Let’s be real for a second. If you saw a massive earthquake ripping through California on the big screen back in 2015, you probably walked out of the theater thinking a sequel was a given. It made money. A lot of it. $474 million globally, to be exact. Usually, in Hollywood, that kind of cash is basically a signed contract for a franchise. Yet, here we are, years later, and we're still asking: where on earth is San Andreas 2?
People are still searching for it. They want to see Ray Gaines, played by the endlessly charismatic Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, rescue his family from yet another tectonic nightmare. But the road to a follow-up hasn't been a straight line. It's been more like a fault line—cracked, shifting, and full of delays.
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The original plan for San Andreas 2
Back in 2016, New Line Cinema officially put the sequel into development. The news was everywhere. They even hired Neil Widener and Gavin James to write the script. The idea was to move away from the San Andreas Fault specifically and focus on the "Ring of Fire." If you aren't a geology nerd, that's the massive path along the Pacific Ocean where most of the world's earthquakes and volcanic eruptions happen.
Think bigger. Scale matters in disaster movies.
The vision was clear: more destruction, higher stakes, and the return of the core cast. Brad Peyton was expected to return as director. Alexandra Daddario and Carla Gugino were slated to come back. It felt like a lock. But then, things got quiet. Really quiet.
Honestly, the silence wasn't because of a lack of interest. It was mostly about the "The Rock" factor. Dwayne Johnson is arguably the busiest human in show business. Between Fast & Furious drama, Black Adam, Jungle Cruise, and his various business ventures like Teremana Tequila and the UFL, his schedule is a jigsaw puzzle. When a lead actor is that busy, projects get pushed. Then they get pushed again.
Why the Ring of Fire changed everything
Moving the setting to the Ring of Fire was a smart move for San Andreas 2. It allowed the story to go global. Instead of just worrying about Los Angeles or San Francisco, the characters could have been dealing with a literal chain reaction across Japan, Chile, and the United States.
It’s about escalation.
In the first film, the tension was intimate. It was a search-and-rescue mission masked as a disaster flick. By going global, the sequel risked losing that personal touch, but it gained the "spectacle" factor that sells tickets in international markets. Fans were hyped. The concept was solid. But as the years ticked by, the window of relevance started to close just a little bit.
What the cast has actually said
You've probably seen the interviews. Whenever Alexandra Daddario is on a red carpet, someone asks about it. She’s been open about her willingness to return. She loved the experience. Carla Gugino has said similar things. But the most important voice is Johnson's.
In late 2021, Johnson confirmed that there were still ideas for the sequel. He mentioned that they have a "great idea" for it. However, he also admitted that the challenge is always the timing.
"We have a great idea for San Andreas 2," Johnson told SiriusXM. But he also noted that "it’s just a matter of finding the time."
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That’s the Hollywood version of "maybe."
Development hell is a real place. It’s where scripts go to sit on shelves while producers wait for stars to align. Literally. In this case, the stars are the actors' schedules.
The impact of Seven Bucks Productions
Dwayne Johnson doesn't just act in movies; he produces them through Seven Bucks Productions. This gives him a lot of control. If he wanted San Andreas 2 to be filmed tomorrow, it probably would be. The fact that it hasn't happened yet suggests that it’s not the top priority for his production house right now.
They’ve been focused on building other franchises. Red Notice sequels, Jumanji follow-ups, and his foray into the DC Universe took up years of prep work. Disaster movies are expensive. They require massive VFX budgets and months of post-production. If the script isn't 100% perfect, a studio might hesitate to drop $200 million on a sequel to a decade-old movie.
Is the disaster genre still popular?
Tastes change.
In the mid-2010s, we were in a bit of a disaster movie resurgence. We had Geostorm, Moonfall, and Greenland. Some worked, some didn't. San Andreas worked because it felt "grounded" in a weird way—grounded by the charisma of its lead.
Without that specific magic, a sequel could easily fall into the "straight-to-streaming" trap. Nobody wants that for a film that’s supposed to be about the world falling apart.
There's also the reality of real-world events. Sometimes, studios get cold feet about releasing "destruction porn" when actual natural disasters are dominating the news cycle. It’s a delicate balance. You want to entertain, not traumatize.
What to expect if it ever gets made
If San Andreas 2 finally gets the green light in 2026 or beyond, it won't look like the first one. The technology has evolved. We're talking about Unreal Engine integration and more sophisticated CGI that can make a crumbling skyscraper look terrifyingly real.
- A Time Jump: It’s been so long that the "daughter" character (Daddario) wouldn't be a kid anymore. She’d likely be a rescue professional herself.
- Global Scale: As mentioned, the Ring of Fire is the most likely backdrop.
- New Tech: Expect the rescue missions to involve drones and advanced AI-driven tech, reflecting how modern Search and Rescue actually works today.
Honestly, the best-case scenario is a "legacy sequel" vibe. Think Top Gun: Maverick. You take the original dna, wait long enough for nostalgia to kick in, and then execute it with way better tech and a more emotional script.
The final verdict on the sequel
So, is it cancelled? No. Is it filming? Also no.
San Andreas 2 is currently in a state of "active hibernation." The script exists in some form. The leads are interested. The studio knows the brand has value. But until Dwayne Johnson clears a six-month window in his calendar, we’re just waiting for the next tremor.
If you're a fan, don't lose hope, but don't hold your breath for a trailer this year. Hollywood is weird. Projects can die for a decade and then suddenly become the biggest movie of the summer.
What you can do now:
Keep an eye on the production slates for Seven Bucks Productions and New Line Cinema. If "San Andreas 2" or a project titled "Ring of Fire" pops up in the trades (like Variety or The Hollywood Reporter), that’s your signal that things are moving. Until then, rewatching the original is probably your best bet for a disaster fix. Look for updates regarding Director Brad Peyton as well; his involvement is usually a precursor to any real movement on the production front.