When a movie achieves mainstream success, it’s natural to wonder when a sequel will be released. Studios want to capitalize on a movie’s popularity, even without an obvious opening. If you’re looking for a reason why this happens? It’s pretty obvious: greed.
Sometimes, Hollywood forces an unnecessary sequel down our throats. While some work out, whether they’re a continuation of the story or a prequel, most fail and tarnish the reputation of an otherwise stellar film.
These are iconic movies that didn’t need a sequel.
Heat
We might as well start here with the recent news of Heat 2 in development starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale.
Michael Mann’s 1995 masterpiece remains untouched, but that didn’t stop him from writing his debut novel, “Heat 2,” in 2022, which serves both as a prequel and a sequel to the original film. There’s no way that Heat 2 will live up to the hype, right?
Joker
Until last year’s Deadpool & Wolverine, Joker was the highest-grossing rated R movie of all time, earning over $1 billion at the box office. A sequel, while completely unnecessary, was bound to happen.
On paper, making the film a musical and introducing Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn was a home run idea. Sadly, Joker: Folie à Deux didn’t see the same success.
Taken
Joker should have learned from Taken: you can’t capture lightning in a bottle twice.
The original 2008 thriller starring Liam Neeson was a surprise hit. It was a bit one-note, but hey, that note worked. Its sequels, however, fell flat.
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The Matrix
Look, I love The Matrix Reloaded. The car chase is one of my favorites of all time, and the action is just as intense as ever.
Unfortunately, Matrix Reloaded goes a little too all-in on Matrix lore and deeper meaning. Plus, the Zion scenes never really did it for me. And, of course, ending on a cliffhanger was pretty disappointing.
Jaws
They needed a bigger boat, but they didn’t need a bigger movie, and we certainly didn’t need three sequels.
Jaws 2 is the best of all the sequels, and even though it wasn’t good, but hey, money talks.
Highlander
Another classic movie that had not one, not two, but three unnecessary sequels.
At least Jaws was a box office success; Highlander wasn’t and wouldn’t achieve its acclaim until years later. Meanwhile, Highlander II: The Quickening is one of the worst movies of all time.
Caddyshack
If most of the main cast from the original movie isn’t willing to return, that’s a sign that you shouldn’t bother with a sequel.
I remember being excited about a second Caddyshack movie as a kid when I was looking for a movie to rent. Thankfully, my parents were there to save me from watching this abysmal sequel.
Speed
Speed 2: Cruise Control doesn’t have Keanu Reeves, and it was toned down to receive a PG-13 rating.
However, it did have Willem Dafoe, so there’s that, I guess. While it saw modest success at the box office, it’s nowhere near the action classic that the original film was.
The Blues Brothers
Unlike most other Saturday Night Live movies, The Blues Brothers was a massive success. It should have been a one-off, however, especially after the passing of John Belushi.
Yet, the movie saw an unnecessary sequel in 1998.
The Exorcist
Never mind horror movies, The Exorcist is one of the best movies of all time. It was nominated for ten Academy Awards, including Best Director and Best Picture, and even won for Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium.
The sequels would never match the original’s success, though, but that’s how horror movies go, I suppose.
American Pie
I’m a sucker for American Pie 2; it proves that a dumb summer comedy doesn’t need to do anything over-the-top in a sequel, just lean in on what you do best, and it’s still good for a laugh or two.
It won’t ever touch the original, though. To be honest, I’m disappointed that American Pie wasn’t re-released theatrically for its 25th anniversary last year.
Gladiator
The 2000 film won Best Picture at the 73rd Academy Awards and is one of Ridley Scott’s best films.
Then, out of the blue, a sequel was released in 2024. Unlike some of the other sequels I’ve mentioned, Gladiator II wasn’t terrible, but you can argue that it’s already forgettable. Who asked for this? Why did we need one nearly 25 years after the fact? Shouldn’t Ridley Scott be busy making random Alien prequels?
Coming to America
Eddie Murphy’s 1988 comedy is a classic that showcases Murphy at his best. He and Arsenio Hall are perfect at playing their numerous characters, and I want to give a special shout-out to Randy Watson.
Like Gladiator, though, it’s not always a good idea to release a sequel two-plus decades after the fact. At least Gladiator II is a decent movie; Coming 2 America is a massive disappointment.
The Hangover
Developing a sequel to a comedy is risky business, as Eddie Murphy recently learned.
Now, I wouldn’t necessarily call The Hangover an all-time classic, but there’s no doubting its place in modern pop culture. Given that, the fact that we got two sequels isn’t much of a surprise, even though it is quite disappointing. None of them match the strength of the original, and it’s not particularly close, either.
The Mask
At least The Hangover‘s sequels brought back the original cast and were released relatively quickly. The same could not be said for Son of the Mask, releasing a full decade after the original.
Sure, both films borrow from the same source material, but The Mask works because of Jim Carrey. The sequel instead features Jaime Kennedy, which excited literally nobody. It also wastes the talents of Steven Wright.
Toy Story 3
I’m convinced that it’s impossible to make a bad Toy Story movie. Disney and Pixar have certainly tempted fate, though.
After what was a perfect conclusion to the original trilogy, Toy Story 4 came along in 2019, looking to capitalize on our nostalgia. It worked, and Disney and Pixar again tempted fate this year with Toy Story 5. It, once again, worked out well. That doesn’t mean these movies needed to be made, though.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Unlike the Toy Story franchise, the Terminator movies haven’t been as lucky with their sequels.
Judgment Day is an excellent movie, though, that proves there’s plenty of juice in the franchise when everything comes together. That’s the thing about the subsequent films, though: everything didn’t come together in them. James Cameron didn’t return after Terminator 2, and to be honest, I don’t blame them. We already got one sequel that came out of nowhere and blew us away. We wouldn’t be lucky a second time.
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