There's a lot of intrigue surrounding The End of Oak Street, not least because it's a dinosaur movie somehow set in suburbia. However, from the moment the first teaser was released, there's been speculation that it's connected to the Cloverfield franchise.
10 Cloverfield Lane was a "surprise" Cloverfield movie in 2016, and while the sci-fi franchise isn't exactly known for dinosaurs, that hasn't stopped eagle-eyed fans from finding (or forcing) connections between that series and The End of Oak Street.
Now, a leak on Reddit may have finally set the record straight. According to a user who saw an early screening this week, there are no Cloverfield references in The End of Oak Street and not even an explanation for how the neighbourhood ends up in the past.
A news report does mention some recent solar flares, while spoilers for the movie's ending—posted in the comment section of the Reddit thread linked above—suggest time travel also comes into play.
After months of speculation, producer J.J. Abrams set the record straight on the Cloverfield theories during last night's premiere.
"The only connection to our Cloverfield movies is that Ewan’s partner is Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who was the star of 10 Cloverfield Lane, who we were very lucky to get to work with and who I adore," the filmmaker told The Hollywood Reporter. "So there was that, but other than that, people are just making connections that they happen to see."
A missed trick, or a smart move not to force a link between a moderately successful franchise and a rare original sci-fi? Most on social media seem to agree that it's the latter, though many are disappointed that the admittedly clever theories didn't pay off.
As of now, the Cloverfield franchise's future isn't clear. Nothing has been announced, though the renewed speculation surrounding The End of Oak Street could be enough to convince the right people that it's worth revisiting in some manner.
After a mysterious cosmic event rips Oak Street from suburbia and transports their neighborhood to someplace unknown, the Platt family soon discovers that their very survival depends on them sticking together as they navigate their now unrecognizable surroundings.
Starring Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor, The End of Oak Street also features Maisy Stella and Christian Convery.
The film is written and directed by David Robert Mitchell and produced by J.J. Abrams, Hannah Minghella, Jon Cohen, David Robert Mitchell, Matt Jackson and Tommy Harper. The executive producers are Chris Bender, Jake Weiner, Joanne Lee and Leeann Stonebreaker.
Mitchell’s team behind the camera includes director of photography Michael Gioulakis, production designer Maya Shimoguchi, editor John Axelrad, composer Michael Giacchino and costume designer Erin Benach.
The End of Oak Street arrives only in theaters and IMAX on August 14.