It’s no secret that Hollywood loves a sequel, but for a variety of reasons, some of the most exciting sequels end up being canceled. Usually, if the boxes are ready and the casino receipts are positive, it shouldn’t be much of a struggle to get a sequel off the ground. However, there are a million things that can go wrong. Some exciting sequels stuck in development hell for years, or scrapped altogether.
Influential directors like Spike Lee, Neil Blomkamp and Robert Zemeckis have all seen their sequels get cancelled, proving that it can happen to anyone. In other cases, it’s the director who pulls the plug if they lose enthusiasm for a sequel idea. These days, movies from decades ago are getting surprise sequels, so there’s always hope that old ideas might be revived. However, this runs the risk that the ideal time for a sequel is long gone, and the movie audience ends up not being the one they wanted years ago.
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The movie critic
Quentin Tarantino recently scrapped his sequel to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Quentin Tarantino has scrapped quite a few projects in his career because he tends to be very selective about the movies he makes. He has often talked about the importance of his legacy, so if he feels that a movie might end up being a dud, he will simply pull out and go back to the drawing board. His latest cancellation was set to be one of his most highly-anticipated projects of all, since His tenth movie will be his last, if he sticks to his plan.
Details are relatively hard to come by the movie critic, But some reports suggested that there was a sequel to Once upon a time in Hollywood.
Details are relatively hard to come by the movie critic, But some reports suggested that there was a sequel to Once upon a time in Hollywood. One concrete detail is that Brad Pitt has agreed to star, potentially reprising his role as Cliff Booth. There were also rumors that The movie critic Would have Tarantino’s versions of some classic New Hollywood movies, from where Once upon a time in Hollywood Abandoned.
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Alien 5
Neill Blomkamp’s Alien sequel never got off the ground
District 9 Director Neil Blomkamp announced in 2015 that his next project would be a sequel to The Alien Franchise. While Ridley Scott is still interested in developing his prequel series, Blomkamp’s potential sequel was meant to continue the timeline of the first two Alien Movies, although he planned to recon or ignore Alien 3 And Alien Resurrection. Ultimately, 20th Century Fox chose to fund Scott’s next prequel, foreign: bond, Without opting for Blomkamp’s risky plan.
Ultimately, 20th Century Fox chose to fund Scott’s next prequel, foreign: bond, Without opting for Blomkamp’s risky plan.
Sigourney Weaver and James Cameron both spoke positively of Blomkamp’s vision for alien 5, However The project never developed into a full-length script. There are only a few ideas and concept art sketches that have been made public, showing new xenomorph variants, a jungle setting and different military factions. The experience of working on Alien 5 has had an impact on Blomkamp’s view of Hollywood, and may go some way to explaining why he has resisted so many questions on District 10.
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The naked gun 4
Leslie Nielsen’s cop comedy could have kept going and going
The bare gun Trilogy is rare for a comedy franchise, because it remains just as funny until the end. While other comedy sequels tend to suffer from a lack of spark, the detective-spoofing jokes of The bare gun Mean that the plot is secondary. Leslie Nielsen’s hilariously deadpan performance as Frank Drebin is a joy to watch in all three movies, and he’s almost back for a fourth.
the naked gun 4, Tentatively titled rhythm of evil, was announced in 2009.
the naked gun 4, Tentatively titled rhythm of evil, was announced in 2009. Alan Spencer wrote a script that paired Frank with a rookie cop. It would have introduced a new dynamic to the franchise, and it could have allowed Nielsen to pass the torch to a younger generation of incompetent cops. Now, 30 years since the last movie, The bare gun is getting a reboot starring Liam Neeson.
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The restaurant at the end of the universe
Douglas Adams series of novels deserves a big movie franchise
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is based on the first novel in Douglas Adams’ best-selling sci-fi series. It could easily have started a long-running franchise, but its mediocre casino receipts meant that any hope for a sequel was soon cut short. The next book in the series is The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, Which follows the crew of the Heart of Gold on another intergalactic misadventure.
A sequel could have built on the positives of the first movie while introducing more quirky characters and quirky planets.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy It wasn’t the most faithful adaptation, but it was always going to be a challenge condensing Adams’ surreal comedic saga into one movie. A sequel could have built on the positives of the first movie while introducing more quirky characters and quirky planets. After Alan Rickman’s death, a sequel would not be the sameBut there is always a chance that another adaptation could take off at some point.
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Atomic Blonde 2
David Leitch’s Cold War thriller deserves a second act
David Leitch was an uncredited co-director on the first one John Wick movie, and he brings his punchy action choreography to atomic blonde, A spy thriller with Charlize Theron. Set in Berlin just before the wall came down, Atomic blonde Follows a British spy who has set up a list of suspected agents. Atomic blondeThe neon-soaked style gives it an appropriately hedonistic atmosphere to indulge its violent desires.
Atomic blonde was a box office hit, and both Leitch and Theron voiced their enthusiasm for a sequel.
Atomic blonde was a box office hit, and both Leitch and Theron voiced their enthusiasm for a sequel. Little by little, news of the elusive sequel began to fail, and there was no further information since Netflix supposedly began development in 2020. It is possible that Atomic Blonde 2 Will happen one dayBut it is just so rare that the opportunity has already come and gone. Leitch and Theron both seem to have moved on for the time being.
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Night skies
Columbia Pictures asked Steven Spielberg for a close encounter of the third kind sequel
Close encounters of the third kind was a big hit for Steven Spielberg early in his career, and Columbia Pictures soon lobbied him to start working on a sequel. Spielberg believed he had already told the story he wanted to tell, but he didn’t want someone else to take charge of a sequel, which is what he saw happen with Jaws. His compromise was to develop a movie called Night skies.
Spielberg did not end up making night skies, But he chopped up his script and used it as inspiration for et the extra-terrestrial.
Night skies was developed as a spiritual sequel to Close encounters of the third kind, with a plot inspired by the Kelly-Hopkinsville alien sightings of 1955. Spielberg did not end up making night skies, But he chopped up his script and used it as inspiration for et the extra-terrestrial, As well as Poltergeist And Gremlinswhich he produced but did not direct. Spielberg is currently developing another UFO movie.
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Who Framed Roger Rabbit 2
Robert Zemeckis almost made an unprecedented war movie
Who Framed Roger Rabbit Was a huge success at the box office, and soon after the talk about a sequel. The initial plan was for a prequel, tentatively titled Roger Rabbit: The Doon Platoon. In World War II, The toon platoon was to show Roger and a squad of other cartoon characters behind enemy lines in Germany, trying to save Jessica from being held captive and forced to make Nazi propaganda.
In World War II, The toon platoon was to show Roger and a squad of other cartoon characters behind enemy lines in Germany.
Although The toon platoon Not taken away, Robert Zemeckis explores some other ideas. He abandoned the World War II plot, but retained the idea that Roger was searching for his parents. Some test footage was shot for the retitled Who discovered Roger Rabbit In the 1990sBut the sequel would have required double the budget of the original. Zemeckis wanted to add CGI to his blend of live-action and hand-drawn animation. This was the closest the sequel came to being produced, although rumors occasionally resurfaced over the next couple of decades.
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The nice guys 2
Shane Black’s Buddy Cop comedy ends with a sequel
Shane Schwartz mastered the art of buddy-buddy comedies with these Lethal weapon Franchise and kiss kiss bang bang And The nice guys Led on the trend. Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe don’t seem like the most natural comic pairing, but they make for a brilliant dynamic. Their chemistry is too good to be wasted on just one movieBut any talk of a sequel is long.
Despite his financial failure, The nice guys has developed a cult following over the years.
Shane Schwartz seemed interested in a sequel for the good guys But an underwhelming performance at the box office may have killed any hope for more. The nice guys Ends with an exciting tease for a follow-up, as Haley and March agree to start a detective agency together. Eight years later, this joke is even more excruciating. Despite his financial failure, The nice guys has developed a cult following over the years.
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Ghostbusters 3: Hellbent
Dan Aykroyd’s idea was shelved after Ghostbusters II
Although Ghostbusters became an instant sci-fi classic when it was released in 1984, Ghostbusters II Failed to live up to expectations. That meant another sequel was tricky, and the franchise took a long break before the all-female reboot in 2016. Dan Aykroyd remained optimistic for years that his idea for Ghostbusters 3 would get the green light. Unfortunately, it never panned out.
When a “poltergeist plague” is unleashed on Manhattan, the Ghostbusters travel to an alternate dimension called Manhattan, where they finally have a showdown with Lucifer
titled Ghostbusters 3: Hellbent, The plot of the sequel takes place a few years later, as the original Ghostbusters team trains the next generation. When a “poltergeist plague” is unleashed on Manhattan, the Ghostbusters travel to an alternate dimension called Manhattan, where they finally have a showdown with Lucifer. Some elements of this idea were used in the 2009 Ghostbusters Video gameWith the player acting as the new recruit.
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Inside Man 2
Spike Lee planned to bring Clive Owen and Denzel Washington back together
Spike Lee Inner man It eventually got a sequel, but it wasn’t the one fans wanted. 2019s Inside Man: Most Wanted was made without any of the same crew members or Spike Lee, and it failed to live up to the original. Lee first started talking about Ann Inner man Sequel shortly after the release of the first movie in 2006. It was his highest-grossing movie ever, but he still couldn’t get the money for a follow-up.
Inner man was Spike Lee’s highest-grossing movie ever, but he still couldn’t get the money for a sequel.
Heist movies don’t get sequels very oftenSince it is difficult to come up with another story after a climactic crime. The ocean s Trilogy is one notable exception, and Michael Mann is currently working on it heat 2, But there are not many others that maintain a high quality. Spike Lee’s plan for Inner man was to have Clive Owen’s character pull another heist, which Denzel Washington’s cop would once again try to prevent.