Producer JJ Abrams has reportedly started work on a direct sequel to the 2008 monster movie Cloverfield.

The film, which utilised a found-camera footage style, followed a group of friends in New York on a night where all hell breaks loose as mysterious creatures begin attacking the city.

Two movies set within the same universe, the claustrophobic 10 Cloverfield Lane and space-set The Cloverfield Paradox, have since been released but did not further the story of the original movie's plot in any substantial way.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Abrams has recruited British writer Joe Barton - also working on a Batman TV spinoff for HBO Max - to develop the script for the new project.

Little else is known about the sequel, although the publication says that it will not utilise the found-footage format of the original movie.

Cloverfield was made on a budget of just $25 million in 2008 but went on to gross $171 million at the worldwide box office.