The first movie was based on a beloved series of books but will City Of Ember 2 ever happen? City Of Ember was among a number of fantasy children’s movies that arrived in the late 2000s that were on bestselling novels, including The Spiderwick Chronicles and The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising. These movies were all attempting to kick off new franchises but in very few cases did a sequel actually emerge. City Of Ember is based on the acclaimed novels by Jeanne DuPrau and is set in an underground city.

The inhabitants of Ember have remained underground for centuries, but while a box was set to open after 200 years to point them in the right direction, this event was ignored. The main characters Doon (Harry Treadaway) and Lina (Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird) eventually discover this box revealed instructions on how to leave the city and return to the outside world, which becomes a necessity once Ember’s power starts to fail. They also find themselves opposed by the evil mayor, played by Bill Murray (The Dead Don’t Die).

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City Of Ember was directed by Gil Kenan (Monster House) but despite receiving solid reviews, the movie has yet to receive a follow-up. Nearly a decade later, is there a chance for City Of Ember 2?

The Cast Were Game For City Of Ember 2

City Of Ember was the first in a series of novels, which was followed by The People of Sparks, The Prophet of Yonwood, and The Diamond of Darkhold. Prior the film’s release the cast, including Ronan and Tim Robbins (Jacob’s Ladder), revealed to io9 they’d were open to returning for The People Of Sparks.

Even Bill Murray – who is famously somewhat sequel shy – revealed he’d consider a return for a potential City Of Ember 2. This is despite his character being ended by a giant mole, though since this happens offscreen, he argued he could have survived.

City Of Ember Was Box-Office Dud

Despite being produced for a relatively modest sum for a franchise starter, City Of Ember only grossed $17 million at the box-office worldwide and opened in the U.S. at number 11. Playtone, the production company co-founded by Tom Hanks (Toy Story 4), had optioned The People Of Sparks for a sequel, but it was canceled in light of the movie’s performance.

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City Of Ember 2 Is Unlikely To Happen

While Saoirse Ronan has established herself as a talented actress in the years since City Of Ember, and Gil Kenan co-wrote the forthcoming Ghostbusters 3 movie with Jason Reitman, the odds of City Of Ember 2 are slim. The film is remembered fondly by those who have seen it, but since the movie underperformed that has been no sign of movement on a follow-up or even a reboot. Sadly, it seems the first movie will remain a once off look into the world of Ember.

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About The Author


Padraig Cotter
(3484 Articles Published)

It’s pronounced Paw-rick, not Pad-raig. Now that’s out of the way, a brief introduction. Padraig has been writing about film online since 2012, when a friend asked if he’d like to contribute the occasional review or feature to their site.

A part-time hobby soon blossomed into a career when he discovered he really loved writing about movies, TV and video games – he even (arguably) had a little bit of talent for it. He has written words for Den of Geek, Collider, The Irish Times and Screen Rant over the years, and can discuss anything from the MCU – where Hawkeye is clearly the best character – to the most obscure cult b-movie gem, and his hot takes often require heat resistant gloves to handle.

He’s super modern too, so his favorite movies include Jaws, Die Hard, The Thing, Ghostbusters and Batman. He can be found as i_Padds on Twitter making bad puns.

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