Though we’ve known for quite a while, director Gareth Evans is now officially set to direct Berandal (tentative title), the sequel to his much buzzed about action pic The Raid. I haven’t stopped hearing great things about The Raid since it screened at TIFF, and our own Matt Goldberg recommends it without hesitation. The martial arts-heavy film centers on 20 elite SWAT team members must make their way up the treacherous floors of a criminal-infested highrise in order to get to the gang’s leader. It’s a simple premise, but after watching the trailer you begin to see how Evans has crafted a pretty insane actioner.The film opens in the U.S. on March 23rd under the title The Raid: Redemption, but Evans previously told Steve that The Raid is the first in a planned trilogy. He talked extensively about the follow-up and said he hopes to bring car chase elements to the sequel, Berandal. THR confirms that both Evans and star Iwo Uwais are officially set to return for the next installment, and Evans told Steve that the budget for Berandal will be “significantly larger” than the first film, with an eye towards close to $3 million. Production on the sequel will apparently last around 100 days.