Ico II

Ico II is an upcoming American 3D dark fantasy neo-noir adventure film produced by Sony Pictures Animation. The sequel to 2019's Ico which in turn is based on the 2001 video game of the same name.

Sony confirmed development of the film after the overperformance of the original film in China as well as after it's bigger than expected opening weekend in the United States. Guillermo del Toro was originally unable to return due to his commitments to Nightmare Alley and Pinocchio until the COVID-19 pandemic allowed him to freely come back to direct. Principal photography had begun by early July 2021 and concluded by mid-April 2022, with filming taking place in Atlanta like the original film.

The film is scheduled to be released in the United States on February 3, 2023, in IMAX and 3D formats.

Synopsis
Four years after defeating Queen Michigore, Ico and Yorda who are now a couple live peacefully until a new clan of warriors titled "The Wicked" attack the village, its up to Ico and his team to stop them while undercovering new secrets of the village with help coming from a mysterious warrior from another land named Rayu and Ico's old friend Melvin.

Cast
Dylan O'Brien, Hailee Steinfeld, Jon Favreau, and Jason O'Mara will also reprise their roles as Larz, Mono, Sir Roderick, and Que respectively. Additionally, Geoffrey Rush, Bill Skarsgård, Gary Sinise, and Sharon Stone have been cast in undisclosed roles.
 * Finn Wolfhard as Ico, A young boy with horns who is now the village prince.
 * Millie Bobby Brown as Yorda, The daughter of the late Queen Michigore who is Ico's girlfriend and the village princess.
 * Noah Jupe as Rex, a wander who has mutant abilities.
 * Nicole Kidman as Margli, a youthful elf who was the caretaker of Ico when he was a child.
 * Rihanna as Eva, a former slave of The Queen who is now the leader of the army of the village.
 * Noah Schnapp as Melvin the Wander, a youthful teenage orphan who wanders the world.
 * Mahershala Ali as the voice of Argo, The magical stallion who is Ico's go-to for transportation to any destination.
 * Daniel Craig as King Harold Wilde, the new King of the village.
 * Tye Sheridan as Rayu, a mysterious warrior who hold magic abilities.

Development
After Sony and Disney broke their Marvel deal with Spider-Man in August of 2019, producer Ari Arad discussed with Sony around that same time about a possible trilogy of Ico films and discussions about a sequel to Ico ahead of the film's release that would feature the Wanderer character of Shadow of the Colossus. The inclusion of the character was later confirmed following the character being featured in the film, being played by Noah Schnapp and having the name of Melvin and a different Wanderer that was closer to the one featured in the game, being played by Noah Jupe. By the film's release, Sony later green-lit a sequel, with writers Philippa Boyens and Christina Hodson returning to write a screenplay. At the time of the start of production, director Guillermo del Toro was unable to return to directing the film, due to his commitments with the live-action remake of Pinocchio by Disney with Sony initially searching for a new director with the possibility of Andy Serkis directing which coincidentally would be the second Sony sequel he directs after Venom: Let There be Carnage. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which delayed production of the live-action remake, it gave the option for del Toro to return to direct the Ico sequel. At the time of the announcement, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Noah Jupe, Nicole Kidman, Rihanna, Noah Schnapp, and Mahershala Ali, were all slated to return to reprise their roles in the sequel, with Wolfhard and Brown having a three film contract.

In June 2021, del Toro expected filming to begin at the beginning of 2022. By August, Josh Brolin was believed to be in the running to portray an all new character named King Harold Wilde, who would have a major role in the film. Testing of actors for another new character, had also begun by October, with the shortlist of actors under consideration including Will Poulter, Ashton Sanders, Antony Starr, Timothée Chalamet, Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Pattison, and Christian Bale.

Coming soon!

Release
The film is scheduled to be released on February 3, 2023 in IMAX and 3D formats after previously being scheduled for November 23, 2022 and May 19, 2023.

Marketing
The film's official teaser trailer was attached to IMAX screenings of Stella: An Angry Birds Movie and was later released online on August 23, 2022. The teaser trailer received 152 million views in its first 24 hours of release.

Home media
In April 2021, Sony signed deals with Netflix and Disney for the rights to their 2022 to 2026 film slate, following the films' theatrical and home media windows. Netflix signed for exclusive "pay 1 window" streaming rights, which is typically an 18-month window and included the sequel to Araceli; this deal built on an existing output deal that Netflix had signed with Sony Pictures Animation in 2014. Disney signed for "pay 2 window" rights for the films, which would be streamed on Disney+ and Hulu as well as broadcast on Disney's linear television networks.