Under Paris 2 at Netflix: Alexandre Aja Directs, Filming 2025

Under Paris 2 is moving forward at Netflix, and the big update is who’s behind the camera. The Hollywood Reporter reports Netflix has tapped French horror specialist Alexandre Aja to direct the sequel, a clear signal this is not just “another follow-up,” it’s a franchise-level push after the first movie’s breakout run.

Why you should care: Netflix rarely upgrades a non-English one-off into a durable series of event movies unless the math works. Aja’s involvement suggests Netflix wants a more globally marketable creature feature, and maybe a tighter, more repeatable formula than the first film’s lightning-in-a-bottle hit.

Under Paris 2 gets a major director update (Aja attached)

If you’ve watched a few modern “survival horror in a bottle” movies, you’ve probably felt Aja’s fingerprints even if you didn’t know his name. He directed Crawl (gator survival), helped put French extremity horror on the map with High Tension, and more recently made Never Let Go. That resume matters because Under Paris worked as a wild concept executed with enough intensity to turn into a global Netflix conversation. Aja is the kind of director you bring in when you want the sequel to look, pace, and travel like a bigger deal.

What’s not confirmed yet is almost everything fans will ask first. Netflix has not published an official synopsis, final title, or release timing in the reporting we have so far. And the most interesting “missing piece” is the creative handoff: THR says it’s unclear why original director and co-writer Xavier Gens does not appear to be returning, and it’s also unclear who wrote the script for the sequel.

That last part is worth underlining because other coverage has floated Gens as a returning figure. THR’s framing makes it sound like Netflix is deliberately reshuffling the team, but without saying why. Until Netflix speaks officially, treat any behind-the-scenes narrative as speculation.

What’s confirmed about cast and production timing (Sept. 2025)

On the continuity front, there’s at least one anchor. Variety reports the sequel is in development and that Bérénice Bejo is expected to return, which is exactly what you want if Netflix is trying to keep the sequel accessible to people who made the first film a hit. Swapping directors is easier for audiences to accept when the lead actor is still there.

The most concrete timetable so far is also coming from Bejo. Variety cites her saying production would start in September 2025, and says sources close to the production confirmed that timing. French outlet AlloCiné relays the quote even more plainly: “En septembre 2025, nous tournerons Sous la Seine 2.”

A September 2025 start tells you two things. First, Netflix is planning this like a bigger swing with a longer runway, not a quick turnaround sequel rushed out while the first movie is still in the Top 10. Second, any release-date guessing game is premature. With filming that late, the earliest plausible window is likely well after production wraps, and Netflix has not confirmed any year or quarter.

Why Netflix is doing this now (performance plus franchise math)

Netflix’s motive is hiding in plain sight: the first movie performed like a tentpole, just not in English. Deadline reports Under Paris posted 28.7 million views in Netflix’s weekly Top 10 reporting and climbed into Netflix’s most popular non-English films list at No. 5. Those are “greenlight a sequel” numbers, especially for a contained genre movie that can be marketed with one clean hook: sharks in Paris.

There’s also a bigger strategy at work. Netflix has been building international “event genre” lanes where a local-language film can still play as a global Friday-night watch. Creature features and horror thrillers are perfect for that because they translate fast, they do not require deep franchise lore, and they invite word-of-mouth. Hiring Aja, who already has name recognition with horror fans outside France, reads like Netflix trying to make the sequel’s craft and pacing even more export-friendly.

What’s still unanswered, and what will determine whether Under Paris 2 is a real franchise launch or just a one-time encore:

• Who is writing the sequel, and whether the script leans into escalation or tries to reinvent the premise
• Whether Xavier Gens has any role at all, since THR says it’s unclear why he’s not returning
• Which cast members besides Bejo come back, and whether Netflix expands the story beyond a single-location survival scenario
• When Netflix actually wants to release it, since the only timing discussed so far is a reported September 2025 shoot

The bottom line: the headline is not just “sequel confirmed.” It’s “Netflix is upgrading the sequel.” Alexandre Aja plus a reported September 2025 filming start suggests Netflix is treating Under Paris 2 like a planned event, not an accident. Until Netflix drops official details, the smartest way to follow this is to separate what’s reported from what’s still a blank: director attached, lead expected back, cameras possibly rolling in September 2025. Everything else is still open water.