While the2023 box officehas been somewhat grim so far, it’s not a sign that sequels are going away anytime soon. In fact, the performances of this year’s sequels indicate that audiences are actually taking quality into consideration when they choose to spend money on movies in theaters. Rather than be depressed that theaters are “dying” because a few expensive studio blockbusters underperformed, film lovers should be energized that for once, good moviesseem to be overperforming! While non-sequels likeAsteroid CityandPast Liveshave been doing well in their limited markets, it seems like sequels that are actually good have a place with audiences as well.
It’s unsurprising that the sequels this year that have underperformed have been those that audiences just weren’t excited about,Fast Xdidn’t feel any different from the rest ofThe Fast and the Furiousfilms,Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destinywas hardly the energizing sequel thatTop Gun: Maverickwas, and comic book sequels likeAnt-Man and the Wasp: QuantumaniaandShazam! Fury of the Godsfelt like massive decreases in quality compared to their predecessors. On the other hand, many of the year’s most successful films have been sequels that surpassed expectations.John Wick: Chapter 4didn’t just become the best film in theJohn Wickfranchise, but one of the best action movies ever made.
Similarly,Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verseproved to be the only comic book movie that actually explained the Multiverse in a way that made sense, andGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3actually felt like a worthwhile conclusion to the character arcs that James Gunn had begun in 2014. Even films likeCreed III, Scream VI,Evil Dead Rise, andMission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part Onewere hailed as solid entries in franchises where the quality has been more uneven, and as a result, audiences turned out in packs to go see them. If there is an actual desire to see new movies from a franchise, then a studio is completely justified in making a sequel for non-financial reasons. Here are some movie franchises that should return soon.
7The Muppets
The Muppetsis one of the most culturally important movie franchises of all-time, as Jim Henson’s genius television show brought respect to the art of puppetry and provided a perfect medium for both adults and children to enjoy his characters. Some of the films in the series, such asThe Muppet Movie, Muppets Take Manhattan,andThe Great Muppet Caper,are genuine classics, and it would be great to see another solid entry in this series from a promising young creator.
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6Universal Soldier
Roland Emmerich’s 1992 action movieUniversal Soldierisn’t any better than the other films within his filmography, but director John Hyams managed to radically reinvent the series with 2009’sUniversal Soldier: Regenerationand 2013’sUniversal Soldier: Day of Reckoning. TheUniversal Soldierfranchise transformed from a generic action series to a disturbing examination of the Internet age and rise of toxic masculinity, fascism, and violent extremism. This is one franchise that has managed to get more inventive as it continues.
5The Rocketeer
Considering that Disney has been mining every franchise that they own for a potential sequel, now would be a better time than ever to revisitThe Rocketeer. While it underperformed at the time of its release,The Rocketeeris easily one of the greatest superhero movies of the 1990s, and clearly inspired the work that director Joe Johnston would do again when he was approached by Marvel to direct 2011’sCaptain America: The First Avenger.
4Robin Hood
Robin Hoodis a character thatexists within the public domain, so any director or studio could take a stab at bringing this beloved fictional outlaw back to life. Considering that there have been excellent Robin Hood films from filmmakers as incredible as Ridley Scott, Michael Curtiz, and Richard Lester, it would be exciting to see a young filmmaker from this generation take a chance on the iconic story.
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Not every action movie from the 1990s needs a sequel, but Keanu Reeves is on a hot streak when it comes to franchises right now. Outside of the ongoingJohn Wickseries, Reeves has successfully returned to some of his breakout roles with the excellent sequelsBill & Ted Face The MusicandThe Matrix Resurrections.Speed 2: Cruise Controlsuffered because Reeves wasn’t involved, so perhaps seeing him return for a third installment in theSpeedseries could go down as another major win for his career.
Vin Diesel clearly needs a break from his role as Dom Toretto in theFast and Furioussaga. Despite the creative highs ofFast Five, Fast & Furious 6,andFurious 7, the series has been stuck in mediocrity with the increasingly disappointingThe Fate of the Furious, F9,andFast X. It might be better for Diesel to return for another chapter in theRiddickseries, as all three films in the saga are weird and interesting in their own ways.
1Pirates of the Caribbean
Gore Verbinski’s work on the originalPirates of the Caribbeantrilogy deserves no less respect than any of the other major film trilogies of the early-21st Century, including George Lucas’Star Warsprequel trilogy, Peter Jackson’sThe Lord of the Ringstrilogy, the Wachowski sisters’The Matrixtrilogy, or Sam Raimi’sSpider-Mantrilogy. Verbinski hasn’t made a new film since 2018’sA Cure For Wellness, but considering that Johnny Depp seems to be making a public comeback, seeing the two reunite for a sixth installment in the series might be one of the few “legacy sequels” that audiences actually care about.
Both 2011’sPirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tidesand 2017’sPirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Taleswere solid entries in the series, but it would be more satisfying to see Verbinski bring the series to a proper conclusion with an excellent sixth installment.
