A 'War of the Worlds' Sequel Is Coming
The H.G. Wells sci-fi classic -- most recently adapted into a Tom Cruise film -- is getting a sequel three weeks after its copyright expires
It’s been a year of awkwardly late sequels (Go Set A Watchman, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and Mad Max: Fury Road), but the newly announced War of the Worlds sequel might take the crown: the H.G. Wells sci-fi classic, which was first published in 1898, is getting a sequel 119 years later — and three weeks after the copyright expires.
Ominously titled The Massacre of Mankind, the book was written by British author Stephen Baxter and arrives in stores on on January 19, 2017 (the copyright expires on December 31, 2016.)
For those who wonder whether this sequel will be in the same vein as Mad Max: Fury Road (read: an awesome offshoot of a beloved narrative) or whether it will be an unnecessary continuation of a story that’s better off laid to rest — like Go Set A Watchman — only time will tell.
But Baxter will be the keynote speaker at the H.G. Wells Society International Conference in 2016, which seems to be an endorsement from the most hardcore fans.
There is no word yet on whether the 2005 film will have a sequel, but knowing the industry, it’s only a matter of time.
