Director Vincenzo Natali, of 1997′s cult hit Cube, was in Washington, DC recently promoting his newly released sci-fi thriller, Splice. To put it bluntly, go see the film. For anyone who can appreciate a thoughtful, transgressive and provocative creature story, you won’t be disappointed by Splice. And not give too much away, but the narrative does leave room for a potential sequel. My enthusiasm for what Natali has crafted doesn’t mean I endorse a follow-on film (most initiatives of which are motivated more by money than story), but I was curious what the director thought of the idea.

“I really got to say, in all honesty, I never intended a sequel for the film. I understood in writing that ending, that it could apply a sequel. But never was that the intent. I really thought that was the right way to end the story. And all of my films end with a question, really. The end is always a beginning for something else.”

Natali added, “I suppose if it’s successful they would want a sequel, then I might have to consider it. I went through an experience with Cube, my first film which was sequelized, I knowingly and willingly decided not to be a part of the sequels. And I have to say, I somewhat regret that in so much as everyone thinks I was part of the sequels.”

The director went on to describe the types of projects he’d like to work on in the future. Considering his passion for his work, which audiences are surely grateful for, a new film that continues to surround the existing Dren storyline might be an easier bet. “The problem is, I keep wanting to do things that are not easily digested by the system. I can’t work on something that I don’t care about. It just boils down the fact that I’m lazy [laughs]. I’ve been trying to sell out for years. The simple problem being that I’ve been trying to sell my soul and nobody wants it. But that’s only a half truth. In reality, I just can’t work on something that I don’t care about, because it’s just too much work. It’s like having a child. You have to love the child. Even if the eyes are on the side of its head.”

Joel Silver, the Hollywood heavyweight that acquired the film (a first for the man), and Warner Bros., who is distributing it, may be the right pimps Natali has been looking for. “It was really just dumb luck. We never intended to show it to [Joel]. It was just chance. The amazing thing is they loved it. Everything that is crazy and subversive and transgressive about this movie they embraced. We were really, really lucky. If indeed Warner Bros. and the world demands Splice 2, I’ll be there.”