Following the surprise cult popularity of Spiders on a Plane (2023), horror fans are getting an upgraded sequel: Spiders on a Plane: Blackout Protocol — a tighter, nastier, and more suspenseful follow-up set to crawl into theaters in early 2026.
In the first film, a routine cross-continental flight descended into chaos when a batch of genetically enhanced arachnids was smuggled aboard and unleashed at 35,000 feet. With passengers trapped in the air and nowhere to run, it mixed creature-feature thrills with claustrophobic disaster-movie intensity. It wasn’t high cinema, but it was an adrenaline-pumping ride.
The sequel takes that same core concept but evolves it. Set two years later, Blackout Protocol opens in a heavily secured military aircraft transporting a recovered container of mutated spiders from the previous outbreak. The flight, operated by a NATO joint task force, seems secure — until a sudden EMP blast disables the plane mid-flight, sending it into an uncontrolled glide through storm-choked skies.
With backup systems failing and communication blacked out, the containment unit fails. Cue the nightmare: dozens of smarter, deadlier, and now camouflage-capable spiders emerge — swarming not just passengers, but blending into shadows, vents, and even body heat. Each room becomes a trap, and paranoia spreads faster than the venom.
Returning survivor Dr. Eliza Grant (played by Naomi Scott) is once again at the center of the chaos. Now a bio-defensive consultant, she’s aboard to monitor the transport. Traumatized but driven, Eliza quickly takes control as crew members begin vanishing one by one. Alongside her is a grizzled ex-special forces pilot (Idris Elba), and a teenage tech prodigy (newcomer Leo Wu), whose drone-controlled surveillance becomes key in detecting the invisible threats.
What makes Blackout Protocol compelling is its focus on suspense over spectacle. The limited lighting, flickering panels, and growing tension among survivors elevate the film from a simple monster mash into something more psychological. There's a stronger emotional arc, too — Eliza’s trauma, the pilot’s redemption, and the teen’s unlikely bravery offer genuine moments of heart beneath the horror.
Director Corin Hardy infuses the sequel with a grimy, lived-in aesthetic. Think Alien meets Snakes on a Plane — but with spiders that think, hunt, and remember.
While still embracing its B-movie roots, Spiders on a Plane: Blackout Protocol promises a more serious, suspense-driven thrill ride — one that might just leave audiences checking overhead bins a little more carefully.
