10 movie sequels nobody wanted and 9 we desperately need

  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Plenty of movies get unnecessary sequels — we're looking at you, "Speed" and "Pitch Perfect."

  • Yet there are still many films that never became franchises or got stopped halfway through.

  • Here are 10 films we wish had quit while they were ahead, and nine sequels we're still pining for.

After two "Fantastic Beasts" sequels, we can definitively say we did not need them, and we don't need two more.

Mads Mikkelsen as Gellert Grindelwald in "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore."
"Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore."Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Was anyone really clamoring for the story of Newt Scamander, the Wizarding World's first magizoologist, when the first "Fantastic Beasts" movie was released back in 2016? Not really. But it had been five years since the final "Harry Potter" film, and as anyone living in the 21st century knows, intellectual property is everything.

But when the sequel, "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald," was released in 2018, fans were treated to a confusing story in which it felt like dozens of characters were introduced for no reason, there was no real plot, and it ended with a twist that potentially could have upended years of beloved canon. It has a dismal 36% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, and a slightly less dismal audience score of 54%.

In the four years since "Grindelwald," things have only gotten more uncomfortable in the Wizarding World between Johnny Depp's myriad controversies, creator JK Rowling's transphobic rhetoric, and Ezra Miller's most recent criminal troubles. "The Secrets of Dumbledore" was released in April 2022 to little fanfare, with a still-low Rotten Tomatoes score of 48% and the lowest box-office receipts in the franchise's history.

Do we truly need two more of these movies, that are ostensibly about Newt, who ends up feeling like an afterthought in his own story? Probably not, which is why not even Warner Bros. will commit to a sequel.

Apparently even Lionsgate knew the "Divergent" sequels were a bust — the studio didn't even bother to finish the franchise.

insurgent shailene woodley theo james
"Insurgent."Andrew Cooper/Lionsgate

In the wake of the mega-success of "The Hunger Games" franchise, every other dystopian young-adult saga was turned into a movie series ("Maze Runner," "Ender's Game," "The Host"), but the only one that came relatively close to replicating that success was "Divergent," which was released in 2014.

"Divergent" starred Shailene Woodley as Beatrice, a 16-year-old who lives in a society that is broken up into five factions based on personality traits, but Beatrice has multiple traits and is known as "divergent." Confused? Understandably so, which is perhaps why the first film barely made a cultural impact and has a low 41% on Rotten Tomatoes.

However, two more sequels were produced (2015's "Insurgent," which has a 28%, and 2016's "Allegiant," which has an 11%). As was the 2010s custom, the last book of the series was to be split into two movies, "Allegiant" and "Ascendant," but the reception of "Allegiant" was so poor that the conclusion of the franchise was canceled.

So, we ask: Did we really need "Insurgent" and "Allegiant" if there wasn't going to be a fourth and final film? The answer is no.

"Dirty Dancing" did not need a sequel.

dirty dancing havana nights
"Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights."Lionsgate

"Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights" isn't technically a sequel, more of a spin-off or re-telling, but still: Why?

"Dirty Dancing," while beloved and an inarguable classic, hasn't aged in the best way when you think about the weird age gap between Baby (Jennifer Grey) and Johnny (Patrick Swayze), nor is the abortion plotline necessary in any way ... but it's from the '80s and we cut it some slack because of the electric chemistry between Grey and Swayze and its lovable cheesiness.

"Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights" was released 17 years later, in 2004, and didn't really add anything to the plot to make it less problematic, and in fact, made it weirder by moving the story to Cuba which added some political and racial tension that "Dirty Dancing 2" is simply not equipped to handle.

Movie studios — not every classic needs a remake. Please, let some sleeping dogs lie.

Neither did "Pitch Perfect," and it got two.

pitch perfect 2
"Pitch Perfect 2."Universal Pictures

There's no logical reason for a story about one girl's experience joining her college's a cappella group to turn into a trilogy of absolutely wild films ... besides money.

"Pitch Perfect" is a charming enough comedy that introduced audiences to Rebel Wilson, Ben Platt, Skylar Astin, and Anna Kendrick as a movie star. Also, that song with the cups. It was funny and told a complete story.

Then, it made six times its budget and suddenly this a cappella comedy became a franchise that had no real reason for existing — by "Pitch Perfect 3," the crew wasn't even in college anymore, eliminating any reason they had for singing a cappella at all.

Fans had been clamoring for it, but "Space Jam: A New Legacy" made us all reconsider.

Lola Bunny in Space Jam 2
"Space Jam: A New Legacy."Warner Bros

To my fellow '90s kids out there: I'm sorry to tell you, but the 1996 sports comedy classic "Space Jam" isn't a good movie. Our nostalgia and love of Michael Jordan and the Looney Tunes has clouded our judgment and made us think that a sequel would be a good idea.

We should've known that we had a real problem on our hands when the internet lost its mind regarding the redesign of Lola Bunny. We were warned again when the characters of "A Clockwork Orange" were visible in the background of this movie co-starring LeBron James and a cartoon bunny.

But the true nail in the coffin came when we found out that the villain, played by Don Cheadle, was named Al G. Rhythm ... get it?

"The Mummy" is a classic and "The Mummy 2" has some nostalgia attached to it, but the third "Mummy" movie is an abomination.

the mummy 3
"The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor."Universal Studios

As clothing brand Super Yaki rightfully says, "'The Mummy' (1999) is perfect." Its sequel, 'The Mummy Returns," released in 2001, has its flaws, but the whole gang reunites for another romp in 1930s Egypt and it's a good time.

Seven years later, Universal trotted out Brendan Fraser's Rick O'Connell yet again for the 2008 film "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor," which inexplicably leaves Egypt behind, recasts the inimitable Rachel Weisz with Maria Bello (no shade, but #NotMyEvie), and focuses on their son, Alex.

Do not even get us started on the 2017 reboot starring Tom Cruise. In a word: No.

"Sex and the City 2" almost ruined the legacy of the entire show.

sex and the city movie 2
"Sex and the City 2."IMDb/Warner Bros.

"Sex and the City 2" manages to be boring, racially insensitive, and extremely long, all while being a tourism ad for Abu Dhabi.

Any "SATC" fan should be so grateful that "And Just Like That" was released — even if Miranda's character was potentially ruined, at least it's better than how we left our gals in 2010.

There was no need for a "Snow White" sequel without Snow White, as evidenced by "The Huntsman: Winter's War."

The Huntsman
Emily Blunt and Charlize Theron in "The Huntsman: Winter's War"Universal Pictures

"Snow White and the Huntsman" co-starred Kristen Stewart as the titular princess and Chris Hemsworth as the Huntsman. The 2012 film was a modest box-office hit and received middling reviews, but a sequel was still greenlit.

But when pictures emerged of Stewart and the film's married director Rupert Sanders engaging in some PDA, both were axed from the 2016 sequel."

"They should've put me in that movie! It would've been better," Stewart told The Independent in 2019. "They didn't put me in that movie because I went through such a highly publicized scandal, and so they were like scared of touching that."

So, that's how we ended up with "The Huntsman: A Winter's War," a prequel/sequel to the "Snow White" film that essentially doesn't exist.

The less we speak of "Speed 2: Cruise Control," the better.

speed 2 cruise control
"Speed 2: Cruise Control."Twentieth Century Fox

Simply put, there is no need for a "Speed" sequel without Keanu Reeves. Sandra Bullock is a charming movie star, but even she cannot overcome the gaping hole left behind by Reeves, especially not when he was replaced by Jason Patric, who tries his best, but is just ... not Keanu Reeves.

Was anyone really asking for five sequels to "The Purge"?

the purge
"The Purge."Universal

Somehow, the premise of "What would happen if all crime were legal for a night" has spawned a multi-film franchise — six, to be exact, plus one TV show — and a complex mythology.

There are plenty of other horror films, some on this list in fact, that haven't gotten sequels yet. We'd trade at least one "Purge" film for one of those other ones.

On the other hand, please keep making "Escape Room" sequels forever, a la "Halloween" or "Nightmare on Elm Street."

escape room 2
"Escape Room: Tournament of Champions."Sony

Maybe it's just us, but the 2019 horror film "Escape Room" and its 2021 sequel "Tournament of Champions" were both interesting, visually inventive films that we'd like to see more of. Is "Escape Room" the most prestige horror franchise of our time? Not exactly, but there's something satisfying about people solving (or not solving) puzzles. As many on Twitter have said, "I'd give anything for an 'escape room 3' movie."

It's wild that we still don't have any "Crazy Rich Asians" sequel news.

Crazy Rich Asians Movie 2
"Crazy Rich Asians."Color Force/IMDB

"Crazy Rich Asians" was a downright phenomenon when it was released in 2018, making over $200 million worldwide. It was the first major Hollywood film to have a predominantly Asian cast since "The Joy Luck Club" in 1993; it made stars out of Gemma Chan, Henry Golding, Awkwafina, and Constance Wu; and it made us all want to travel to Singapore immediately.

The film is based on a trilogy of novels by Kevin Kwan, with the next two books being "China Rich Girlfriend" and "Rich People Problems." So, where are the sequels? It's been four years, people — we want more Michelle Yeoh sternly playing mahjong!

When Nicolas Cage said that "National Treasure 3" wasn't happening, hearts everywhere broke a little bit.

national treasure
"National Treasure."Disney

Has a movie ever made you feel more patriotic than 2004's "National Treasure" or its (lesser, but still entertaining) 2007 sequel, "National Treasure: Book of Secrets"? If you're a '90s or 2000s kid, the answer is no.

Cage plays a treasure hunter/American history expert/cryptographer/stealer of the Declaration of Independence, Benjamin Franklin Gates. Already, you can tell it's a perfect movie.

While the first two were both financially successful, and the second film ends with a perfect tease for a third installment, "National Treasure 3" has been pushed back many times. Finally, in 2022, Cage said that a third movie was officially not happening.

Yes, a Disney+ series is coming with Justin Bartha reprising his role as Riley Poole, but it's not the same without Cage and Diane Kruger.

We're still waiting for official confirmation of a "Happy Death Day 3."

happy death day
"Happy Death Day."Patti Perret/Universal Pictures

"Happy Death Day" is another horror franchise we'd like to see continue for at least one more movie. Both the original 2017 film and its 2019 sequel, "Happy Death 2U," were critically and financially successful, and they focused on a genre that has been fascinating to Hollywood for decades: "One of Those Infinite Time-Loop Situations You Might Have Heard About."

Director Christopher Landon has said that he's ready to go on a third film, "Happy Death Day to Us," but is just waiting for the studio to get on board.

"It's a trilogy. I've got to make the third one. Maybe after 'Freaky' we'll figure it out. Both of us really want to do it. So hopefully we'll figure it out," he told Entertainment Tonight in 2020.

If Disney is going to give "Frozen" a sequel, "Tangled" deserves one too, not just an animated TV series.

Tangled
"Tangled."Disney

Twelve years on from the original, it's extremely unlikely that we'd get a sequel to the 2010 Disney film "Tangled," which focuses on the classic story of Rapunzel escaping her tower, with the help of thief-with-a-heart-of-gold Flynn Rider (real name Eugene Fitzherbert).

But if "Frozen," which arguably told a more complete story than "Tangled" did, gets a sequel, there's no reason that "Tangled" shouldn't have gotten one, too. We want to see more of Flynn and Rapunzel's adventures! The (charming) animated series may tide you over, but we want a real, big-budget sequel, too.

It's rude that every other superhero movie got a sequel except for "Sky High."

sky high layla will
"Sky High."Buena Vista Pictures

"Sky High" was many kids' first exposure to superhero movies, as it was a little more child-friendly than the dark story of Batman in "Batman Begins" and not as scary as the horror-tinged "Spider-Man 2."

Instead "Sky High" told the story of Will Stronghold, the son of two iconic superheroes, who might have to contend with the fact that he's "only" a sidekick while attending a high school just for kids with superpowers.

If you've seen the movie — spoiler alert! — you know that Will comes into his own and gains the powers of both of his parents and even gets the girl by the end. But then what? Now that Will's a bona-fide superhero, what's his life like?

There was a possibility of the film getting a college-set sequel, "Save U," but it never materialized, and we're still bitter about it.

Since we've all retroactively decided that Andrew Garfield was a perfect Spider-Man, where's "The Amazing Spider-Man 3"?

Andrew Garfield's version of Spider-Man emerging from a portal in "Spider-Man: No Way Home."
"Spider-Man: No Way Home."Sony Pictures

Unlike "Sky High," "The Amazing Spider-Man" did get a sequel, the extremely underwhelming "The Amazing Spider-Man 2," in 2014, two years after the original. And we thought that was that. Garfield, who went on to become a two-time Oscar nominee and Tony winner and generally beloved movie star, moved on.

That all changed when Garfield, and OG Spidey Togey Maguire, were brought back for Tom Holland's third Spider-Man film, "Spider-Man: No Way Home." Arguably, Garfield gave the best performance in the film (we see you, Willem Dafoe fans, but we disagree), and fans began the campaign for "Amazing Spider-Man 3."

Sure, why not! Sony's clearly still looking for its universe's Spider-Man, and Garfield deserves another shot.

The creative forces behind "Edge of Tomorrow" promised us a sequel, but eight years later, we're still waiting.

The Edge of Tomorrow
"Edge of Tomorrow."Warner Bros.

At this point in Tom Cruise's career, this entry into his action-movie pantheon is underrated. The 2014 sci-fi action film is another time-loop situation, this time with Cruise playing a public-affairs officer in the US Army despite having no fighting experience whatsoever. Instead, he dies over and over again, reliving the same day, and picking up combat skills as he goes, along with the help of Emily Blunt's extremely capable Rita Vrataski.

Two years after its release, screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie told Collider that the idea for a sequel was "locked and loaded," but he could "only say it's a going concern" without giving any details.

Six years later, there's been no "Edge of Tomorrow 2," but there have been two more "Mission: Impossible" movies with two more on the way.

"Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" is the true seafaring adventure film from 2003 that deserved multiple sequels.

master and commander
"Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World."20th Century Fox

"Master and Commander" was released the same year as Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl." Clearly, only one became a giant franchise spawning multiple sequels ... but we'd argue that perhaps it was the wrong one.

"Master and Commander" is based on the Aubrey–Maturin series of historical novels, with "Far Side of the World" taking elements from three of author Patrick O'Brian's series. Russell Crowe reunited with his "A Beautiful Mind" costar Paul Bettany, and they played Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin.

While it's not as "fun" as a classic pirate tale, "Master and Commander" is an entertaining and truly breathtaking spectacle. There are 20 Aubrey–Maturin novels in total — it's time to either reboot the series with a new cast or bring back Crowe and Bettany for a second installment on the high seas.

Read the original article on Insider