Gerard Butler Pulled Out of 'Plane' Sequel Two Weeks Before Filming, Mike Colter Says

It was announced almost exactly three years ago that Gerard Butler and Mike Colter‘s movie Plane was getting a sequel, but it never happened. Now, we have more info on what happened.

Mike was set to lead the sequel, Ship, and while Gerard wasn’t expected to star in the film alongside him, a cameo appearance was probably and he was going to return as a producer.

In a new interview, Mike said the movie was canceled after Gerard backed out of the project at the last minute.

Keep reading to find out more…

“It just, last-minute, Gerard [Butler] decided he didn’t want to go forward with it and there wasn’t a lot of discussion about it. He just… two weeks out, he pulled out and we were sort of left trying to figure out what to do. And eventually, that dissolved,” Mike told The Direct.

Mike said the sequel picked “up where we left off, what happened to that character, and how’d he get off the island. That was where we were gonna go with it. So, I was excited about it.”

Plane followed a flight that experienced a mechanical failure and needed to make an emergency landing in a dangerous area of the Philippines. Butler played the plane’s captain while Colter‘s character Gaspare was a prisoner being extradited.

SPOILER ALERT: At the end of the movie, Gaspare helped save the day and then escaped extradition by escaping into the jungle.

So, what would’ve happened in the sequel?

Here’s the synopsis (via Variety): “Following a high-octane showdown with the local militia on Jolo’s shores, Gaspare manages to commandeer a fishing boat and escape the Philippines. But he’s not out of the woods yet: the media circus surrounding Flight 119 has elevated his public profile, making him the subject of an international manhunt. Hoping to stay under the radar and get far away from his last known location, Gaspare hops aboard a cargo ship in East Asia that’s bound for South Africa. But as he settles in for a long voyage, the stowaway discovers that the ocean vessel is transporting more than goods — it’s also being used as a ferry for a human trafficking ring. A strong moral code won’t allow Gaspare to simply stand by, so he once again puts his own freedom on hold. Together with the ship’s second mate, a last-minute addition to the crew who was unaware of its illicit activities, and a passenger with military experience and a bone to pick, Gaspare embarks on a mission to take down the ship’s corrupt captain, keep its innocent passengers safe, and liberate its captives.”

You can stream the movie right now on Hulu.