Geek Movies That Need Sequels (or Not)

Hollywood is franchise happy. So why haven't these amazing flicks received the sequel (or even prequel) treatment?
Geek Movies That Need Sequels (or Not)

A quick Google search reveals that the first-ever movie sequel came about even before the "talkie," when The Birth of a Nation, the notoriously racist 1915 flick from the legendary D.W. Griffith, got a sequel the very next year called The Fall of a Nation. After that, it took a few decades, but Hollywood eventually had many a feature film series—The Thin Man, Ma and Pa Kettle, Mr. Moto, Sherlock Holmes, Tarzan, and many others.

But it wasn't until the 1970s that the "film franchise" (or perhaps more accurately, "media franchise") became a phenomenon. Films like The Godfather and Star Wars proved that sequels—and the surrounding ancillary marketing and merchandising—could be big, big business. In fact, research in 2008 indicated that while most sequels don't do as well as the original film in a series, they still tend to do better than many non-sequels (AKA original films).

Franchises like the Bond films, Star Wars, Star Trek, Alien, Fast and Furious, The Hangover, Toy Story, Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Twilight, and many more prove that series full of sequels is where it's at for Hollywood. So much so that those last three mentioned even created an extra film out of the single final book in their source material. It's a money-grab, but hasn't prevented crowds from flocking.

We're in the age of the sequel (or prequel) but there are some films that take a long time to get a sequel. The Blade Runner follow-up is filming this summer—after 34 years. Independence Day, The Incredibles, Beetlejuice, even Super Troopers all have sequels finished or in the works, years later.

What other films are crying out for a sequel? Here are our picks for the follow-ups we want and need—and a few we're hoping never get revisited, even though the movie execs with dollar-signs for eyes may disagree.

  • Who Framed Roger Rabbit

    1 Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

    The 1988 film, legendary for even more than the expert blend of live action and animation (it had the impossible: Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny appear on screen together!) is about as beloved as a film can get. It was a huge success and instant classic. But outside of some animated shorts starring Roger, there hasn't been a sequel, despite attempts to develop scripts in the early 1990s and the mid-2000s. In 2013, director Robert Zemeckis said he doesn't think a sequel will happen anymore due to changes at Disney, but Gary K. Wolf, who wrote the book the film was based on, said that same year he had a prequel script that would team Roger and Mickey.

    Sequel Desire Level: Low. Why taint perfection?
  • Dredd

    2 Dredd

    After the crap-tacular Judge Dredd film staring Sylvester Stallone, few people thought a movie based on the comic-book future cop/judge would work on the big screen, but the 2012 reboot starring an unsmiling, always-helmet-covered Karl Urban was amazing. What it was not, however, was a smash hit. According to Box Office Mojo, it has a lifetime gross of $13.4 million—the kind of money Star Wars makes in an hour. And, that's less than half what the original, crappy Judge Dredd made in 1995 without even adjusting for inflation. The screenwriter, Alex Garland (director of Ex Machina), says it won't happen, even if there have been petitions. It comes down to the (lack of) money making. That's why they call it the "film business."

    Sequel Desire Level: High, but tempered by reality.
  • 3 Unbreakable/The Sixth Sense

    M. Night Shyamalan burned most of his audience goodwill in the last few years, but his first few films stand up, in particular The Six Sense. But that film was never a fit for a sequel, not like 2000's Unbreakable, Shyamalan's take on the "first act" of a superhero film—the origin—that takes up the entire movie. And it works, unbelievably well, enough so that we're well overdue to get Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson back in the roles they played. Shyamalan talked about the possibility last year during San Diego Comic-Con. Not everyone agrees that a sequel should be made, but watch the video above for comedian/writer Patton Oswalt's take on how to do it in a way that will drive nerd fandom into a frenzy.

    Sequel Desire Level: Moderate, unless Patton is M. Night's script doctor.
  • The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials)

    4 The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials)

    2009's The Golden Compass should have been the beginning of a series to rival Harry Potter for magical spectacle. The trilogy of books by Philip Pullman are legendary; the film's casting was amazing: Daniel "James Bond" Craig, Eva Green, and Nicole Kidman, plus a perfect Lyra, played by then newbie Dakota Blue Richards. Sadly, even after making a tepid $70 million in three months at the U.S. box office (yet over $372 million worldwide), it never got that sequel. Why? One star claimed it was the Catholic Church's fault; the U.S.'s Catholic League (not exactly the same thing as the church itself) did call for a boycott of the film, as the books have a decidedly anti-religion vibe. The bigger reason? New Line Cinema, the film's producers, had to sell overseas rights to finance the film, so they didn't see a big profit.

    Sequel Desire Level: Low; Fingers crossed the recently announced BBC TV adaptation reboot works out.
  • Galaxy Quest

    5 Galaxy Quest

    Even in 2014 headlines said "everyone involved" with the first film wanted a sequel; the passing of actor Alan Rickman last month means there's one less reason to expect, or want, a sequel to this pitch-perfect Star Trek parody film from 1999. It didn't exactly make a ton of money back then, even adjusted for 2016 inflation. In 2015, Paramount TV reportedly was shopping it around as a TV show. As the actors age, it may work to go that route, maybe with a "Next Generation" flavor.

    Sequel Desire Level: High, but stick to TV, and maybe leave Tim Allen at home. Sigourney Weaver should be captain.
  • Pacific Rim

    6 Pacific Rim

    I apologize to no one at all for my unabashed love of this film. It's got freakin' giant robot mechs fighting kaiju monsters. What else do you need in life? That it wasn't a massive hit hurts. Director Guillermo del Toro kept plugging away at it; last year he handed in a script and budget for the sequel, subtitled "Maelstrom." Sadly, after some false starts, it was officially shelved by Universal Pictures in January 2016. Supposedly, it's just a "delay" but we know a cancellation when we see one.

    Sequel Desire Level: Higher than a kaiju. Maybe in a few more years, when Hollywood again runs out of ideas.
  • The Goonies

    7 The Goonies

    I attended a party once with a friend who was utterly convinced that Goonies 2 had already happened. We still laugh about it. Every kid growing up in the 1980s wanted adventures like the Goonies had, so it's understandable. (Maybe he was thinking of the video game.) A couple of years ago, director Richard Donner and stars like Sean Astin and Josh Brolin talked publicly about it. Could it happen? Sure. Will it happen? Not holding my breath. (In other news: Chunk looks like this now.)

    Sequel Desire Level: Low; expect a reboot instead of a sequel (but would be cool if it featured kids whose parents were the original Goonies).
  • Inception

    8 Inception

    Admittedly, a lot of the films on this list are cult faves that didn't make bank. But what about films that were amazingly successful and still didn't get a sequel? One excellent example: Inception , from director/writer Christopher Nolan. He cranked this crazy dream-laden film out in-between Batman flicks; it raked in $292 million in the U.S. and $825 million worldwide back in 2010. Six years later, no follow-up? It probably is because Nolan's a control freak, and star Leonardo DiCaprio has never done a sequel and it doesn't look like he's going to start. Most of the cast did sign to do a sequel; they should just let Joseph Gordon-Levitt take over as star if they get one going.

    Sequel Desire Level: High if Nolan is involved; undesired otherwise.
  • The Rocketeer

    9 The Rocketeer

    This 1991 film, based on the Dave Stevens graphic novel, came out well ahead of the superhero boom, and maybe audiences didn't know what to make of that. Disney, doing superheroes, who fight Nazis? What worked for Captain America didn't catch the audience's ardor here, but man, is this a great movie. The helmet alone is iconic and amazing. Chances of a sequel now, 25 years later, are probably negligible, especially if any of the original actors came back—they'd have to set it in the 1960s. (Which isn't a terrible idea...)

    Sequel Desire Level: Moderate. Tomorrowland , also with lots of jetpacks, also tanked, which doesn't bode well for public interest in the tech behind the hero.
  • The Last Starfighter

    10 The Last Starfighter

    1984's space opera about a boy from Earth drafted into a galactic war only he can win (of course) because he mastered a video game (shades of Ender's Game!) is a cult classic. It's well known for being one of the first to go almost exclusively CGI with the special effects (made with a Cray supercomputer). It gave everything a clean/shiny/anti-septic look—the opposite of Star Wars, which always had tech that always looked well-abused. The film even got adapted into an off-Broadway musical. In 2015, talk originating with the original screenwriter spread rumors of either a sequel or a reboot (perhaps on TV) in the offing; but that all could be complicated by both Universal and Warner Bros. claiming they have the remake/sequel rights.

    Sequel Desire Level: Moderate; No one makes CGI that clean looking anymore.
  • Hancock

    11 Hancock

    I could have gone with another Will Smith outing, I Am Legend , but since the main character died at the end, and the "vampires" in that film aren't that exciting, let's look at Smith as a drunken superhero from 2009. This film isn't exactly beloved, but it made a ton of cash, so why no sequel? In 2009, both Smith and co-star Charlize Theron were "confirmed" for one; though that doesn't mean much in the age of franchise films, where every actor signs their life away for multiple pictures if it looks like the studio can milk it. Since then, rumors and silence.

    Sequel Desire Level: Low. Let's pretend Hancock died, too. The only Will Smith sci-fi film that deserves a sequel is Independence Day, and Smith didn't show up for that.
  • Willow

    12 Willow

    Ron Howard made a film that could have been the Lord of the Rings for a new generation, by magically ripping off the story of Star Wars (and, hell, The Last Starfighter ... thanks, Joseph Campbell). Anyway, Willow from 1988 stars Val Kilmer and Warwick Davis and has a lot of great bits and good will from fans even almost 30 years later. Turns out that Howard and Davis have talked about a sequel to the press, but only in that round-about "sure it could happen" way that means no one is talking about it except fans—certainly not anyone with money.

    Sequel Desire Level: Low, but Disney probably bought it when it got LucasFilm, so once they've beaten the Star Wars franchise into the ground, expect Willow to re-emerge.
  • Special Mention: Hellboy

    13 Special Mention: Hellboy

    Okay, fine, we've covered one Guillermo del Toro movie already, and 2004's Hellboy got a sequel (Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, in 2008)! It shouldn't count... but it does. So much. The movie story of Hellboy is far from complete (unlike the comic book story of Hellboy, which is coming to an end very soon). Star Ron Perlman, much as he hates putting on all that makeup, is ready to roll and never tires of saying it. Del Toro has the story. All it takes is a studio/producer; but Legendary Pictures was where it was being developed, and now Legendary, after some issues, is owned by a Chinese conglomerate. It's also currently busy with Warcraft and next year's Kong: Skull Island.

    Sequel Desire Level: Astronomically high. To not finish the saga on screen is a crime. Let's hope the Chinese like Hellboy.