How do you top destroying the entire West Coast of the United States in an earthquake?

(That wasn’t a rhetorical question. The guys who’ve been hired to write a sequel to San Andreas need to figure out a way to top destroying the entire West Coast and they’re looking for ideas.)

The Hollywood Reporter says that on the strength of the film’s international box office (almost $500 million worldwide) New Line has hired Neil Widener and Gavin James to develop San Andreas 2 and continue the adventures of Dwayne Johnson’s (actually not very) heroic helicopter pilot Raymond Gaines. And actually they do have at least the vague notion of what’s going to happen this time around (per THR):

Plot details for the new installment are being sheltered, but the sequel is expanding the disaster locales by going global, focusing on the infamous Ring of Fire. The ring circles the Pacific Ocean with fault lines and volcanoes and, according to scientists, is home to about 90 percent of the worlds' earthquakes.

Okay so basically all of California was demolished in San Andreas. The sequel will lay waste to the entire Pacific Rim. I hope this franchise continues on until literally there is nothing left to destroy on the entire planet.

I said “actually not very” heroic earlier because one of my big hang-ups with the first San Andreas was the way the movie depicted Johnson’s character as this great hero dude, when he literally walks off his job as a rescuer (even stealing a helicopter!) during the worst disaster in national history to save his wife and daughter (Carla Gugino and Alexandra Daddario). Like, I get wanting to protect your family, but I’m not sure we really want our first responders ditching their responsibilities when the going gets tough.

Anyway, THR says Johnson, Gugino, and Daddario are expected to return for the sequel, along with director Brad Peyton and Paul Giamatti as the only scientist who realized how bad the earthquake was going to be. I’m sure next time he will also predict disaster, but Gugino and Daddario will be off on a vacation on Hawaii or something when all hell breaks loose, and The Rock has to hijack a plane and fly it to Honolulu to save them.

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