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Beware, comets of Greenland : Gerard Butler is here to protect Earth -- and show audiences an improbably entertaining time.

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Those going into the new Gerard Butler disaster movie epic “Greenland” expecting a cartoonish romp along the lines of his previous foray into the genre, the mind-bogglingly idiotic “ Geostorm ,” are likely to come away from it surprised. And in some cases, a bit annoyed. Instead of the over-the-top spectacle you might rightfully expect from such a project, the film, at least for a good portion of the time, employs an approach that is slightly more grounded than other films of its type. The result is still pretty dopey in spots, but even if it's not worth watching when all is said and done, it's at least a little better than one might assume it to be.

Butler stars as John Garrity, a Scottish-born structural engineer who is currently estranged from his wife, Alison ( Morena Baccarin ) as the result of some recent unknown transgression. However, their domestic situation soon takes a back seat to the imminent arrival of a massive and heretofore unknown comet, nicknamed Clark, that has recently appeared out of nowhere and is coming very close to Earth. Unfortunately, the comet’s tail contains huge chunks of debris that are heading straight for us and when the first one obliterates Tampa and creates a shock wave that knocks John off his feet in Atlanta, it becomes clear that things are about to get very bad. The good news is that John, along with Alison and their young, diabetic son Nathan ( Roger Dale Floyd ), have been selected as part of a top secret government evacuation program because of his professional skills.

The bad news, alas, is that by the time they finally make it to the military base they're scheduled to leave from, a series of events cause John to once again be separated from his family. None of them end up making it on any of the planes. Assuming that Alison and Nathan may now be headed to the Kentucky ranch owned by her father ( Scott Glenn ), John also starts heading that way, encountering a number of harrowing scenes. The same goes for Alison and Nathan, who at one point are given a ride by a seemingly helpful couple ( David Denman and Hope Davis ), and that goes very badly very quickly. Eventually, the three are once again reunited—if you consider that to be a Spoiler!, you have clearly never seen a disaster movie before—and the final reels find them making a last-ditch effort to cross the Canadian border to an airstrip where, the rumor goes, a few planes are flying survivors out to an evacuation center in Greenland.

I liked the relatively restrained approach taken by screenwriter Chris Sparling and director Ric Roman Waugh , both in regards to the on-screen carnage (though this might have been due to the film’s comparatively low budget) and to Butler’s character—instead of the superhero type he usually portrays, his character here is a perfectly ordinary guy whose only major skills appear to be driving, grunting, and when necessary, fighting off vicious goons with a claw hammer. There are also a number of scenes that pack an unexpected punch, such as Scott Glenn’s brief turn as Alison’s taciturn dad, and a genuinely tense sequence involving the seemingly helpful couple who represent the depths that some people will sink in the name of self-preservation.

While I appreciated how “Greenland” decided to take a more humane approach than one usually finds in a disaster movie, the problem is that on the occasions when it does drift into the clunkiness that's more commonly associated with the genre—stilted dialogue, characters who are allowed perhaps one individual trait at most, plotting that requires an absurd amount of coincidence—the effect is actually more jarring than it might have been if the entire thing had been aimed at a meathead level. This is especially apparent during the big climax, when the special effects finally take over in ways that are not nearly as spectacular as the filmmaker clearly hoped them to be. As for the massive ball of gas on display that isn’t a comet, Butler is perhaps a little more likable that he has been in most of his he-man roles, but he still never quite convinces either as gallant hero or as an ordinary man just trying to survive—he still displays a degree of hamminess that doesn’t match with the more naturalistic actors surrounding him.

Forced to pick between the major apocalyptic disaster movies arriving at the tail end of a year that was itself an apocalyptic disaster, I suppose I might opt for “Greenland,” despite its occasional lapses into pulp silliness. However, in the grand annals of low-fi takes on how people might react to the prospect of imminent annihilation from above, it doesn’t quite hold a candle to the likes of Lars von Trier’s majestic “ Melancholia ,” or the wildly underrated and surprisingly poignant comedy “ Seeking a Friend for the End of the World .” Ultimately, “Greenland” never comes together into a truly satisfying package, but it deserves a little credit for trying to do something unique within such a familiar framework.

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Greenland (2020)

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of disaster action, some violence, bloody images and brief strong language.

120 minutes

Gerard Butler as John Garrity

Morena Baccarin as Allison Garrity

David Denman as Ralph Vento

Hope Davis as Judy Vento

Roger Dale Floyd as Nathan Garrity

Scott Glenn as Dale

Andrew Bachelor as Colin

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A family struggles for survival in the face of a cataclysmic natural disaster. A family struggles for survival in the face of a cataclysmic natural disaster. A family struggles for survival in the face of a cataclysmic natural disaster.

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• Trivia The comet is named "Clarke," in a tribute to the late Arthur C. Clarke , author of the 1993 novel "Hammer of God," which describes the impact on Earth of a planet-killing asteroid. The novel predates the movies Armageddon (1998) and Deep Impact (1998) , which deal with similar events.
• Goofs During the first explosion at the house, windows are breaking all over; in the next scene inside the house, there are no broken windows anywhere. Again at Grandpa's house, there is an explosion and broken windows, but inside the house where Nathan is, there are no broken windows.

Nathan Garrity : My friend Teddy says your life flashes in front of your eyes when you die. I think it would be better if it did that while you lived. That way, you could see all the good memories and be happy.

Nathan Garrity : Why's it not happening? Why's my life not flashing before my eyes?

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Greenland Might Actually Be Too Effective

Greenland is the furthest thing you can imagine from the schlock-spectacular Armageddon narratives of a Roland Emmerich or a Michael Bay. We go to those movies to enjoy elaborate mayhem visited upon armies of cardboard characters, but Greenland dares to make its catastrophe feel real and its people feel relatable. It’s just escapist enough to fill our disaster-flick needs, but don’t be surprised if Ric Roman Waugh’s film sometimes feels like too much, especially in the middle of an ongoing real-life calamity. To put it a simpler way: Greenland is not just effective; sometimes it’s too effective.

It also makes for a terrific showcase for star Gerard Butler, who has, over the past decade and a half or so, perhaps become our most accessible movie star , the kind of guy you’re just happy to see onscreen. Butler likes to portray rough average Joes trying to do their best (though he does make the occasional foray into alpha-male spittlefests, most notably in 300 and the dementedly enjoyable Coriolanus ). Here, he plays recently separated construction engineer John Garrity, who has eagerly returned to the house from which he was recently kicked out by his wife, Allison (Morena Baccarin), so he can attend their son Nathan’s birthday party. The hot topic of the day is a giant comet called Clarke, which is approaching Earth but will, scientists reassure the world, pass us by. Small chunks of the comet will make it through the atmosphere, however, and John’s neighbors gather around the living-room TV to watch one piece land harmlessly in the Atlantic. Instead, it lands in Tampa, wipes out a good chunk of Florida, and suddenly, as they say, shit gets real. As someone who makes buildings, John discovers he’s been chosen — by some faceless, mechanical government bureaucracy — to be flown out with his family via secret military transport to an undisclosed bunker, where a small number of humans will shelter against what it now seems clear will be an extinction-level event. (You get one guess as to where this secret bunker turns out to be.)

That could be just one story line in any multicharacter disaster extravaganza (as a matter of fact, it’s not dissimilar to one story line in Emmerich’s 2012 ), but Greenland has more in common with Rod Serling than it does with Irwin Allen. When John’s neighbors find out that he’s been selected for survival and they haven’t, they implore him to take them with him, or at least take their kids. Director Waugh embraces and extends the drama without turning anyone into a convenient villain: These are just confused, scared people who don’t know what to do. That idea governs much of Greenland . This is not a Wouldn’t it be awesome if … movie; this is a Wouldn’t it totally suck if … movie.

But it’s also strangely optimistic. As the Garritys’ journey takes them across a wide swath of the country, the film presents us with a society that is simultaneously crumbling to pieces and, in certain corners, functioning surprisingly well. Strangers are kind when you least expect and most need them to be. (Some are less so; this is, after all, still a disaster movie.) Military bases, filled with soldiers who themselves haven’t been selected for survival, function with doomed, can-do efficiency. Everyone has a story, from a seemingly helpful couple on the highway, to a transportation coordinator at an airfield, to some random guys on a truck. A delightfully leathery Scott Glenn pops in as Allison’s father. Holt McCallany shows up, as he’s wont to do. Waugh and writer Chris Sparling seem to understand that narrative conveniences won’t feel like narrative conveniences if you bother to make them actual characters, a lesson not every Hollywood filmmaker learns.

Waugh is quickly becoming our most foremost auteur of Movies That Had No Business Being This Good. He somehow turned Angel Has Fallen , the third (and, I believe, the cheapest) entry in the Has Fallen series (also starring Butler), into something worth celebrating, and he can also lay claim to having given the Rock his best role, in the tense, moving trafficking drama Snitch . The director’s attention to ground-level detail serves him well in the action arena — with both things like fights (there’s a nice little truck throwdown in Greenland ) and ratcheting up tension. The first indications in this movie that something is amiss are a glimpse of a distant armada of jets in the sky and an automated phone call received in the middle of a supermarket run. That may not sound like much, but I kept thinking, This is how it would happen . As the Garritys continue on their increasingly desperate path, they try to maintain their composure around young Nathan, which any parent can relate to. Even the occasional TV and radio broadcasts, going from gee-whiz news stories to sensationalist exploitation to somber scientific pronouncements to fuzzy recorded messages, feel real. The whole damn thing feels real. Which is both a wonderful surprise and a hell of a betrayal for any of us who just wanted to see Gerard Butler fight a comet named Clarke.

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Greenland review – Gerard Butler v comet in solid disaster thriller

The world is ending yet again in an often effective yet overlong adventure that sees a family trying to find safety amid mayhem

I n a year when many of us obsessed over anti-escapist films about disasters engulfing the world while also being presented with a junkier than usual lineup of wannabe blockbusters (both the obvious result of the dreaded C-word), there’s something fitting about us closing the year out with Greenland, a chaotic comet thriller presenting the apocalypse up on a chipped platter, the cut-rate combo that 2020 deserves.

Originally set to star Chris Evans with District 9’s Neill Blomkamp at the helm, instead we have Ric Roman Waugh reuniting with his Angel Has Fallen star Gerard Butler , a lower-wattage prospect compounded by the film’s prime theatrical release in June swapping out for an on-demand launch before Christmas. Butler, who last faced natural disasters in 2017’s dreadful Geostorm, plays John, a structural engineer trying to patch things up with his estranged wife Allison (Morena Baccarin) and son Nathan. But in pleasingly quick and frantic fashion, their lives are upturned by an incoming comet, one that was originally predicted to bypass Earth but is now set to cause mass destruction. John gets a call to tell him he’s been pre-selected along with his family for shelter which sets them on a path to safety although it’s one that’s far from smooth …

Working with a budget far lower than that for a film of its ilk (just $35m compared to Geostorm’s $120m or even the far less action-centric Contagion’s $60m), Greenland is sold on grand spectacle yet contains not that much of it. I’d argue that it’s just about enough for viewers not to feel short-changed (it’s no Reign of Fire in that regard) but it’s a film where the biggest moments are told in fleeting montage, something that works both for and against it. The tight focus on a family’s struggle to stay alive rather than the experts figuring out what to do behind the scenes is refreshing (Butler’s everyman can only do so much to help) and there’s a horribly well-orchestrated anxiety to some of the earlier, surprisingly believable scenes. The specifics of selection and how this process would then operate during a disaster (starting with the newly adopted presidential alert which leads to a QR code) feels just about convincing enough and there’s a clamminess to watching the characters desperately try to figure it all out. The script, from Buried writer Chris Sparling, is also infused with a rather pessimistic view of humanity, characters showcasing terrible behaviour that’s easily identifiable after the year we have all had.

But the family’s lack of identifiable characteristics (dad = man, mum = woman, son = diabetic) means we get tired of them all too fast. The indulgent two-hour runtime also means that their journey starts to plod as well as lose even the slightest amount of credibility by the time we reach the film’s absurd finale. The clue to where it’s all headed is, er, in the title and despite the film’s enjoyably extreme ramping up of global mayhem, it all crescendoes in a classic “have your cake and eat it” disaster movie ending.

It’s an adequate, involving enough afternoon watch (faint praise: better than Geostorm) and for those with a certain destructive itch that still needs scratching, this should do the job.

Greenland is released digitally in the US on Friday with a UK release to be announced

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‘greenland’: film review.

Gerard Butler stars in Ric Roman Waugh's apocalyptic thriller 'Greenland,' which was released theatrically overseas and will roll out on Premium VOD in the U.S. starting mid-December.

By Jordan Mintzer

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From quarantines to climate change to the Boogaloo Bois, it feels like we’re living in the midst of a real-life disaster movie. So who, in that case, actually wants to go and watch a disaster movie?

And yet, Greenland , the latest action vehicle to feature Gerard Butler in raging midlife crisis mode, offers up the kind of doomsday catharsis that the world perhaps needs. It’s premise may be a bit second- or third-grade-ish — Butler has to save his family from a comet threatening to destroy all of humanity — but the gritty verisimilitude that the star and director Ric Roman Waugh bring to the table goes a long way in making this B-level blockbuster a timely and guilty pleasure.

Released over the past months in a few dozen foreign territories, where the moderately budgeted production has so far grossed just under $28 million, the movie’s domestic theatrical plans were recently scrapped by STXfilm for a Premium VOD strategy , making it available for download by mid-December. Such a move will likely deal another blow to U.S. cinemas in desperate need of Sturm und Drang spectacles like this one, where the end of the world can be both terrifying and pretty awesome to behold.

Like a Roland Emmerich movie made with less money, bombast and in-your-face patriotism, Greenland is a darker and more ground-level experience, only really going big when it needs to (and can afford it). If anything, if feels closer to a film like World War Z than to giant-rocks-destroying-the-planet flicks like Armageddon or Deep Impact (the latter, directed by Mimi Leder, still holds up rather well), with set-pieces that play as unnervingly real no matter how improbable they may be.

At the center of all the mayhem is Butler, playing a middle-aged construction manager named John Garrity who’s been kicked out of the house by his wife, Allison (Morena Baccarin), and could use either a stiff drink or a prescription for beta-blockers, or probably both. The only thing keeping John from going off the deep end is his son, Nathan (Roger Dale Floyd), who’s about to celebrate a birthday party at the couple’s picturesque suburban home — well, in John’s former home.

That party comes to a quick and teary-eyed end with the arrival of Clarke, a comet passing dangerously close to earth that leaves multiple fragments crashing into the atmosphere, sending one of several shockwaves straight into John’s messy life. Soon the family is rushing together toward a military evacuation zone — as an expert at building skyscrapers, John has been selected by the U.S. government for survival — facing tons of obstacles along the way, with pieces of Clarke raining down at untold intervals and wiping out entire cities. (For some reason, Tampa is the first to go.)

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Gerard butler's 'greenland' bypasses u.s. theaters, sets premium vod release.

Waugh and screenwriter Chris Sparling ( The Sea of Trees ) do a terrific job teasing out the action in ever-increasing waves of fury, starting relatively small and then pulling out the big guns in the final act. News coverage, radio reports and other official messages lend an eerie, realistic air to the proceedings, beginning with the fact that experts seem to fully underestimate the scope of the calamity, until it’s too late and people are out raiding supermarket shelves or otherwise scrambling for their lives. Sound familiar?

Separated from his wife and son about a third of the way into the plot, John spends much of the film trying to make his way back to them, at one point traveling like a refugee in a truck headed for the Canadian border that doesn’t wind up going very far. Meanwhile, Allison and Nathan get picked up by a creepy Southern couple (David Denman, Hope Davis) who looks like they’re on their way to an Evangelical revival meeting and take way too much interest in Nathan’s future.

If it’s fairly obvious where Greenland is going from there, with all the requisite stumbling blocks en route to a treacly and hopeful finale, Waugh’s attention to detail makes this effort more than mere catastrophe porn.

The images of social breakdown — whether rioting, looting or, in one memorable scene, a bunch of millennials celebrating the mass destruction at a rooftop kegger — are telling in how they appear to be torn from the here and now. Likewise, the way the 24-hour news cycle covers events, with catchy on-screen tags like “Clarke’s Planet Killer,” underline how easily the end of the world is transformed into a spectacle that can both decimate us and serve as infotainment.

While Butler has headlined these kind of scenarios before, such as in the much less notable Geostorm , or else in the Olympus Has Fallen series — the third and best installment of which was directed by Waugh, a former stuntman whose other credits include taut thrillers like Snitch and Shot Caller — here he plays an ordinary hero whose only major skill seems to be his ability to competently drive SUVs, pickup trucks and other giant gas guzzlers. Still, this is one of his better recent performances, perhaps because he’s particularly convincing as a paunchy desperate husband who seems to be just one custody battle away from having a massive coronary.

The other key turn comes from Scott Glenn as Allison’s crusty rancher dad, Dale, a man who welcomes the apocalypse with ample supplies of sangfroid and Maker’s Mark. The calm interlude that takes place on Dale’s horse farm offers John and his family a bit of respite before a race-against-the-clock denouement that provides the film’s most daunting set-piece, when an interstate highway is suddenly pummeled by comet debris.

Such sequences remind us of why we love disaster movies in the first place: They dish out sensational depictions of earth-shattering events that we can relish from the safety of our seats (or, in the case of most U.S. audiences now, from our couches). And yet, what makes Greenland stand out is how, at certain times, what we’re watching doesn’t seem so spectacular, but very much like the real thing — albeit with a fair amount of VFX and Butler’s own brand of sweaty, stress-bucket bravado. Both of those are to be expected in this type of mid-sized blockbuster, while what sticks in your mind most about Greenland are those moments when it doesn’t feel like a movie at all.

Production companies: STXfilms, G-BASE, Anton, Thunder Road Pictures Distributor: STXfilms Cast: Gerard Butler, Morena Baccarin, David Denman, Hope Davis, Roger Dale Floyd, Andrew Bachelor, Merrin Dungey, with Holt McCallany, and Scott Glenn Director: Ric Roman Waugh Screenwriter: Chris Sparling Producers: Gerard Butler, Basil Iwanyk, Sébastien Raybaud, Alan Siegel Executive producers: Nik Bower, Brendon Boyea, Alastair Burlingham, Jonathan Fuhrman, Carsten H.W. Lorenz, Deppak Nayar, Danielle Robinson, Harold van Lier, John Zois Director of photography: Dana Gonzalez Production designer: Clay A. Griffith Costume designer: Kelli Jones Editor: Gabriel Fleming Composer: David Buckley Casting directors: Mary Vernieu, Michelle Wade Byrd 

Rated PG-13, 119 minutes

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An adult has a glass of wine at home.

Parents need to know that Greenland is a disaster movie starring Gerard Butler and Morena Baccarin about a comet that ravages Earth -- and one family trying to race to safety. Violence is the biggest issue, with many images of mass destruction and huge, shocking explosions. Guns are fired, and one character…

Positive Messages

Messages/themes focus on perseverance and overcoming impossible odds. The movie is also about forgiveness and admitting mistakes.

Positive Role Models

John and Allison go above and beyond, doing everything they can to keep each other and Nathan safe, using brains and brawn. Allison is depicted as a little stronger and more complex than many women in these kinds of movies. But an unspoken transgression that John committed is at center; part of his behavior involves sort of groveling to Allison, seeking forgiveness. It makes them less admirable, but also more human. Allison's father is a selfless character, putting others' needs before his own.

Violence & Scariness

Images of mass destruction, with cities and entire landscapes destroyed. Shock waves knock people over. Guns and shooting. One character kills another with a hammer off-screen. Dead bodies with bloody wounds. Exploding plane. Rough handling of a woman. Child kidnapped. Fighting, punching. Car accident. Chaotic plane ride with rough landing. Screaming, general panic.

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Sex, Romance & Nudity

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A few uses of "s--t," "horses--t," "damn," "goddamn," and "hell."

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Products & Purchases

Mention of Bud Light. Characters frequently use iPhones. Some brands briefly seen on shelves during a trip to the store.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

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Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Greenland is a disaster movie starring Gerard Butler and Morena Baccarin about a comet that ravages Earth -- and one family trying to race to safety. Violence is the biggest issue, with many images of mass destruction and huge, shocking explosions. Guns are fired, and one character kills another with a hammer (it's seen sticking out of his head). Dead bodies and bloody wounds are shown, a woman is treated roughly, and a child is briefly kidnapped. You can also expect fighting, explosions, screaming, and general panic. The movie hints that a married man may have had an affair and that his wife is still working on whether to forgive him, but nothing is clearly stated. Infrequent language includes a partial, obscured "f--k" and a few uses of "s--t," "goddamn," etc. With blistering suspense and interesting characters who demonstrate impressive perseverance, the movie works far better than most others of its genre. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Community Reviews

• Parents say (9)
• Kids say (23)

Based on 9 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In GREENLAND, structural engineer John Garrity ( Gerard Butler ) lives with his estranged wife, Allison ( Morena Baccarin ), and their son, Nathan (Roger Dale Floyd), who has diabetes. While trying to work out their troubles, the couple throws a party to watch the arrival of a comet. Unfortunately, the comet isn't as harmless as expected, and it starts causing widespread destruction. John gets a phone call telling him that he's been selected to bring his family to a shelter. Alarmingly, none of his neighbors receive the same call. Upon arriving at the airport, the family discovers that Nathan's insulin is missing. When John goes back for it, the family is separated. Allison manages to leave a message for John telling him to meet her at her father's house. Thus begins a harrowing journey across a dangerous landscape, with time running out.

Is It Any Good?

This uncommonly good, absolutely harrowing disaster movie elevates the stakes with its effective suggestion of international crisis and its personal touches on social status and martial discord. Stuntman-turned-director Ric Roman Waugh , who previously worked with Butler on Angel Has Fallen , casts the leading man in a different light in Greenland . John Garrity has made a mistake, and he's seeking redemption and forgiveness from his wife. He looks at her, full of pain and regret, and knows he must do anything he can to earn her love back. So after the comet hits, when he's asked to go above and beyond, his actions have a deeper meaning.

The clever idea of only certain people being selected for protection carries a great weight as well, creating instant animosity and guilt among the characters -- as well as more conflict, since the heroes' shelter/protection wristbands make them targets. As a thriller, Greenland absolutely delivers the tension and thrills, with huge visual effects and plenty of intense, dangerous spots that forgo the usual cheesiness of disaster movies. But none of it would have worked without the thought that went into the characters and their connections with one another. Extra credit goes to Scott Glenn as Allison's father, who combines gruffness and tenderness in a tremendously moving way.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about Greenland 's violence . How did it affect you? Which parts were shocking, and which were thrilling? Why were they different?

What's the appeal of disaster movies like this one? Should we worry about a giant comet crashing into Earth?

Do you consider Allison a role model ? Why or why not? How do she and the other characters demonstrate perseverance ?

What do you think is going on between John and Allison? What values are imparted?

Why does being "selected" or not "selected" in this story raise such feelings of animosity and guilt? Have you ever been "not selected" for something? How did it make you feel? Why?

Movie Details

• On DVD or streaming : February 9, 2021
• Cast : Gerard Butler , Morena Baccarin , Scott Glenn
• Director : Ric Roman Waugh
• Inclusion Information : Female actors, Latino actors
• Studio : STX Entertainment
• Genre : Action/Adventure
• Character Strengths : Perseverance
• Run time : 119 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : intense sequences of disaster action, some violence, bloody images and brief strong language
• Last updated : November 24, 2023

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Review by Brian Eggert January 17, 2021

Like most viewers, I went into the Gerard Butler disaster movie Greenland expecting another Geostorm (2017), the kind of blockbuster that delights in one scene of devastation after another. You know the sort—call it the “Roland Emmerich Special”—where doomed innocents look with awe at the oncoming tsunami or cloud of deadly volcanic ash and utter “My God” before it overcomes them. What’s surprising is how this movie doesn’t enjoy terrorizing its characters with horrifying natural phenomena. Screenwriter Chris Sparling and director Ric Roman Waugh consider small-scale humanity in the face of an overwhelming situation. Indeed, Greenland feels less like a disaster movie than a thriller about how fast society breaks down when faced with an unpredictable situation. And if the last four years have taught us anything, it’s that people will quickly turn on one another when frightened. 

The approach recalls Steven Spielberg’s take on War of the Worlds (2005). That underrated Tom Cruise vehicle centers on a family’s journey through a global alien invasion, concentrating on their fractured dynamic and how the situation brings them closer together. The details of the alien invasion remain almost peripheral to the family’s experiences moment to moment. Similarly, the catalyst in Greenland feels secondary to the immediacy with which the movie follows its characters. It’s about the world coming to an end, but it’s also grounded. Hailing from another solar system, a large comet nicknamed Clarke races towards Earth. Astronomers say it will narrowly miss the planet, but its long tail carries an endless supply of ice and debris, along with an unexpected planet-killing chunk set to hit Earth in two short days. There’s no time for a last-minute mission to train oil workers into astronauts, send them into space, and detonate the object. Impact is inevitable. 

But at first, the comet seems far away and the danger unknown, something newscasters report about in the way they might a meteor shower light show. The opening scenes show Gerard Butler’s John Garrity going home from his job as a structural engineer. His relationship with his wife, Allison (Morena Baccarin), is rocky—they are separated, and he’s only home to help with a birthday party for their young son Nathan (Roger Dale Floyd), a diabetic. While John and Nathan shop for some last-minute groceries, John receives an emergency message on his phone, telling him his family has been selected for emergency shelter. No one else in the grocery store is getting a call, so why him? The message supplies instructions and tells him, “No one is allowed with you. There are no exceptions.” The situation seems unreal until a large fragment of the comet hits Tampa, and in Atlanta, the shockwave knocks John off his feet. 

What’s so effective about these early scenes is the confusion and pointed lack of exposition. John packs his family in their vehicle and races toward a top-secret airbase. The plan remains unclear. Presumably, they will fly to a secure location or underground bunker to avoid what soon becomes an impending extinction-level event. Other families hear about the selected few and wonder why they didn’t receive a call. Only later do we learn John was picked for survival by the government because of his engineering skills. The highways become clogged with cars. Looters take over the streets. Crowds of people flood the Air Force base. Screenwriting 101 tells us that whenever a child has diabetes, it will become an issue later on. And sure enough, that’s the case. In a series of frantic events, the family misses the plane, and John becomes separated from Allison and Nathan. The movie turns from a race to escape the comet into a desperate search to reconnect in a chaotic world, where Good Samaritans aren’t always what they seem, and people will turn to murder if they think it will get them a spot on a plane. 

Watching this movie after ten months of living in a pandemic, it’s impossible not to recognize the familiar ways in which Greenland uses an episodic structure to capture how people react in a scary situation (some people have COVID parties, some do the right thing, and some turn into unfeeling monsters). David Denman and Hope Davis play a couple who agree to give Allison and Nathan a ride, but soon their offer twists into a nightmarish attempt at self-preservation. On the other side of the spectrum, Scott Glenn appears as Allison’s father, offering his grizzled take on fatalism and family responsibility. Each sequence feels vaguely derivative and yet well-handled by the actors and director. And the movie doesn’t rely on spectacle, aside from a frightening sequence of falling “molten debris.” The comet appears in the sky, and the movie cuts away to the occasional impact explosions—rendered with so-so CGI. But there isn’t a special FX centerpiece to the movie; rather, the story unfolds in a progression of human circumstances. 

Greenland is the kind of movie that doesn’t always feel like there’s an inevitable happy ending. I remained unsure whether the family would survive their ordeal and make it to safety (inside a bunker located in the titular country). It does a good job of masquerading as something deeper than your average disaster fare, recalling more elevated movies like Lorene Scafaria’s Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012). Ultimately, it proves more conventional than it feels, but in a way that I appreciated nonetheless. Everyone is doing excellent work: Butler dials down his usually hammy screen presence, Baccarin commits to her desperate mother role, and the supporting cast is impressive. Although it’s tempting to dismiss Greenland for its tropes and similarities to other movies, I found myself immersed in the by-the-moment urgency of it all. If nothing else, it reminds us that well-worn material can still be enjoyable.

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Greenland Review: Epic Destruction Saves Gerard Butler's Weepy Disaster Flick

An architect races against time to shelter his family from a comet's impact in Greenland, on demand from STX Films.

Gerard Butler and Morena Baccarin race against the apocalypse in the middling disaster thriller, Greenland . The film is loaded with eye candy. Desperate people running for their lives, cities blown to cinders, and the requisite countdown to extinction; ticking away in the background. The elements are there for gritty popcorn cinema. But the narrative is torpedoed by sappy melodrama and contrived plot twists. Greenland settles for mediocrity when it could have been far more engaging.

Gerard Butler stars as John Garrity, an Atlanta architect recently separated from his wife. Allison (Morena Baccarin) kept the house and custody of their young son, Nathan (Roger Dale Floyd). The story picks up with John and Allison throwing a birthday barbecue for Nathan. As they plan and shop for the party, the news informs us that a comet, Clarke, is scheduled to skirt the planet later that day.

John receives an alarming notice on his phone. He also watches as military planes streak across the sky. His fears are confirmed when the party begins. News reports change their assessment of Clarke. The comet is a planet killer with multiple fragments. John gets another message with urgent instructions for his family. They must leave immediately to survive the comet's largest impact.

Greenland has a riveting first act. Director Ric Roman Waugh ( Felon , Angel Has Fallen ) captures the sheer panic and calamity of an extinction level event. There's real drama as the Garrity family has to leave their neighborhood friends behind. John rightly ascertains that his wife and child's survival depends on quick, merciless action. Problems arise when a MacGuffin is used to add further turmoil to the plot. It's pointed out early on, so you know this object will be critically important. It's a cheap trick that ends up convoluting the story.

Greenland devolves into histrionics as the characters behave foolishly. Granted, it's the end of the world, mistakes will surely be made. But John and Allison are not stupid characters. Their decisions in key moments, especially concerning Nathan, are absurd and unnecessarily life-threatening. There are weepy chunks in the middle of the film that make no sense whatsoever. Thankfully the action picks back up for the expected explosive climax.

The narrative might have been helped by adding other perspectives. It would have been interesting to see a government level viewpoint as well as the Garrity family. The comet ends up being my favorite character of the film. Clarke packs a whole bunch of right jabs before landing a truly impressive knockout punch. The decision to spread out the comet's destruction keeps your attention through the overly sentimental downbeats. It amps up the danger by showing just how deadly a minor fusillade of space rocks can be.

Gerard Butler is not an ass-kicking action star here. No worries, he still delivers his trademark ferocity when needed. Morena Baccarin cries a river, but is thankfully more than a damsel in distress. They make the best of the soap opera moments. Greenland has plot issues, but works as a distraction from the pandemic's dark winter. The film had a theatrical release earlier this year in several global markets. It would have been entertaining to see its epic destruction on the big screen. Greenland is a production of Anton, Thunder Road Pictures, and G-BASE. It will be available to stream December 18th on demand by STX Films .

'Greenland 2' Will Begin Filming in April [Exclusive]

Gerard Butler is set to return as the sequel's lead.

The Big Picture

• Production on Greenland: Migration , the sequel to the hit movie Greenland , will begin shooting on April 22 in London and Iceland.
• The sequel will pick up five to seven years later, focusing on how survivors rebuild the earth after an extinction event.
• Greenland was well-received by critics for its thrilling pace, emotional depth, and focus on family dynamics amidst disaster.

Production on Greenland: Migration , the sequel to 2020's surprise hit apocalyptic movie Greenland is set to begin soon. Collider has learned that the Greenland sequel will begin shooting on April 22, while production will be split between London and Iceland. Star Gerard Butler is set to return under the direction of Ric Roman Waugh , with additional casting beginning in the next few weeks.

Greenland followed the Garrity family, led by Butler along with Morena Baccarin , playing his wife Allison, and youngster Roger Dale Floyd as their son, Nathan, as they attempted to find sanctuary amid the chaos caused by a near-Earth comet named Clarke. The comet is initially expected to pass close to Earth, but instead, fragments begin to enter the Earth's atmosphere, causing widespread destruction and panic.

As the Garrity family struggled to reach a safe haven advertised as a sanctuary in Greenland, they encountered various challenges and moral dilemmas, highlighting the desperation and lengths people will go to just to protect their loved ones during a crisis. Speaking with Collider's Steve Weintraub last year , Waugh expanded on his plans for the sequel, which he believed would be more than enough story in which to wrap up the Garrity family's story.

"It'll be about who survived, and how did they rebuild the earth when everything was completely burned to the ground. So it's a beautiful kind of way to give you a conclusion of the Garritys and where they go. So, do you call it a sequel? Yeah, but to me, it's more of the final chapter of what this story has to say ."

When Will 'Greenland: Migration' Be Set?

Waugh revealed the plan for the sequel's narrative as we return to the Garritys " five to seven years later ," a timescale which was based on how much time the atmosphere would take to clear the toxicity from an extinction-level event.

"It's enough that, which was very true about the last extinction event, was that there was so much toxicity in the atmosphere that nobody could live above ground for quite a while. There was still fires and there's all kinds of stuff going on, ash, you couldn't breathe."

Greenland received positive reviews from critics and was Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes . The film was praised for its thrilling pace, emotional depth, and the performances of its cast, with critics appreciating the movie for its focus on the human element and family dynamics amidst the disaster scenario, which set it apart from other films in the genre that might prioritize special effects over character development.

Stay tuned here at Collider for more on Greenland: Migration as work gets underway. Greenland is streaming now on Prime Video.

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• American films
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Greenland is a 2020 American disaster thriller film directed by Ric Roman Waugh and written by Chris Sparling . The film stars Gerard Butler (who also produced), Morena Baccarin , Roger Dale Floyd, Scott Glenn , David Denman , and Hope Davis , and follows a family who must fight for survival as a planet-destroying comet races to Earth.

Originally scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States, Greenland was delayed several times due to the COVID-19 pandemic . The film was released domestically by STXfilms , through video on demand on December 18, 2020, and then played on HBO Max and Amazon Prime . It was still released theatrically in other territories, beginning with Belgium on July 29, 2020. The film received generally positive reviews from critics and grossed $52.3 million worldwide with a production budget of $35 million.

A sequel, Greenland: Migration , is in development, with Waugh, Butler, Baccarin and Floyd all returning. [3]

• 3 Production
• 5.1 Box office and VoD
• 5.2 Critical response
• 7 References
• 8 External links

Structural engineer John Garrity lives in Atlanta, Georgia with his estranged wife, Allison, and their diabetic son, Nathan. He returns home to watch the near-earth passing of a recently-discovered interstellar comet nicknamed "Clarke", along with his family and neighbors.

While at the supermarket, John receives an automated Department of Homeland Security (DHS) message saying that he and his family have been selected for emergency sheltering. He then returns home just as a comet fragment is seen entering the atmosphere on live television. Previously expected to land in the ocean near Bermuda , the fragment instead strikes Tampa, Florida vaporizing the city along with most of the state. John then receives a call with instructions to head to Robins Air Force Base for an evacuation flight, as Clarke is on a direct collision course with Earth and the entire planet will be bombarded with hundreds of fragments over the next two days, with one fragment so big it could cause an extinction-level event . John, Allison, and Nathan pack up and flee, unable to take anyone else with them as they would be denied boarding.

On the way to the base, the Garritys are held back by a long line of traffic, so they must abandon their car. Nathan's insulin is left behind in the car. As John goes to retrieve it, Allison is escorted off the base after Nathan's medical condition is discovered, disqualifying him. John returns and boards a plane but quickly jumps off upon realizing Allison and Nathan were left behind.

As John exits the base, a panicked mob breaks in, blowing up and destroying several evacuation planes when gunfire ignites jet fuel. Returning to the car, John finds a note from Allison saying she and Nathan are going to her father's home in Lexington, Kentucky . After getting medical supplies from a looted store, Allison and Nathan hitch a ride from Ralph and Judy Vento, only for Ralph to kidnap Nathan in order to use him and the wristbands to board a flight.

John comes across a truck full of people heading towards Canada after the driver agrees to drop him off in Lexington. A fellow passenger, a young man named Colin, tells him the truck is headed to Osgoode, Ontario , where private planes are flying to Greenland , which is believed to be the military evacuation site. Another man attempts to steal John's wristband, causing the truck to crash, killing Colin, and John is forced to kill the other man in self-defense . At another airport, the Ventos attempt to pose as Nathan's parents, but are arrested when the soldiers discover that Nathan is not their child. Allison and Nathan are reunited shortly after at a nearby Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) camp. The following morning, John learns that millions of people have died in global impacts and that the largest fragment will hit in approximately 24 hours.

Stealing a car, John reaches his father-in-law, Dale's house, and Nathan and Allison arrive shortly after. The family learn about a complex of underground bunkers near Pituffik Space Base in Greenland , confirming that's where the evacuees are being sent. The family has just enough time to reach Osgoode, so John and Allison decide to go while Dale chooses to stay behind and die in the impact, while giving them his truck. Reaching Upstate New York , the family is caught in a traffic jam. As a shower of molten debris rains down, they take refuge below an underpass, then continue on to Canada. While making steady progress to Osgoode, the family learns over the radio that Clarke's largest fragment, which is 9 miles (14 km) wide, will hit Western Europe and obliterate it. The family arrives at the Osgoode airport barely in time to board that night's last flight out. As they reach Greenland, a comet fragment strikes off the coast which emits a shockwave, hitting the plane and causing it to crash-land, killing the pilots. The Garritys and the rest of the passengers flag down a military truck and enter the bunker complex right as the largest fragment enters the atmosphere and hits, devastating civilization.

Nine months later, the bunker is able to make radio contact with other survivors as various cities are shown in total ruin, including Sydney , Chicago , Paris , and Mexico City . The Garritys and other occupants exit the shelter to a radically changed landscape. All are relieved to hear each other and report that the atmosphere is finally clearing, giving the survivors the chance to rebuild.

• Gerard Butler as John Garrity
• Morena Baccarin as Allison Garrity
• David Denman as Ralph Vento
• Hope Davis as Judy Vento
• Roger Dale Floyd as Nathan Garrity
• Andrew Byron Bachelor as Colin
• Merrin Dungey as Major Breen
• Holt McCallany as Twin Otter pilot
• Scott Glenn as Dale

Production [ ]

In May 2018, Chris Evans joined the cast of the film, with Neill Blomkamp directing from a screenplay by Chris Sparling . [4] In February 2019, it was announced Blomkamp would no longer direct the film. [5] That same month, Ric Roman Waugh joined the project as director, with Gerard Butler being added to the cast of the film, replacing Blomkamp and Evans respectively, with Butler producing under his G-Base banner. [6] In June 2019, Morena Baccarin joined the cast of the film. [7] In July 2019, Scott Glenn , Andrew Bachelor and Roger Dale Floyd also joined, [8] as did David Denman , in August. [9]

Principal photography began in June 2019 and wrapped up on August 16 of the same year in Atlanta . [10]

David Buckley , who previously worked with Waugh on Angel Has Fallen , composed the film's score. [11]

Release [ ]

In March 2019, STX Entertainment acquired distribution rights to the film. [12] It was originally scheduled to be theatrically released on June 12, 2020, but was delayed to July 30, 2020, and then August 14, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic . [13] Its domestic release was again delayed on July 24, moving to September 25, 2020. The film's release schedule includes Belgium (July 29), France (August 5), and Scandinavia (August 12). On September 14, it was announced the film's American release has been delayed again, this time to sometime later in 2020. [14]

On September 30, the studio announced the film would be skipping theaters and going to be available to buy via video on demand on October 13, before being made available to rent on October 27. [15] The following day, the studio announced the film had its U.S. pay TV and streaming rights sold to HBO for $20–30 million, who will release it in early 2021 and have it stream on HBO Max and Amazon Prime for the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia releases. [16] It was later reported the VOD release date had been pushed to December 18. [17] The studio spent an estimated $10 million promoting the film domestically. [18]

Reception [ ]

Box office and vod [ ].

Greenland was first released in Belgium, making $73,112 from 55 theaters on its opening weekend. [19] On its first day of release in France, the film made $255,000 with 31,000 tickets sold, 61% ahead of Butler's Olympus Has Fallen (2013) despite fewer theaters and tight COVID-19 restrictions. Overall, it debuted to $1.09 million in the country, with a 10-day international total of $1.3 million. [20] [21] In its third weekend of international release, the film finished first in nine countries and made a total of $2.82 million. [22] [23] In November the film opened in China and Mexico, debuting to $3.4 million and $882,000, respectively; the running global total was $43.1 million. [24]

Upon the film's VOD release in the United States, it was the second-most rented on FandangoNow , and third on Apple TV and Google Play . [25] The film remained near the top of rental charts into February, finishing first at both Google Play and Apple TV. [26] [27] [28] In February 24, IndieWire estimated the film had already netted STX Films $60–80 million in profit, including around $32 million from two million PVOD rentals. [18]

Critical response [ ]

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes , the film has an approval rating of 78% based on 163 reviews, with an average rating of 6.3/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Beware, comets of Greenland: Gerard Butler is here to protect Earth – and show audiences an improbably entertaining time." On Metacritic , it has a weighted average score of 64 out of 100 based on 25 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Writing for the Chicago Sun-Times , Richard Roeper gave the film three out of four stars, saying, "Unlike the typical, effects-laden, comet-threatens-the-planet B-movie, Greenland is more in the vein of Steven Spielberg 's War of the Worlds , with the scenes of chaos and destruction serving as the backdrop for the story of one family's desperate quest for survival — even when circumstances have ripped them apart." [29] Writing for IndieWire , David Ehrlich gave the film a grade of B and said, "By eschewing spectacle and focusing on the human scale of a crisis, Greenland becomes the rare disaster movie that feels realistic." [30]

Katie Walsh of the Los Angeles Times wrote that "[the film is not just plausible but recognizable. There's very little otherworldly about this cinematic apocalypse. These are the people, places and, yes, behaviors we know all too well". [31]

Jordan Mintzer of The Hollywood Reporter said "The gritty verisimilitude that the star and director Ric Roman Waugh bring to the table goes a long way in making this B-level blockbuster a timely and guilty pleasure". [32] Chris Hewitt of the Star Tribune called it a "capably done [film]". [33]

According to Matthew Monagle of The Austin Chronicle , " Greenland might be a B-movie at heart, but in keeping at least one toe on the ground at all times, the filmmakers craft something that punches well above its weight class". [34]

The criticism of the film, just like its praise, was abundant as well. Ignatiy Vishnevetsky of The A.V. Club had compared Greenland to Roland Emmerich 's films, [35] while Owen Gleiberman of Variety wrote "A thriller isn't supposed to be a cakewalk; if it were, it wouldn't thrill". [36]

In June 2021, it was announced a sequel titled Greenland: Migration was in development, and will reportedly center on the Garritys' journey across a frozen European wasteland to find a new home. [37] The following month, STX acquired the worldwide distribution rights for the film at 2021 Cannes Film Festival for $75 million, [38] and agreed to give the sequel a $65 million budget. [39]

References [ ]

• ↑ Rubin, Rebecca (2020-10-12). Gerard Butler's 'Greenland' Sets Premium On-Demand Debut After Skipping U.S. Theaters (in en-US).
• ↑ Greenland (2020) . IMDb .
• ↑ Barraclough, Leo (June 14, 2021). "Gerard Butler, Morena Baccarin to Reprise Roles in 'Greenland' Sequel" . Variety .
• ↑ Tartaglione, Nancy (May 13, 2018). Chris Evans To Star In Neill Blomkamp's 'Greenland'; STXinternational & Anton Board Disaster Thriller – Cannes .
• ↑ Marc, Christopher (February 9, 2019). Neill Blomkamp No Longer Directing 'Greenland' – Will Likely Pivot To 'RoboCop Returns' Instead .
• ↑ Frater, Patrick (February 9, 2019). "Gerard Butler to Star in Thriller 'Greenland' for STX International" . Variety .
• ↑ N'Duka, Amanda (June 18, 2019). Morena Baccarin In Final Talks To Join Gerard Butler In 'Greenland' Thriller At STX .
• ↑ N'Duka, Amanda (July 15, 2019). 'Greenland': STX Gerard Butler-Led Thriller Adds Andrew Bachelor & Scott Glenn .
• ↑ N'Duka, Amanda (August 15, 2019). David Denman Cast In STX's 'Greenland' Thriller .
• ↑ Tyler, Jacob (June 4, 2019). Exclusive: Gerard Butler's 'Greenland' will now begin filming June 24th & wrap August 16th in Atlanta .
• ↑ Greenland: David Buckley Releases His Score via Music.Film and Varese Sarabande! (September 26, 2020). Retrieved on August 12, 2021.
• ↑ Kiladay, Gregg (March 14, 2019). Gerard Butler's 'Greenland' to Be Released Domestically by STXfilms .
• ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 12, 2020). 'Tenet' Pushes Gerard Butler Action Pic 'Greenland' To 14th August .
• ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 14, 2020). Gerard Butler Action Pic 'Greenland' Jumps To 4Q Opening Stateside – Update .
• ↑ Evangelista, Chris (September 30, 2020). 'Greenland' Starring Gerard Butler Skipping Theaters and Headed to VOD in October . /Film .
• ↑ ErosSTX Gerard Butler Thriller 'Greenland' Skipping U.S. Theatrical Release For PVOD; HBO Nabs Pay-TV & Streaming In Big Deal (October 1, 2020).
• ↑ Moreau, Jordan (October 12, 2020). "Gerard Butler's 'Greenland' Sets Premium On-Demand Debut After Skipping U.S. Theaters" . Variety .
• ↑ 18.0 18.1 Brueggemann, Tom. " For STX, 'Greenland' Is a Major PVOD Hit; for Exhibitors, It's Yet Another Existential Threat ", February 25, 2021.  
• ↑ Belgian 2020 Weekend 31: July 29-August 2, 2020 . Box Office Mojo . IMDb.
• ↑ Tartaglione, Nancy. " '1917' Leads China Weekend; Korea Has Yet Another Hit With 'Deliver Us From Evil' & 'Greenland' Makes Hay In France – International Box Office ", Deadline Hollywood , August 9, 2020.  
• ↑ Moreau, Jordan (August 9, 2020). "Box Office: Shia LaBeouf's 'The Tax Collector' Takes In $317,000" . Variety .
• ↑ Tartaglione, Nancy. " 'Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone' Nears $1B WW With Magical China Reissue – International Box Office ", Deadline Hollywood , August 16, 2020.  
• ↑ Tartaglione, Nancy (August 30, 2020). 'Tenet' Triumphs With $53M Worldwide Launch From 40 Offshore Markets & Canada – International Box Office .
• ↑ Tartaglione, Nancy (November 22, 2020). 'Caught In Time' Leads China Weekend; Japan's 'Demon Slayer' Continues Killer Run – International Box Office .
• ↑ Brueggemann, Tom. " 'The Croods: A New Age' Beats Out 'Tenet' On VOD in Surprising Shakeup ", December 21, 2020.  
• ↑ Brueggemann, Tom. " Tenacious 'Tenet' Still Soaring on VOD Charts as 'News of the World' Stays Strong ", February 1, 2021.  
• ↑ Brueggemann, Tom. " 'Malcolm & Marie' Soars at Netflix as 'Greenland' Continues to Score at a Premium VOD Price ", February 8, 2021.  
• ↑ Brueggemann, Tom. " 'Croods 2' and 'Wonder Woman 1984' Show VOD Rebound as 'Barb and Star' Makes Strong Debut ", February 15, 2021.  
• ↑ Roeper, Richard (December 16, 2020). 'Greenland': Comet threatens Earth in disaster movie that's more than just chaos . Chicago Sun-Times .
• ↑ Ehrlich, David. " 'Greenland' Review: Gerard Butler Stars in a Disaster Movie That's Better than 2020 Deserves ", IndieWire , December 16, 2020.  
• ↑ Walsh, Katie. " Review: 'Greenland' delivers a Giant Comet 2020, extinction-level event ", Los Angeles Times , December 16, 2020.  
• ↑ Mintzer, Jordan (October 14, 2020). 'Greenland': Film Review . The Hollywood Reporter .
• ↑ Hewitt, Chris. " Apocalyptic adventure film 'Greenland' is not much fun right now ", Star Tribune , December 17, 2020.  
• ↑ Monagle, Matthew. " Greenland ", The Austin Chronicle , December 18, 2020.  
• ↑ Vishnevetsky, Ignatiy (December 17, 2020). Armageddon is free family therapy in the Gerard Butler disaster movie Greenland . The A.V. Club . The Onion .
• ↑ Gleiberman, Owe (December 16, 2020). " ' Greenland' Review: Gerard Butler Faces a Comet Hitting Earth, but This Domestic Sci-Fi Thriller Achieves a Mostly Shallow Impact" . Variety .
• ↑ Lodderhose, Diana (June 14, 2021). Gerard Butler Reunites With Ric Roman Waugh For Sequel 'Greenland: Migration' — Cannes Market .
• ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (July 6, 2021). 'Greenland' Sequel ‘Migration’ Sells To STX In Massive $75M+ Deal At Cannes Virtual Market .
• ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (July 6, 2021). 'Greenland' Sequel 'Migration' Sells To STX In Massive $75M+ Deal At Cannes Virtual Market .

External links [ ]

• Official website

• 1 DreamWorks Home Entertainment/Gallery
• 2 List of Paramount Home Entertainment releases

Screen Rant

Greenland: migration cast, story details & everything we know about the disaster movie sequel.

The Gerard Butler disaster movie Greenland saw the planet largely annihilated by a comet. Here's everything we know about its upcoming sequel.

Quick Links

Greenland: migration latest news, greenland: migration is confirmed, greenland: migration production status, greenland: migration cast, greenland: migration story details.

• Greenland: Migration - Further News & Info
• "Greenland: Migration" begins filming in April 2024, indicating a release in 2025.
• Gerard Butler and Morena Baccarin will reprise their roles in the sequel.
• The film will focus on the survivors' journey across Europe and explore the aftermath of the disaster.

After the unexpected success of Greenland , a sequel, Greenland: Migration , has been greenlit, with some cast and story details already confirmed. In the film, skyscraper engineer John Garrity (Gerard Butler) races across the country with his estranged wife Allison (Morena Baccarin) and son Nathan (Roger Dale Floyd) in a feverish attempt to reach safety before the imminent impact of an extinction-level comet fragment. One of the first movies to forgo a domestic theatrical release in favor of video-on-demand during the pandemic, Greenland found great success with at-home rentals.

Its cathartic focus on an escapist disaster made it an international box-office hit, grossing $52 million (via Box Office Mojo ). The film also received favorable reviews on Rotten Tomatoes thanks to its thoughtful approach to disaster cinema that focused more on the human aspect of an extinction event. It’s rare for a disaster movie to get a sequel, and the second film tends to depict the implausible re-occurrence of the same cataclysmic event shown in the original. Greenland: Migration stands to buck this trend by continuing the focus on the human response to the disaster.

A Filming Start Date Is Announced & Cast Returns Confirmed

Though the film's production has seemingly stalled throughout 2023, the latest update finds Greenland: Migration finally set a filming start date . The long-awaited disaster sequel is set to begin physical production in April 2024 , marking nearly four years since the release of the first film. No other information has been provided about the film's timeline, and no release date has been set.

Along with the production update, it has now officially been confirmed that co-stars Gerard Butler and Morena Baccarin will reprise their roles . Earlier reports had mentioned that both Butler and Baccarin were signed on for the sequel, but no news regarding the two A-listers had come since 2021. More casting news is expected as Greenland: Migration 's production gets underway.

The Sequel Is On The Way

Shortly after the success of Greenland , a sequel was announced and promptly had its distribution rights acquired by production company STX. The company distributed Greenland and paid a whopping $75 million for its sequel at the Cannes Virtual Market, signaling a considerable amount of faith in the film’s projected success. Even among the uncertain future of STX’s upcoming projects due to its impending acquisition by The Najafi Companies, STX has sought to secure the stability of Greenland: Migration by creating a subsidiary company to protect the film’s rights.

Greenland is available to stream on Max.

The Sequel Begins Filming In April 2024

Details about the long-awaited disaster sequel have been scant since it was first announced in 2021, but now it is known that cameras will begin rolling in April 2024. This is great news for a movie that has been mired in delays for nearly half a decade, and it seems to suggest that Greenland: Migration will arrive sometime in 2025 .

Who Will Star In Greenland: Migration?

Gerard Butler and Morena Baccarin will return for Greenland: Migration in the roles of John and Allison Garrity. While the sequel will certainly see the return of their son, Nathan, it remains to be seen whether Roger Dale Floyd will once again play him. Greenland: Migration will take place five to seven years after the original film, and the space of time between movies might mean Floyd will look old enough. It is highly unlikely that much of the supporting cast will return due to the time jump and location change.

RELATED: Greenland Cast & Character Guide

What Will Happen In Greenland: Migration?

As the title suggests, Greenland: Migration will follow the Garrity family and other survivors as they travel across Europe in hopes of finding a new home . Greenland ended with the hopeful chorus of numerous voices chiming in on the radio, having survived the impact. According to director Ric Roman Waugh, “ It'll be about who survived, and how did they rebuild the Earth ".

Greenland: Migration investigates the aftermath of the disaster . Waugh says, “ These people have been imprisoned underground. What does that do to the human psyche? ” Particularly, Waugh seems interested in focusing on Nathan Garrity’s development, continuing, “ A little boy that was eight years old […] what is his life as a teenager when he's known nothing else ”. Once again, it seems that family and complex humanity are at the forefront of Waugh’s mind in Greenland: Migration .

Greenland: Migration - Further News & Info

• Greenland 2 Director Teases Dune-Like Approach To Gerard Butler Sequel
• Gerard Butler & Morena Baccarin Returning For Greenland 2