Multiverse 2 (2004 film)

Multiverse 2 (sometimes referred to as Multiverse 2: The Milky Way) is a 2004 American epic science fiction film directed by Danny Villeneuve, written by Roland Emmerich and Harald Kloser, and starring Johnny Strong, Tom Barry, Ja Rule, and Sean. Bean and Kate Beckinsale. The film tells the story of experimenters who, after leaving the solar system, want to move beyond the Milky Way. This is the second film in the franchise and a sequel to 2001's Multiverse.
Filming began immediately after the release of the first film in Los Angeles in September 2001 and ended in mid-October 2002. This was followed by two years of post-production, which was accompanied by many problems that were eventually overcome.
Multiverse 2 was released in the United States by Sony Pictures Releasing on July 11, 2004, and was a commercial success, grossing over $368 million worldwide against a production budget of $118 million. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, however they were the lowest of the trilogy. It was nominated for the 2005 Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director. The next film, Multiverse 3, was released in 2007.
== Plot ==
After successfully completing the exploration of the solar system and twelve years of work to create technology to overcome gravitational and time barriers, a group of researchers is finally ready to go into the depths of the Universe.
Using an innovative engine based on the theory of superspace, they were able to break away from the Milky Way and headed into unknown space. They sought to exit the Universe as quickly as possible.
The journey was full of dangers, as they encountered black holes, stellar explosions and unknown life forms. But their passion for discovery and knowledge of the distant corners of the Universe was stronger than all the trials.
In 2034, they found themselves in a nebula inhabited by cosmic debris, which scientists were able to bypass at the cost of an atomic reactor, which allowed the ship to travel at the speed of light.
Thus began a new adventure for explorers who now set their sights on 93 billion light years.
== Cast ==
* Johnny Strong as Noah
* Tom Barry as Adrian
* Ja Rule as Jackson
* Sean Bean as Carl
* Kate Beckinsale as Laura
* Tom McCarthy as Thomas
* Danny Glover as Tony
* Liam James as Curtis
* Alexandre Haussmann as Oleg
* Stephen McHattie as Captain
* Henry O as Lama Rinpoche
* Karin Konoval as Sally
* Agam Darshi as Aparna
* Zinaid Memišević as Sergey
* Merrilyn Gann as the Michael
== Release ==
=== Theatrical ===
Multiverse 2 was released on July 11, 2004 in Indonesia, Mexico, Sweden, Canada, Denmark, China, India, Italy, Philippines, Turkey, United States, Russia and Japan. According to Sony Pictures, the film was scheduled for release on March 17, 2004, but was delayed due to difficult development.
=== Home media ===
The DVD versions were released on September 10, 2004. The two-disc edition includes 50 minutes of deleted scenes and a digital copy for PSP. PC, Mac and iPod. The 3D version was re-released in Cinemax theaters in the United States in February 2012. It was later released on Ultra HD Blu-ray on January 19, 2020, like the first film.
== Reception ==
=== Box office ===
Multiverse 2 grossed $125 million in North America and over $220 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $368 million against a production budget of $118 million, becoming the lowest grossing of the franchise.
Multiverse 2 took first place in its opening weekend, grossing $51 million in its opening weekend.
In 2020, the film, as well as the entire franchise, saw renewed interest during the COVID-19 pandemic, becoming the second most-watched film and the seventh-most-watched film on Netflix in March 2020.
=== Critical response ===
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 63% based on 203 reviews and an average score of 5.80/10. On Metacritic, the film has a score of 61 out of 100 based on 39 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A-" on an A+ to F scale.
Roger Ebert had mixed reviews of the film, giving it 2 out of 4 stars, and said that it "is a good example of sequels, but lacks the atmosphere and drive." Linda Barnard of the Toronto Star gave the film 2 out of 4 stars, writing: "The sequel is worse than its predecessor for the same reasons, plus the plot."
== Other media ==
=== Sequel ===
The sequel, Multiverse 3, was released in 2007.
=== Games ===
In 2005, Multiverse 2: The Game was released on PS2 and PSP to mixed critical reception. In 2006, Multiverse: Milky Way was released for Jawa and N-Gage and was also better received.