‘Bird Box’ author discusses sequel ‘Malorie’

Clémence Michallon

‘Bird Box,’ the novel on which the acclaimed Netflix film starring Sandra Bullock is based, is getting a sequel — and its author, Josh Malerman, has already teased out a few plot elements.

The sequel, titled ‘Malorie,’ will be published on 1 October, 2019 in the US.

It bears the name of Bullock’s character in the Netflix movie, which became a viral success (and inspired its own social media challenge) after its release in 2018.

Malerman told ‘Esquire’ that the sequel, which takes place eight years after the events in the first novel, opens in a situation similar to that at the end of the original book.

“Similar in that they’re trying to make things work,” Malerman told the publication of his novel’s characters. ”It’s not like it opens with them in paradise.”

While declining to reveal much information about the monstrous creatures that drive those who see them to suicide, Malerman said his next novel would shed more light both on the monsters and on Malorie herself.

The author explained that he chose to centre his sequel on Malorie because the ‘Bird Box’ narrative is, at its heart, focused on her character.

“I’ve been asked a tonne of times: people want to know what happened with Boy and Girl,” he said in reference to the two children that share Malorie’s life.

“But as much as I care about Boy and Girl, this isn’t their story. The ‘Bird Box’ world is Malorie’s story, and I wanted to know more about her. I wanted to get to know her even better.”

‘Bird Box’ came out on Netflix in December last year and, according to Netflix, was watched by 80 million households in the four weeks following its release.

The Independent