The Mortal Instruments sequel to start filming again next year

Movie executives at German company Constantin Film are moving forward with a sequel to THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES, despite the film's box office failure earlier this year (13).

Production for The Mortal Instruments: City of Ashes was shelved after the first installment of the franchise underperformed globally, making just over $100 million and reportedly failing to break even.

But fans have campaigned for a sequel and now executives have agreed to green light the follow-up, which will start shooting next year (14).

Constantin Film's head of film and TV, Martin Moszkowicz, tells The Hollywood Reporter, "The fan response, from the blogosphere and the thousands of mails we have received, has encouraged us to keep going. It's been overwhelmingly positive, in contrast to some other YA (young adult) titles.

"We are analysing what we did wrong with the first film, particularly with the positioning and marketing, and what changes we have to make. We are working with a great group of people to reposition the franchise (for City of Ashes). The readers of Mortal Instruments are older than you might think. That may have been one issue in our marketing, that we focused too much on a very young audience segment."

Former real-life couple Lily Collins and Jamie Campbell Bower are expected to return for the sequel.