Cloverfield (franchise)

Cloverfield
Official franchise logo
Created by	J. J. Abrams Drew Goddard
Years	2008–present
Print publications
Comics	Cloverfield/Kishin (2008)
Films and television
Film(s)	Cloverfield (2008) 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) The Cloverfield Paradox (2018)

Cloverfield is an American science fiction anthology film series^[1] and media franchise created and produced by J. J. Abrams consisting of three films, viral marketing websites linking the films together, and a tie-in manga to the first film titled Cloverfield/Kishin (2008), all set in a shared fictional universe referred to as the "Cloververse". The franchise as a whole deals with creatures from other dimensions attacking Earth throughout various decades, all as a repercussion of an experiment by an astronaut team aboard the outer-space Cloverfield Station in the near-future. Each film depicts the reality-altering effects of their study, which was meant to find a new energy source replacing the planet's depleted resources, only to open portals for assault from various beasts from deep space. All three installments are standalone in nature, though they connect through the Cloverfield story thread. A direct sequel to the first film was announced to be in development in early 2021.^[2][3]

Cloverfield, the first film in the series, is a found footage monster film released on January 18, 2008, which was well received by critics. After its release, a number of releases initially conceived as standalone stories were modified to make them part of a franchise:

10 Cloverfield Lane, the second film in the series, is a psychological thriller film that was released on March 11, 2016, and like its predecessor received positive reviews from critics.

The Cloverfield Paradox, the third film in the series, is a science fiction horror film, was released by Netflix on February 4, 2018. Unlike the previous two films, it received negative reviews.