What is God Particle’s connection to Cloverfield?

Last Updated on July 31, 2021

Last year we were hit with a film none of us knew was a CLOVERFIELD flick until we saw the trailer and it was out there for the world's collective jaws to drop. That film was 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE and that flick ended up being much better than most of us suspected.

This October, a new CLOVERFIELD film is heading our way called GOD PARTICLE, and what we all want to know is 'how does the new film connect to the original and/or the John Goodman being a super-creeper spin-off?'  Well, as it turns out, there is little to no connection, as far as the film's screenwriter Oren Uziel knows.

Hurm. Interesting… Check out his thoughts below.

Oren Uziel on how GOD PARTICLE became a 'Cloverfield' movie:

“It was written before 10 Cloverfield Lane and the expanded Cloverfield universe even existed as a thing. It was a spec that I wrote probably a year or so after Shimmer Lake, so it definitely existed as its own science-fiction. And then after years of, you know how scripts kind of hang around—people like them but for whatever reason, they decided to make it and then suddenly everything fell into place with J.J. [Abrams], Bad Robot, and Paramount. I don’t know exactly when it became a Cloverfield movie, but I suspect in this current market where it’s just harder and harder to market an original movie of any kind, a science-fiction movie in particular, but I think everyone just knew if it fits—and it does—into that Cloverfield world, it should, and it can only help.”

Oren Uziel on what makes GOD PARTICLE a 'Cloverfield' movie:

“We rewrote during production, but I’m not sure what it means to be part of the expanded Cloverfield universe, other than knowing what kind of quality and feel you’re gonna get from something that’s coming out of Bad Robot and J.J. It just sort of helps to give an understanding of like, ‘Okay I understand what type of movie this is gonna be.’ As far as specifics, I don’t think there is one specific thread that makes it a Cloverfield movie, I guess.”

Uziel on the CLOVERFIELD series being a 'Twilight Zone' anthology of sorts: 

“I think if you can get that off the ground, which they are close, it’s very smart and also great for makers of science-fiction because it relieves you of that burden of like, ‘How are we gonna get people to get off their asses and into the movie theater to see something they’re not sure?’ It’s not a guarantee; the cast is different, we don’t know exactly what we’re getting, but if that stamp of approval of being part of the Cloverfield universe is enough, that’s a huge win. So I’m all for it. When you turn on The Twilight Zone, that’s sort of the way I think about it. I don’t know what this story is going to be, but I know it’s going to be a Twilight Zone story… It’s like an anthology for those kinds of movies, and I think if J.J., if what he’s doing is positioning himself a little bit to be the Rod Serling of J.J.-type science-fiction movies, more power to him.”

Again, hurm… interesting… now while this may all be smoke and mirrors – after all this is a Bad Robot/JJ Abrams joint now – I guess we can all plan on GOD PARTICLE having only a blink-and-you'll-miss-it connection to the film. Meaning after the film's release we will all be searching YouTube for uber-nerd videos that explain how that one cup in that one scene belonged to that one guy in that one other movie, or other such nonsense.

And we will all be blown away by said nonsense all the same.

Personally, I am fine with this film – or any other original sci-fi flick – carrying the CLOVERFIELD universe tag. I mean, the man is right, if slapping a flick with the Cloverfield aka Bad Robot aka JJ Abrams seal of approval gets the film into more theaters and before more mainstream audience's eyes than all the better for the filmmakers.

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GOD PARTICLE synopsis:

Astronauts must fight for their lives after making a terrifying discovery in outer space.

GOD PARTICLE is directed by Julius Onah from a screenplay by Oren Uziel and Doug Jung. The film stars David Oyelowo, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Ziyi Zhang, Elizabeth Debicki, Daniel Brühl, and Chris O’Dowd.

GOD PARTICLE hits theaters October 27, 2017.

CLOVERFIELD's Lizzy Caplan