Blumhouse’s Scrapped Upgrade Sequel TV Show Gets New Details As Star Calls For Revival

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Logan Marshall-Green is keen to bring his sci-fi masterpiece back to life.

Upgrade, a film from Blumhouse directed and written by Leigh Whannell (known for Insidious), stars Logan Marshall-Green as Grey, a mechanic living in the near future. After a hacking incident leaves him paralyzed and his wife dead, Grey receives an experimental implant – an AI chip called STEM – that restores his mobility and gives him the ability to hunt down those who harmed his family.

Featuring Betty Gabriel (known from Get Out), Harrison Gilbertson (Oppenheimer), Melanie Vallejo (All Her Fault), and Benedict Hardie (The Invisible Man), the 2018 film Upgrade received strong positive reviews and surprisingly earned over $17 million despite only costing $3 million to make. While a TV series sequel was announced in May 2020, with Leigh Whannell and Tim Walsh co-creating and Walsh serving as showrunner, the project was ultimately cancelled during development.

In a recent interview with Grant Hermanns from ScreenRant about the first season finale of Marshals, actor Marshall-Green shared new information regarding the cancelled Upgrade sequel series. When asked if he’d been considered for a role – previous reports suggested the show would feature new characters – Marshall-Green confirmed that “several versions” of the sequel were explored, and one of those versions would have brought his character, Grey, back.

Logan Marshall-Green feels the show was ahead of its time and incredibly relevant to current events, and believes it deserves another attempt. A previous version tried to continue the story immediately after the film, focusing on the character Grey, but despite having talented creators, it ultimately didn’t quite succeed.

Marshall-Green carefully explained he didn’t want to reveal too much, as he believes there’s potential for future stories in that world. However, he did say the show’s cancellation was largely due to factors like the climate, political issues, and the pandemic. Despite the cancellation, he spoke highly of the sequel ideas he’d seen, emphasizing that the movie’s appeal stemmed from the unique futuristic world created by Leigh and brought to life through Felicity Abbott’s production design.

It’s good we’re discussing this because it’s out in the open now, and I’d jump at the chance to work with Leigh again. He’s a fantastic creative person, and I really enjoyed working with him. While not everyone saw it initially, ‘Upgrade’ has taken on a life of its own – it’s become a bit of a cult favorite. I’m honestly thrilled by the amount of love the film still gets, because I really enjoyed making it and being a part of that project.

Marshall-Green has frequently mentioned wanting to revisit the world of Upgrade, but this is the first hint that he might reprise his role as Grey in a sequel. The character’s future has been a mystery since the first movie ended with STEM essentially destroying Grey’s mind. STEM placed his consciousness in a perfect dream where he’s reunited with his wife and can walk again, while the AI now controls his body.

The planned sequel series to Upgrade would have taken place a few years after the movie, exploring a new iteration of the STEM program used to rehabilitate criminals. The story was to center around four main characters. Creator Tim Walsh had likened his vision for the show to A Clockwork Orange, describing the characters as flawed heroes. Ultimately, the series was canceled due to complications from the pandemic and changes in management at Peacock.

It’s unknown if Walsh’s plans would have featured Marshall-Green’s character, Grey, but the Upgrade show had a few possibilities for bringing him back. One idea was that the updated STEM AI could have developed itself inside Grey’s body, then revealed its motives for taking him over.

Instead, the characters who received the new STEM implant could have spent the season of the sequel show looking into the original chip, which would have eventually led them to Grey. While trying to remove the AI from themselves, they might have also found a way to access Grey’s mind within the dream world, giving him the chance to choose if he wanted to stay or be released.

Although the planned sequel show for Upgrade seems to have been put on hold, it’s not completely off the table. Writer Leigh Whannell continues to work closely with Blumhouse Productions, having recently collaborated on The Invisible Man and Wolf Man, and he’s still involved with the Insidious series. There’s even a possibility he’ll work with James Wan again on a new Saw movie now that Blumhouse owns the rights. Plus, because the show has a dedicated fanbase and the original director is willing to return, there’s still hope they can persuade decision-makers to bring it back.

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2026-05-26 19:31