11 Movies That Should Have a Sequel by Now (But Don’t)

It’s thirty-five years later and we are just now getting a sequel to Blade Runner, arguably one of the most influential science fiction films ever made. Denis Villeneuve’s (Prisoners, Arrival) follow-up to Ridley Scott’s seminal 1982 film, Blade Runner 2049 (aptly titled as it takes place 30 years after the events of the original), lands in theaters on October 6th. To celebrate this next entry in the series, I’ve gathered a list of other films that I believe should have had at least one sequel by now (but don’t):

11.) District 9

District 9 is a fantastic film, sci-fi or otherwise. It’s buzzing with stunning visuals, compelling performances, and meaningful symbolism. And while it (mostly) serves as a rich standalone story, it does leave open some major loose ends that could easily lead into a second chapter. Unfortunately, writer-director Neil Blomkamp’s subsequent films were not been up to par with District 9, which begs the question: “Should he just leave well enough alone?”

10.) Evil Dead (2013)

Evil Dead is a cult classic and the idea of a remake with Sam Raimi only attached to produce seemed like a cheap money grab. Little did we know this would be Director Fede Alvarez’s (Don’t Breathe) coming out party. The fresh-faced filmmaker took the beloved franchise in a more serious direction, choosing to emphasize horror over comedy and cranking the gore factor to ten. The result is a fun splatter fest that left the door open for more crazy-disgusting battles featuring our traumatized, badass heroine.

9.) Big Hero 6

Baymax is cuddly and charming and playfully innocent. Those qualities have made him a cinematic icon, though strong characterization is simply one of many things that Big Hero 6 does right. The film is fun, funny, action-packed and quite often endearing. It’s also beautifully animated with a distinct style all its own. Plus it made quite a bit of money. You’d think Disney would have already green lit a sequel to such a crowd pleasing production.

8.) Zombieland

By the end of its theatrical run, the apocalyptic comedy Zombieland had quadrupled its budget, which is an impressive feat for a film offering one, recycled gag and a cast of mostly nobody’s (at least back then). It’s a fun road trip romp featuring a small band of eccentric weirdo’s that audiences enjoyed spending time with (plus zombie Bill Murray is classic). With such star power as its three leads have built up over the subsequent years, a sequel could do some serious box office damage.

7.) How to Train Your Dragon 2

There were four years between How to Train Your Dragon movies. Surely, DreamWorks couldn’t have known how successful the first film would become and it takes considerable time to animate a feature film, especially one as stunning as ‘HTTYD.’ Still, that’s a long time and by the looks of it, we have to wait at least that long until the third film. I guess if it means getting another entry that’s as beautiful and riveting as the first two, then I guess I’m game.

6.) Wreck-It Ralph

Like Big Hero 6, Wreck-It Ralph is a feel-good Disney adventure. The titular Ralph may not be as squishy-cute as Baymax, but he is a compelling, misunderstood character who’s easy to relate to and root for. Set in a world made up of classic and original video games alike, this franchise has seemingly unlimited lives. It’s true that Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 is in the works, but it’s been five years since the original. Seeing is how that film made nearly half a billion dollars worldwide, why has it taken this long to even announce a sequel?

5.) Unbreakable

Before you get on me about M. Night Shyamalan being in the midst of producing an Unbreakable follow-up, let me remind you that this post is about films that should have had a sequel by now, but don’t. As it stands, we still have yet to know what happened to David Dunn following the events of the 2000 superhero drama or how it ties in with James McAvoy’s Beast. After Split, Blumhouse quickly set their sights on the next entry in the series and with the current comic book craze, now is the perfect time to put it out. 2019 can’t come quick enough.

4.) Man of Steel

A second Man of Steel film was actually in development before DC and WB opted to introduce Henry Cavil’s Big Blue Boy Scout to the Dark Knight and the whole project morphed into Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. Both films were critically divisive and neither met the lofty expectations of Marvel’s big hitters. Still, Superman is one of the most iconic figures in fiction and the powers that be clearly have their hearts set on this interpretation, so why did we get a Suicide Squad movie before a “Man of Tomorrow?”

3.) Dredd

This is more a selfish pick and less a convincing studio pitch. Dredd lost DNA Films millions of dollars. Still, I love everything about this movie. From Karl Urban’s performance as the Law to the visual production and overkill violence. It even made effective use of the otherwise lame 3D technology. Clearly I wasn’t the only fan either. Dredd did pretty well in home video sales and has since garnered somewhat of a cult following, thus making idea of a sequel more relevant. Other notable franchises have justified sequels through years of DVD sales (Anchorman & Zoolander, anyone?).

2.) The Incredibles

If ever there was a Pixar film that set itself up for a sequel, it’s The Incredibles. I mean the film ends off with the super family getting ready to square off with a potential supervillain. Now I’m aware that the long-awaited next installment is finally in production, but by the time it hits theaters next year, it’ll have been fourteen years since that first film and the generation that grew up with the Incredibles as kids will have their own kids to share them with. It’s a sweet sentiment and Incredibles 2 will make gangbusters money, but that’s nearly a two decade wait. There have been three Cars films in that time!

1.) Avatar

Avatar is the highest grossing movie of all-time (not adjusted for inflation, of course). Throughout the film, Director James Cameron (Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Aliens) spends a lot of time and effort building the universe of the Na’vi. All things considered, we should have had at least two more follow-ups in the last eight years. Now Cameron is currently working on four more Avatar movies, but we won’t see the first sequel until 2020. That’s eleven years. Will people still care then?

---

What do you all think about my eleven films that should have had a sequel by now? Do you agree? What other films do you think should have seen another new installment by now? Let me know in the comments below!

Advertisements

Top 7 movie dads of (relatively) recent memory!

Movie dads have been offering moviegoers words of wisdom for as long as there have been movies. It’s unfortunate then that, over the years, many of the more memorable film fathers haven’t exactly been the best fathers. This goes for the likes of Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy, Uncle Buck in Uncle Buck, and even Gru in the Despicable Me movies. Sure, all three earned our affection and the affection of their kiddies in the end, but their initial– let’s say–lack of investment in fatherhood keeps them from joining the upper echelon of cinema caretakers.

So in recognition of Father’s Day, we’d like to shine the spotlight on some of the more recent dads in movie memory. Each can teach us a valuable lesson about what it means to be a great parent. Without further ado, here are the best patriarchs of millennial motion picture:

7.) Mr. Incredible (aka Bob Parr), The Incredibles (2004)

Originally I was conflicted about adding Mr. Incredible to this list. Of course little kids should see their dads as superheroes and the symbolism of Mr. Incredible actually being a superhero sounded too good to pass up. However, like the aforementioned film fathers, Bob Parr begins the movie in a selfish state of mind. Feeling purposeless in a world that’s outlawed superheroism, he begins moonlighting as one for a mysterious client as a way to fill the void. It not until later that he learns his lesson and rediscovers new purpose as a father. When all was said and done, Mr. Incredible’s epiphany was so powerful I felt compelled to include him: it’s not what you do that makes you a superhero; instead, it’s who looks up to you while you do it.

6.) Noah Levenstein, American Pie (1999)

Noah Levenstein (aka “Jim’s Dad”) may not be the “coolest” dad on the block, but if your dad walked in on you in the midst of a compromising position atop your mother’s freshly baked apple pie, you’d want it to be him. Not only does Jim’s Dad approach these delicate situations from a place of understanding but he’s willing to take the blame for an embarrassing situation that otherwise would certainty have lead to a grounding (or at least a timeout). The best part is that he does so without ever losing his cool. Jim’s Dad is endlessly patient with Jim and patience drives great parenting.

5.) Jack Byrnes, Meet the Parents (2000)

Good parents make sure their child is taken care. Great parents make sure their child will continue to be taken care of long after they’re gone. Thus it’s only natural for a parent to be skeptical about anyone their kid will be spending the rest of their life with. If you chipped Meet the Parents down to its basic plot, that’s what you’d find: a parent wanting to be absolutely sure that Ben Stiller is capable of doing this for his daughter. This specific scenario just so happens to be every boyfriend’s worst nightmare. Jack Byrnes is an ex-C.I.A. counterintelligence agent with the training and technology necessary to examine and cross-examine his future son-in-law. Every parent wishes they could be this thorough.

4.) Marlin, Finding Nemo (2004)

R&B Artist Monica often sings about crossing the ocean for the person she loves. In Pixar’s Finding Nemo, Single Fish Father Marlin repeatedly puts his own life at risk literally doing just that in order to rescue his son Nemo from certain, shaky death. Not only does this sea-faring venture help teach kids that sometimes you have to break free from your comfort zone to achieve your goals, but the film doubles as a heartwarming metaphor for the responsibilities of parenthood and the importance of being there for your kids when they need it most.

3.) Bryan Mills, Taken (2008)

Taken is every parent’s worst nightmare: their child takes a trip out of country only to be abducted by men with bad intentions. Thankfully, Bryan Mills possesses a particular set of skills that can help him track down and save his daughter, even if it involves the slow, methodical murder of every person involved with her disappearance. Unfortunately, not every dad is a specially trained ex-C.I.A. operative with an underground intelligence network, but one can understand doing whatever necessary to ensure the safety of your kids.

2.) Alfred Pennyworth, Batman Begins (2005)

Much like the other parents on this list, Alfred Pennyworth is a dedicated father. Unlike the other parents on this list, however, there is no biological basis for the sense of love and duty he feels towards Master Bruce. If you haven’t somehow been made aware by any of the numerous interpretations of Batman over the years, Alfred is not Bruce’s blood relative. He’s the family butler who raised Bruce from childhood after the tragic murder of his parents. It’s a fictitious act of self-sacrifice that reflects the real world compassion of adoption. Instead of shipping Bruce off to an orphanage somewhere and spending the rest of his days  in the sand sipping Malibu from a coconut, Alfred takes Bruce on as his own son and in the process teaches us that sometimes water is thicker than blood.

1.) Chris Gardner, The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

While Alfred’s compassion for his son very much plays out in realistic fashion, but Chris Gardner gets the top spot on our list for one big reason: the dude’s a real person and The Pursuit of Happyness is based on a true story. Nobody is swimming across the ocean or picking off a traffic ring, the man in simply striving to make a better life for himself and his son. It’s simple but that’s true fatherhood: balancing time with your child while simultaneously trying to provide their basic needs and hopefully raising a good human being. It’s a full-time job onto itself and requires compassion and commitment. That’s why this story is so amazing. Not only does Chris have to provide for his son, but he has to do so out on the streets while looking for a job. Chris Gardner is a true superhero and shows us in this film that you can overcome any obstacle for your children.

What do you all think of our list? What film fathers did we miss? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!