Netflix's Bright is not a good movie, but it is a popular one and, against all odds, a profitable one. How do we know? Because despite Netflix's apparently bottomless pit of money, even they aren't likely to drop another $100+ million on a gamble that didn't pay off. Case in point, the news that a sequel to Bright is in the works with Will Smith and Joel Edgerton expected to return for David Ayer as writer and director. (Notice we didn't mention the idea's original architect Max Landis, whose involvement in the sequel, if there is any, has yet to be confirmed. That means this is Ayer's franchise to steer ... or crash.)

So because Bright 2, or whatever it's going to be called, is inevitable, we thought we'd put together a collection of our suggestions, hopes, and expectations for a sequel that improves on the original. Here's the thing, with Ayer coming back, we're probably going to get more of the same things we saw in Bright, but there's always the chance that the franchise could morph into something better, something more interesting, and even something good. So with that in mind, here's what we'd like to see on display in Bright 2. Be sure to let us know your own thoughts and suggestions in the comments!

A Better Movie

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Image via Netflix

Being perfectly honest, some/most of the staff weren't really interested in seeing a sequel at all, but since that's not the world we live in, I strong-armed persuaded them to share ways to improve the next chapter. That should be pretty easy because Bright 2 could do with a return to basic filmmaking aspects even before we get into all the mythology and magical mumbo-jumbo.

For starters, the dialogue between cops, between humans and orcs, and between orcs themselves needs work; everything felt forced and unnatural. I'm actually impressed that the actors were able to pull off many of these lines without bursting into laughter or walking off the set in frustration, so kudos to them. Hopefully the first film helped establish some sort of rapport and familiarity, the better to smooth the path for the sequel and potential future films. Some of Ayer's best work (see End of Watch) comes from well-cast camaraderie which does the heavy lifting of the script's emotional baggage.

That being said, we could do with some bigger stakes in Bright 2, especially considering the fact that it's been established that gunshots, blunt-force trauma, and outright death can be shrugged off via magic or downright toughness in this world, at least where our heroes are concerned. This would all be helped out by a clarifying of the film world's mythology (which we'll get to in a minute), but also with the inclusion of both a more threatening villain and stronger female roles. Noomi Rapace did her damnedest as an elf who really wanted that wand back and was super mad about Lucy Fry taking it, but her motivation was ultimately a bit muddy and dreadfully boring. And maybe next time the female protagonist (if there even is one) should be given more agency and not just be a mute doll that's carried around by the men folk until it's time for her to conjure up a deus ex machina.

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Image via Netflix

And while I was very impressed with Bright's production quality, the franchise could do with building out a bigger precinct for the human/orc team and fleshing out the world that it, and the characters, exist in. I loved the graffiti, the posters, the rare magical elements that absolutely transformed some of the sets into a sort of L.A. alt-world, but when the plot had our heroes literally circling back through the sets we've already visited, the veneer wore thin. This is supposed to be a buddy cop actioner set in a world of high fantasy, and keeping a foot in both of those genres isn't easy, but that's the conceit of the whole Bright franchise so a greater effort is required to pull it off in the sequel.

More Mythology

So how do you hint at the existence of a much bigger and much more magical world than we've seen so far? Well, Bright did the bare minimum to achieve this with the following brief scenes: Smith's Ward stomping a fairy (#FairyLivesMatter), a quick acknowledgement of a friggin' centaur cop, and a blink-and-you'll-miss it appearance by a dragon. A DRAGON! That's the way you hint at a much wider fantasy world than the one displayed in the film, but Chekhov's dragon better make a more impressive appearance in the next film. (In Landis' original script, Ward took his daughter to see a dragon at the zoo; Ayer is hoping to show more of the fantastical creatures in the sequel, so hopefully this plays out.)

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Image via Netflix

A sequel is a fantastic opportunity to expand on the mythology established in Bright. I wanted the original movie to pause and pivot to Centaur Cop. What's his deal? Where does he come from? Is he subject to ridicule and scorn from cops and civilians who hate half-breeds? Are they even half-breeds or their own separate species? (Nevermind, I no longer want to follow this line of thought...) But much like Zootopia--stick with me here--folded in a bunch of different creature characters that matched their stereotypes, only to flip them in many occasions, Bright has the chance to flesh out fairies, centaurs, dragons, orcs, and especially the elves even more.

Creatures aside, we're gonna need to know a bit more about magic. That wand was like a nuclear bomb in the hands of literally everyone in that movie, so we got a sense of its power and also the regulatory efforts put in place to control that power. But who all can wield magic itself, and does it have to be focused through a wand at all? Can it be learned, is it in-born, or is it only a result of using a tool/weapon like a wand? What's the history of magic in this world? How much do Kandomere and his ilk at the "Magic Task Force" actually know about magic? And what's up with the resurrection of the Dark Lord?!

Even including this featurette in some fashion would have gone a long way towards fleshing out the magic factor:

Bright was frustratingly shallow and/or inept on most of these fronts, but the good news is that future films offer opportunities for thoughtful exploration, expansion, and a lot of fun that can be embraced by the fanbase. I mean, Ward and Jakoby can ride a dragon as part of a S.W.A.T. team exercise if they want to because the world of Bright allows such insanity, so why wouldn't you go all out?

Smarter Social Commentary

With all that being said, let's pull back on the reins a bit when it comes to racial and social commentary. It's not a good look. Bright is already juggling a buddy cop action film and high fantasy elements; there's a subtle way to call attention to racial inequality and social injustice, but boy is that not Ayer's strong suit. However, Bright already established that these real-world tensions are alive and well in the movie's fictional world, so let's make the best of it in the sequel.

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Image via Netflix

We know that corrupt cops exist in the world of Bright and that Internal Affairs is both aware of it and somewhat willing to work with the ones they deem the "good cops." We also know that elitism exists and that the elves epitomize that social stratum in this world. The bottom rung is where the orcs hang out, long ostracized and outcast, which makes it hard for them to enter "civilized" society, especially when gangs with strong blood ties make it easier for orcs to find less savory ways to earn a buck. The humans, caught in the middle of all of this, all develop their own sort of prejudices and hatreds in addition to those they already harbor for each other. This all works; Bright 2 just needs to ease up on the obviousness of it all, for the Dark Lord's sake. Ward does not have to shout, "Fairy lives don't matter today!" to a gang of thuggishly clad orcs loitering just outside the boundary of his yard. We don't need a 10-minute exposition from Godfather Orc about how his people have been oppressed but that they take care of their own. We get it.

We could, however, do with more exploration of the elite class of elves, how they live, where they live, why they're so smug, and if there are other elves out there like Tikka and, to a lesser extent, Kandomere who don't mind getting their hands dirty. And what about the fairies? Are they inhumanoid pests? Are they supposed to be the civilization's outcasts, addicts, transients, and homeless? Or are they just there for "comic" relief? Either way, Bright 2 needs some sort of fairy outreach or rehabilitation program.

A Better Title Than 'Bright 2'

As far as titles go, Bright is fine ... not great, but fine; Bright 2 however is pretty boring. Netflix already teased potential titles for the sequel (though just how serious they were remains to be seen) with the following suggestions: Bright 2BrighterBad Boys in MordorOrcs Gone WildThe Last Inferni, and Wand Wars. Not bad, but they could probably do better. You can believe that the word "Bright" is going to factor into the title somewhere due to brand recognition, so feel free to share your best suggestions in the comments below!

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Image via Netflix