Under Paris 2: Alexandre Aja Dives Back In To Direct The Sequel To One Of Netflix’s Biggest Hits
Netflix is diving back into the Seine as Alexandre Aja takes the helm of Under Paris 2, while original director Xavier Gens steps aside for reasons that remain murky.
Netflix fed the beast with Under Paris, and audiences showed up in droves. We’re talking more than 102.3 million views, making it one of the streamer’s biggest non-English hits. So yes, a sequel was inevitable — but it’s not arriving with the same captain at the helm.
New shark wrangler aboard
A trade report says Alexandre Aja is taking over directing duties on Under Paris 2. He knows his way around gnarly water-based predators: Piranha 3D’s swarming prehistoric chompers and Crawl’s hurricane-gator gauntlet are very much his brand. Originally, Xavier Gens (who directed and co-wrote the first film) was expected to return alongside star Bérénice Bejo, but plans shifted. No reason was given for Gens stepping aside, and there’s no writer announced yet for the sequel.
Quick refresher on the first movie
Under Paris follows marine scientist Sophia (Bérénice Bejo), whose entire research team is wiped out by a shark nicknamed Lilith. She walks away from her work on climate-driven shark mutations — until five years later, when activist Mika (Léa Léviant) spots a massive shark cruising the Seine days before the World Triathlon Championships in Paris. It turns out to be the same apex nightmare Sophia once tracked. Teaming with Mika and a reluctant cop, Adil (Nassim Lyes), Sophia jumps back in to stop a public bloodbath.
What Gens had in mind
After the first film caught fire in 2024, Gens said he wasn’t attached to a follow-up at that moment but hinted at the kind of escalation he’d chase: "If there is a sequel, it will take place in a Paris that is entirely submerged under water." If Aja runs with that energy, expect things to go from street-level panic to full aquatic apocalypse.
For the record: the first one was silly fun
One critic summed it up as a knowingly absurd shark-thriller that doesn’t reinvent the fin. The movie leans hard on climate commentary, sometimes a bit blunt, but stuck the landing with a finale that begged for a bigger, wilder sequel. As that review put it: "Watch this with a group of friends and laugh at the insanity on display."
What we know right now
- Under Paris pulled in over 102.3 million views and ranks among Netflix’s most-watched non-English films.
- Alexandre Aja is directing Under Paris 2; his creature-feature credentials include Piranha 3D and Crawl.
- Xavier Gens is not returning; no reason was provided, and a screenwriter has not been announced.
- Early chatter had Bérénice Bejo returning; the latest update centers on the director change, with casting details still to come.
Big hit, bigger sequel hook, and a director who loves hungry things in floodwater — this pairing makes sense. If the next stop really is a drowned Paris, clear your calendar for some spectacularly wet chaos.