We told you earlier this year that the recent resurgence in shark attack flicks – thanks, The Shallows and 47 Meters Down! – has paved the way for a years-later sequel to Deep Blue Sea, which filmed in Cape Town, South Africa over the summer.

The tentatively titled Deep Blue Sea 2, directed by Darin Scott (Tales from the Hood) and starring Michael Beach, will hit DVD/Blu in 2018, and UHM reports today that the film has been Rated R for “creature violence and gore, and for language.”

Via Syfy, “The plot kicks off with shark conservationist Dr. Misty Calhoun invited to consult on a top-secret project run by pharmaceutical billionaire Carl Durant (Beach). Calhoun is shocked to learn that the company is using the unpredictable and highly aggressive bull sharks as its test subjects. You can probably guess where this goes next, and Warner Bros. teases some “personality” from the sharks that’ll be menacing these hapless humans.”

“We are a true sequel. We wanted to keep to the spirit of Deep Blue Sea and why people love it,” Matt Bierman, creative executive for Warner Bros, recently said. “The research that was used on the sharks in Deep Blue Sea 2 comes from the mythology and story line of the first movie. We have given the lead shark a personality and hope the fans will embrace that as it really helps the story telling and the narrative in a way that first one didn’t. Deep Blue Sea 2 has a slightly slower build but once the rubber band snaps things go boom really quickly!”

Danielle Savre, Rob Mayes, Darron Meyer, Nathan Lynn and Kim Syster also star.