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Sometimes a film is so good that you’re able to’t wait to see where it goes next. All the potential is there to explore a wider cinematic landscape. But a sequel isn’t always in the cards, either due to a lack of box office sales, problems with production, or just a lack of creative talent.
Even though the passage of time makes it unlikely a sequel will ever happen, it’s still fun to speculate on what could’ve been. Here are ten films that had the potential to be sequels and deserved one more story to be told.
1994
Runtime
2 hours 21 minutes
True Liesis one of the most eccentric and violently clever Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicles of the 1990s. The film finds Arnold playing a man trying to keep his secret agent status hidden from his family. But he can only keep his work concealed for so long before his wife, played by a reactive Jamie Lee Curtis, gets thrown into the mix and learns that her husband’s day job involves killing lots of bad guys.
While it’s been a long time sinceTrue Lies, director James Cameron habitually lets his films linger long before returning to them. It took him many years to finally produceAlita: Battle Angel, and we waitedover a decade for hisAvatarsequel. While Arnold and Curtis might be older, having them return for another action romp as grandparents could make for an entertaining action/comedy reprisal.
Hulu
True Liesis an action-packed spy romp from director James Cameron that is as explosive as it is fun.
1988
1 hour 43 minutes
It’s miraculous thatWho Framed Roger Rabbiteven came to be. Based on the novel by Gary K. Wolf, the film blurred the line between live-action and animation cleverly. Set in 1940s Los Angeles, Bob Hoskins plays the bitter detective Eddie Valient, trying to clear the cartoon character Roger Rabbit from a murder he didn’t commit. Eddie discovers a conspiracy to wipe out cartoon characters led by the villainous Judge Doom (Christopher Lloyd).
Part of the fun with Roger Rabbit was how it fused various cartoon characters into a fully realized world, where Daffy Duck and Donald Duck could duel on pianos. With the rise of films likeReady Player OneandSpace Jam Legacy, IP-merging films are more common than ever. We have the tech and the synergy, but we need a strong detective premise likeWho Framed Roger Rabbitto make cartoon cameos more compelling.
Disney+
Who Framed Roger Rabbitblends animation and live-action into a creative and rousing tale of crimes and cartoons.
2017
2 hours 2 minutes
After decades of other directors taking a whack at the Xenomorphs, Ridley Scott was onto something when he returned to theAlienfranchise. He posed new questions with the prequelPrometheusand challenged theAliensaga further withAlien: Covenant.Carrying on with the strange origins of the deadly aliens, the film explores the philosophical and scientific establishment of the Xenomorphs while embracing the horror of aliens being set loose on a starship. All of this is brilliantly built from the experimentation of the android Walter, who is so fascinated by humanity that he wants to dissect and tinker with the species.
TheAlienfranchise would continue afterCovenant, but without bringing a conclusion to what Ridley had built. 2024’sAlien: Romulusfelt like a standard prequel that explores some new aspects, but doesn’t build on Scott’s greater questioning of the sci-fi horror saga. Since Ridley Scott is still directing, it’d be a real treat to see what other unique ideas he’d have for bringing his prequel saga to a close.
Alien: Covenantfeatures director Ridley Scott presenting some new sci-fi and horror ideas for the Alien franchise.
2012
1 hour 24 minutes
When the superhero genre firmly attained mega-blockbuster status, director Josh Trank was moving toward something more compelling withChronicle. Told in a found-footage format, the film follows the exploits of three teenagers when they’re endowed with superpowers. The power becomes too much as these youngsters turn towards more violent ambitions with corrupting abilities.
Returning to this found-footage format documenting superpowers would be a refreshing reprisal of this surprise blockbuster. Trank’s film probed deep into the psyche of these characters and how their powers affected their morality. Catching up with these characters and seeing how they’ve adjusted could be an interesting angle to explore amid a post-Avengersera of superhero films.
MAX
Chronicleapplies the found-footage format to the superhero story with intriguing and dark results.
2014
1 hour 52 minutes
A hilarious theatrical adaptation of the cop drama21 Jump Streetwas a surprise, but even more surprising was how much fun the sequel was.22 Jump Street, once more directed by the comedic duo of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, moved the undercover cops of Jenko (Channing Tatum) and Schmidt (Jonah Hill) from high school to college. While trying to solve a case, they find themselves changing amid the social pressures of a new academic setting.
A fun draw for anotherJump Streetmovie is the potential for its future. The sequel ended by teasing all the possibilities in the absurd continuations, featuring everything from medical school to mariachi school. It’s hard not to want one of those sequels to come true or even something more unexpectedly silly than that.
22 Jump Streetfinds more fun stuff to do with the absurd cop comedy based on the dramatic TV series.
1999
1 hour 42 minutes
Galaxy Questwas the right parody for the right moment. Playing off the obsessive and dated nature ofStar Trek, the film finds the cast of an old sci-fi show being thrust into an adventure where the space threats are real. An all-star cast adds great chemistry to a film that challenges the perceptions of media while delighting in the old cliches ofStar Trekwith astute jabs.
WithStar Trekhaving experienced a new wave of resurgence with thePicardseries, returning toGalaxy Questto address the reboot, legacy sequels, and cameos would be a lot of fun. Gathering the crew back together for one last mission and passing things onto the next generation would make for an engrossing meta-narrative on the 21st-century shift in franchise reprisals. It might not feel the same with the loss of Alan Rickman, but having some extra payoff with Justin Long rising to the ranks of a Galaxy Quest crew member is a prospect too tantalizing to shelve.
Amazon Prime Video
Galaxy Questpokes fun atStar Trekwhile presenting an entertaining space adventure with an incredible cast.
1998
1 hour 57 minutes
The Big Lebowskiis such a surreal ride that it can’t be so easily defined as a dude trying to get back his peed-on rug. The film finds Jeff Bridges playing the easy-going dude, accidentally thrown into a twisty conspiracy. With his quirky bowling friends by his side, he gets involved with a wild scheme involving nihilistic gangsters and pompous rich folks.
Okay, technically, there is a continuation in the form of the spin-off film,Jesus Saves, but that’s not the same thing. Jeff Bridges, cantankerously playing off the loudmouth Water played by John Goodman, had an incredible chemistry for dudes who basically hung out bowling and having arguments. Watching that dynamic continue into their twilight years would be one adventure most elderly dudes could abide.
The Big Lebowskiis a surreal and sublime adventure of the passive Dude and his stumbling into adventure amid rich folks and rugs.
2023
2 hours 14 minutes
Although not the first to be based on the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop game,Honor Among Thievesis easily the best adaptation. Set in a realm of magic and thieves, the bard Edgin (Chris Pine) is forced to work with a band of misfits to unearth an ancient legend and save his daughter. But this quest will be dangerous, filled with massive dragons, mystical relics, and the deadly magic of Red Wizards.
The fun ofHonor Among Thieveswas that it weaved in charm without getting bogged down and explaining in the world, where recognizing the cameos of theDungeons & Dragonscartoon of the 1980swas a bonus, not a requirement. The creative usage of everything from portals to time-slowing spells creates a world of unlimited potential. If this world could pull off such a charismatic and fantastical height, there’s no limit to where a sequel could go.
Netflix
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thievesis a fantastical adventure that makes the tabletop game palatable for a theatrical film.
2011
1 hour 47 minutes
Based on the legendary comic books by Hergé,The Adventures of Tintinmade an astonishing and astute transition from 2D drawings to motion-capture CGI. Directed by Steven Spielberg (in his first animated film), the movie follows the adventures of the plucky detective Tintin and his dog Snowy. Teaming up with the drunkard Captain Haddock, they uncover a caper about seeking out the treasure of a lost ship.
For being based on a series of comic books, there are plenty more stories to be tapped for a sequel. Plans were in place to adapt the arcs of The Seven Crystal Balls and Prisoners of the Sun with producer Peter Jackson serving as director. Sadly,those plans haven’t fully materialized yet,and all we can do now is speculate on how Jackson could top Spielberg’s impressive first animated film, given that eye-popping chase sequence.
Pluto TV
The Adventures of Tintinis an exciting adventure from Steven Spielberg that brings the comic book to life with motion-capture CGI.
1 hour 35 minutes
Pete Travis’s gritty adaptation of the dystopian cop Judge Dredd was so intense and exciting that it puts the 1995 film to shame. The film finds Dredd (Karl Urban) training a rookie judge (Olivia Thirlby) in the dystopic streets of Mega-City One. The two find themselves trapped in a slum block and must survive the many minions of the ruthless drug lord, Ma-Ma (Lena Headey).
Dreddwas such a robustly brutal adaptation of the comic by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra that one wonders where it could go next. There are plenty of comic books of the character to draw from, and so much more to explore with an exaggerated and satirical future police state. Unfortunately,the box office earnings were lacking, which stalled this stellar depiction of Judge Dredd from going any further than the 2012 film, leaving a satisfied audience with an endless thirst for another film.
Dreddis a dystopian crime thriller faithful to the futuristic cop who doesn’t take off his helmet.
Watching these films with so much potential is bittersweet, with all the signs that a sequel would make for a stellar follow-up picture. With this aspect in mind, it’s essential to recognize a great film when it comes along and shower support to ensure a sequel. Hopefully, with this list, you’ll be able to champion better the movies that deserve at least one more continuation.
