johannes Roberts who directed the original 47 Meters Down from a script he co-wrote with Ernest Riera. Plot details for the sequel are scant at this time, but early reports suggest the film will be set in Brazil and will feature a new batch of ill-fated vacationers looking for some underwater thrills.

The behind-the-scenes story of 47 Meters Down's journey to big screens in 2017 has almost as many twists as the plot of the film. Back in August of 2016, the movie was set for a straight-to-DVD dump from Dimension under the title In the Deep. Just 2 weeks before physical copies were sent to retailers (and after review copies had been sent to major media outlets for reviews) Freestyle Media acquired the film for a whopping 7 figures. Freestyle subsequently rebranded In the Deep as 47 Meters Down with plans to give the film the theatrical release it deserved in 2017. Freestyle's plan paid off in spades, as the film has grossed over $60M to date from a budget of $5.5M.

Roberts is no stranger to directing big-budget horror movies; in addition to 47 Meters Down in 2017, he helmed The Other Side of the Door in 2016 and this year's The Strangers: Prey at Night. Today's announcement came with a teaser for 47 Meters Down: The Next Chapter, which will keep the summertime shark-themed horror trend alive in 2019. It'll be a while before we get casting news, plot details, or a real trailer, but we'll keep our ears to the ground in order to bring you additional details as they emerge. This news came our way via Collider who got the exclusive.

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