8 Surprise Horror Movie Sequels That Caught Fans Unawares
7. 10 Cloverfied Lane/The Cloverfield Paradox
JJ Abrams is well known for his love of building intrigue, and taking audiences by surprise. 2008's original Cloverfield was a classic example of this, given that its first trailer arrived with no title and little available information, leaving fans anxious to learn more.
The subsequent Cloverfield series has continued down much the same path. 2016's 10 Cloverfield Lane had no pre-publicity at all until its first trailer landed barely two months before the film's theatrical release.
More recently, no one knew for sure The Cloverfield Paradox was a thing until its first trailer was screened during the 2018 Superbowl - and then the film was released on Netflix mere hours later.
Opinions vary regarding this approach, and just how successful Cloverfield really is as a series. 10 Cloverfield Lane was for the most part very well-received, though its lack of clear relation to the original Cloverfield rubbed some up the wrong way.
By contrast, The Cloverfield Paradox has been widely rubbished by critics and a good portion of fans for being a narrative mess, made all the messier by its attempts to forge a coherent link between the Cloverfield franchise (for which we can apparently expect a fourth entry before the end of the year).