Summary
Many plannedmovie franchises were canceledfollowing the first movie’s poor performance, resulting in some sequel setups that went nowhere. Generally, a poor box office performance is all there is to it —the first movie didn’t make enough money, so the studio abandoned the franchise altogether rather than risk losing more,regardless of whether the movie acts as though there will be a sequel. Other factors may contribute, like a cast or crew member moving on from the project.
A common movie sequel setup is the introduction of a new villainfollowing the defeat of the previous installment’s antagonist. Ambiguous introductions to new conflicts also appear frequently. However, the shared trait is that none of these questions are ever given any answers because the sequel never came to fruition. However, a reboot or the movie’s source material can clue audiences into what would have happened next.
9 Movie Sequels Stuck In Development Hell That We Still Hope Will Happen
Movies like Sherlock Holmes 3 and Legally Blonde 3 have been in the works for years, but hope for their release doesn’t fade yet.
10The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 sets up the Sinister Six.
Andrew Garfield plays a divisive version of Peter Parker in the two movies comprising the first Tobey Maguire-era reboot.BothAmazing Spider-Manmovies were technically successful,even if their profits were not monumental. Yet the franchise would end there following Garfield being fired from the role and Disney/the MCU acquiring the rights to the character. Therefore, the tease for the Sinister Six at the end ofThe Amazing Spider-Man 2is a loose thread.
Domestic gross
Worldwide total
$203,605,622
$709,734,012
Following Gwen Stacy’s death, Peter decides to keep fighting crime and makes a triumphant return in his battle against the Rhino. However,the movie also shows a darkened Oscorp laboratory where gear recognizable as some of the Sinister Six’ssignature pieces are seen.The Amazing Spider-Man 2clearly sets up either a sequel or a spinoff, but this didn’t happen when Spider-Man would soon be joiningTeam Iron Man against Team Cap.
All box office information contained in this list is according toboxofficemojo.com.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
The Amazing Spider-Man 2, released in 2014, continues Peter Parker’s journey as he balances life as Spider-Man and his relationship with Gwen Stacy. Facing new challenges, Peter encounters the formidable Electro and is reunited with Harry Osborn, while uncovering significant revelations about his past.
9The Golden Compass (2007)
The unintended ending of Lyra and her friends' quest.
Following the success of theLord of the Ringstrilogy at the beginning of the 2000s andThe Chronicles of Narniain 2005, filmmakers tried to maximize on the growing taste for fantasy with another movie franchise adaptation of a classic fantasy book series.The Golden Compasshas an admittedly amazing cast, with highlights like Nicole Kidman as Mrs. Coulter, Daniel Craig as Lord Asriel, and Sam Elliott as Lee Scoresby.The Golden Compasssets up a sequel that never happenedfollowing the movie’s critical and commercial failure.
$70,107,728
$372,234,864
The Golden Compassends with Lyra and her friends flying into the sunset in Lee’s balloon,with the vague plan of saving the world and finding Asriel (Lyra’s father). The sequel was never made, andHis Dark Materialswas eventually rebooted as an HBO Max series. This show saw the story to completion and includes all the characters who don’t appear in the first book.
8The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader (2010)
Eustace is meant to return to Narnia with Jill Pole.
In the last scene, Eustace’s mother is heard off-screen telling him that Jill has come to the house to see him.
The Chronicles of Narniastruggled as a movie franchise after the massive success ofThe Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.Prince Caspianmade a significantly smaller profit, andVoyage of the Dawn Treadereven less. Despite this,an adaptation of the next book,The Silver Chair, was in development for some time.Per the tradition of theNarniastory, Lucy and Edmund are deemed too old to return to Narnia at the end ofDawn Treader, asPeter and Susanwere at the end ofPrinceCaspian.
$104,386,950
$415,686,217
However, Aslan tells the Pevensies' younger cousin Eustace that he may still be called back to Narnia.This sets up the events ofThe Silver Chair, where Eustace returns with his friend Jillto rescue Caspian’s son. Jill is even referenced in the movie: In the last scene, Eustace’s mother is heard off-screen telling him that Jill has come to the house to see him.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Based on C.S. Lewis’s popular book series, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is the third film in the trilogy and takes place three years after the prior film and follows two siblings joined by the new king of Narnia, Caspian, as they try to save their world from all-encompassing darkness. The group will travel the seas to save seven missing lords to prepare for the coming battle.
7Artemis Fowl (2020)
Artemis tells Opal Kobai that it isn’t over.
There are eightArtemis Fowlbooks,seemingly the perfect source material for a long-running franchise. The series caters to the same market asPercy Jackson and the Olympians— another franchise that failed to get off the ground. In the onlyArtemis Fowlmovie (which isn’t likely to ever get a sequel), the young protagonist and his ragtag group of allies are on a mission to rescue Artemis' father from a villainous figure.
Wordlwide total
N/A
At the end of the movie, a powerful stolen artifact is returned to the Lower Elements Police Council and Artemis' father is rescued.Artemis then calls the series' main villain Opal Kobai to tell her that they are coming after her,before the movie ends. Artemis basically says"this isn’t over,“when any audience member who knows the barest amount about the movie’s reviews knows it is. The movie also struggled financially due to only being released on Disney+ during lockdown.
Artemis Fowl
Loosely based on the first book in the series by Eoin Colfer, Artemis Fowl tells the story of the titular character, a 12-year-old genius who, after the disappearance of his father, captures a fairy in order to receive her help for a rescue mission. The film stars Ferida Shaw in his movie debut, with a wider cast that includes Josh Gad, Judi Dench, and Colin Farrell.
6Red Sparrow (2018)
Dominika is called in for another mission?
Francis Lawrence’s reunion with Jennifer Lawrence forRed Sparrowdid not achieve as much success as they might have hoped,and any plans for a sequel were jeopardized following the movie’s release.Red Sparrow’sendingis somewhat confusing, a result of the movie being characterized by double agents and betrayals. However, it does strongly imply that things are not over for Dominika.
World total
$46,874,505
$151,572,634
At the end of the movie,Dominika is installed as a well-positioned and respected spy for the CIAwithin the Russian government and has accomplished her plan for personal revenge. However, a mysterious phone call in the last seconds of the movie could be from the CIA, or it could be something else. The movie’s audience will never know for sure, but they can find out more about the protagonist’s future adventures from the source material.
Red Sparrow
Based on the novel by Jason Matthews, Red Sparrow stars Jennifer Lawrence as Dominika Egorova, a former ballerina turned Russian intelligence officer who becomes involved in a plot to root out CIA agents operating in Russia. Assigned to get closer to agent Nate Nash, Dominika begins to question her commitment to her country when Nash offers her the opportunity to become a double agent. Joel Edgerton, Mary-Louise Parker, and Jeremy Irons also star.
8 Movies Franchises That Were Supposed To Replace The Hunger Games
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5Green Lantern (2011)
Sinestro becomes Green Lantern’s nemesis.
Green Lanternis widely considered one of the worst superhero movies there is, but was still intended to set up a franchise, in the time of the MCU slowly building its world. After a two-hour mess of bad writing and embarrassing CGI,Green Lanternconcludes with a basic rescue and defeat of the villain.Hal is recognized as a Green Lantern, has a romantic moment with Carol, and flies away.
$116,601,172
$237,201,172
Then, in the tradition of most superhero movies nowadays, a mid-credits scene is included to tease the sequel. In the comics (and the movie), Sinestro is a member of the Green Lantern Corps destined to be corrupted. In the credits scene,Sinestro puts on the yellow ring, foreshadowing how he will become the Yellow Lantern,the supervillain to Green Lantern. However, this (thankfully) was never seen due to the movie’s failure.
Green Lantern
In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, a small but powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. A brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan. Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before. But Hal is clearly the missing piece to the puzzle, and along with his determination and willpower, he has one thing no member of the Corps has ever had: humanity. With the encouragement of fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris (Blake Lively), if Hal can quickly master his new powers and find the courage to overcome his fears, he may prove to be not only the key to defeating Parallax…he will become the greatest Green Lantern of all.
4Austin Powers In Goldmember (2002)
A new villain appears to fight Austin Powers.
Mike Myers’ goofy spy trilogy is a staple of the late 1990s, anda fourth movie entered development following the release ofAustin Powers in Goldmember.However, this movie has yet to be made, while the previous installment left viewers with the promise of a new villain. For the existing threeAustin Powersmovies, the main villain is always Austin’s nemesis Dr. Evil, who incites multiple missions for Austin.
$213,307,889
$296,938,801
However, at the end ofGoldmember, Dr. Evil is redeemed after meeting his father and learning that he’s Austin’s brother.Dr. Evil’s son Scott is then set up as the new villain.Because the sequel is still nonexistent, people may still wonder if Scott would be able to carry the role of the franchise’s new villain.Austin Powersmay be suited to this particular moment in pop culture, while only one villain may work for the story.
Austin Powers in Goldmember
Austin Powers in Goldmember is the third film in Mike Myers James Bond parody franchise. Jay Roach returns to the director’s chair, along with Mike Myers as Austin Powers, Dr. Evil, Fat Bastard, and a new character, Goldmember. Beyoncé Knowles is Powers' new love interest in the sequel named Foxxy Cleopatra.
3Eragon (2006)
Galbatorix’s dragon is revealed, foreshadowing future conflict.
Eragonalso has a generic ending, showing Eragon and Saphira’s defeat of Durza. After healing from the wounds they sustained during this battle, they part ways with Arya, both heading off to accomplish some nebulous tasks to prepare to fight the evil king Galbatorix. However,the movie’s final scene is actually of Galbatorix, where his massive dragon is revealed.It is a kind of horror movie reveal of the impossibly terrifying monster at the end of Eragon’s journey.
$75,030,163
$250,425,512
However,any kind of dread and terror that might have been conveyed at this moment is undermined byEragonbeing an awful movie. It is one of the most hated adaptations of a fantasy novel, with poor writing that fails to capture the epic nature of the books, and an overall terrible production quality. In this movie universe, Eragon never fights Galbatorix, but hopefully, theEragonTV showwill get to this moment.
Eragon
Eragonis based on the book series of the same name, part of a more extensive book series known as the Inheritance Cycle. In his homeland of Alagaesia, a farm boy named Eragon (Ed Speelers) happens upon a dragon’s egg. This egg leads him on a journey to protect his home from tyrannical monarch Galbatorix (John Malkovitch) and a dark sorcerer named Durza (Robert Carlyle). However, Eragon discovers that the egg contains a mighty dragon named Saphira (Rachel Weisz) that he bonds with, and with the help of friends and family, Eragon will challenge the empire and do what he can to keep the dragon safe.
2Super Mario Bros. (1993)
Daisy recruits the Mario Bros. for another adventure.
The firstSuper Mario Bros.movie — a live-action one in this case — also obviously got no sequel because it was just a bad movie.A live-action adventure for Mario and Luigi was always an ill-advised ideabecause of how exaggerated the characters are. After the defeat of King Koopa,Super Mario Bros.apparently sets up a sequel. However, it is possible to accept that its ending is just an undefined promise that Mario and Luigi will continue to have adventures after the movie is over.
$20,915,465
$20,928,292
Essentially, the brothers are at home, hearing about themselves on the news, whenDaisy bursts in, saying that something else is happening, and they need to come quickly.This is never followed up on, although the newSuper Mario Bros.movie also ends on a cliffhanger. In this case, the first movie was much better, andThe Super Mario Bros. Movie 2is expected in the future.
Super Mario Bros.: The Movie
Loosely based on the video game series of the same name, Super Mario Bros.: The Movie was the first film adaptation of the iconic brotherly plumber duo as they face off with the evil President Koopa. When Luigi’s crush, an archeology student named Daisy, is kidnapped and dragged along with other girls into another dimension connected to New York City, Mario and Luigi rush to their rescue. To save her - and both worlds - the brothers will have to navigate a strange dystopian city ruled by a self-elected president named Koopa.
10 Movie Sequels That Made Viewers Quit Their Franchises
Some franchises meet their doom thanks to a growing disinterest from the public, but other cases have a bad sequel that kills the series.
1National Treasure: Book Of Secrets (2007)
The page 47 mystery is meant to be the next adventure.
The fictional president tells Ben Gates to take a look at page 47 in the President’s Book of Secrets, hinting at another mystery to solve.
Unlike the first movie,National Treasure: Book of Secretssets up a very clear plot for a sequel. Ironically, this is the sequel that would never happen.The fictional president tells Ben Gates to take a look at page 47 in the President’s Book of Secrets,hinting at another mystery to solve. Ben takes a picture of the page while reading the book, and at the end of the movie, says he is looking into it.
Domestic release
$219,964,115
$459,242,249
National Treasure 3has never gotten off the ground, while theNational Treasure: Edge of HistoryTV show only lasted one season.OriginalNational Treasuredirector Jon Turteltaub has suggested that the next movie could still happen,but it seems unlikely at this point when pop culture has long moved on from it. Therefore, page 47 has been left untouched, like other movie cliffhangers with no follow-up.
National Treasure: Book of Secrets
National Treasure: Book of Secrets follows historian Benjamin Franklin Gates, portrayed by Nicolas Cage, as he seeks to uncover the truths behind Abraham Lincoln’s assassination by exploring a set of hidden clues. Jon Turteltaub directs this adventure-filled sequel, where Gates navigates intricate puzzles and international intrigue with a supporting cast including Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, and Helen Mirren.
