Sequels and franchises are a dime a dozen in Hollywood these days as studios work to a turn a profit, but some movies never make it past their first installment. It’s time for these five movies to get the sequels they deserve.
Hollywood has a long and varied history of sequels. Superhero movies are guaranteed for at least five sequels. Movies about fast and furious sports car drivers? Definitely. What about adaptations of young adult novels? Those will definitely get sequels, heck they’ll even split the last book into two parts just in case you needed one more sequel.
Even with the popularity of the movie sequel, not all movies are given the same treatment. Box office results have a huge impact on whether a film will make it to a sequel. As a result, some great, very deserving films never get the sequels they deserve. Take a look at our list of five movies that should definitely get sequels below!
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Guy Richie’s film The Man From U.N.C.L.E. captured a unique mixture of action and comedy combined with a strong sense of style and attitude that made it one of the best studio movies of 2015. Unfortunately, due to a rather cool reception at the box office, any plans for a sequel to the film seem to have been shelved. That’s a real shame considering this mid-budget film is the kind we deserve more of.
Starring Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, and Henry Cavill, the film is based on a television series of the same name from the 1960s. Set at the height of the Cold War, the film brings together a CIA agent and a KGB agent who must team up against a common enemy. The pair of agents are joined by Gaby, the daughter of a German scientist working from the United States. Together, they make for a fun and playful trio making their misadventures all the more entertaining. Despite a poor box office performance in 2015, the film has found a strong fan base and deserves a sequel, especially now that the three lead actors are even bigger stars now than they were before.
Logan Lucky
Steven Soderbergh is no stranger to the heist genre and his 2017 film Logan Lucky was an exciting and pithy entry into his oeuvre – it’s also ripe for a sequel. The film follows a West Virginia family – the Logan’s – who team up to steal money from a local NASCAR race track. The film follows many of the same beats seen in Soderbergh’s more popular Ocean’s franchise from the early 2000s, Logan Lucky swaps out Las Vegas glamour for the blue-collar workmanship of rural West Virginia. It’s an apt change from the original series, one that functions as a subtle nod to the economic realities in America today without feeling trite or baity.
At the very end of the film, after the money has been stolen and the Logan family has gotten away with the crime, we see one of the investigators pull up a seat at the bar owned by the Logans. Soderbergh leaves us wondering whether she will join the Logan’s or if she will attempt to foil them from the inside. Regardless, it’s impossible to deny the richness of the world Soderbergh created, one that could easily give us a killer sequel.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
David Fincher’s adaptation of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was one of the best films of 2011, featuring Rooney Mara’s breakout role as Lisbeth Salander and a stylish and nerdy Daniel Craig – a nice antidote to his portrayal of James Bond. Like too many movies, the film’s poor box office performance killed any hope at a direct sequel. Despite members of the cast and Fincher himself expressing interest in a sequel, Sony never move forward with adapting The Girl Who Played with Fire.
Fast-forward to 2018 and Sony is finally moving forward with a sequel… sort of. Although author Stieg Larsson died in 2004, the Swedish publisher of the Millennium series moved forward with a fourth novel written by David Lagercrantz titled, The Girl in the Spider’s Web. An adaptation of this novel directed by Fede Alverez and starring Claire Foy will hit theaters later this year. Although expectations are high for this adaptation, it’s difficult to move past the disappointing of never seeing a proper sequel to Fincher’s film.
The Devil Wears Prada
While The Devil Wears Prada centered on Andy Sachs, a recent college graduate and aspiring writer played by Anne Hathaway, the real heart in the film is Miranda Priestly, the commanding figurehead of a high profile fashion magazine. The film has endured in the decade since its release thanks, in large part, to Meryl Streep’s performance as Miranda. Miranda is a cold, powerful, and intelligent woman that make her an intimidating antagonist, but the film gives us small peeks at her vulnerability, revealing a compelling interiority that makes her a fascinating character.
It would be a delight to see Meryl Streep revisit this role, one with so much potential. Andy may have been the focus of the first film, giving us a smart introduction to the world and persona of Miranda Priestly, but Miranda herself is compelling enough to carry a film on her own.
Inside Out
Pixar’s Oscar winning film Inside Out was a hit when it was released in 2015 and is opportune for a sequel. The film is about Riley, an 11-year-old dealing with the difficulty of moving to San Francisco. The film takes Riley’s emotions – Joy, Disgust, Anger, Fear, and Sadness – and anthropomorphizes them, turning them into characters through which the story is told.
This concept connected with audiences in a big way for a good reason; there is something comforting about seeing our emotions as well-defined characters, ones that root for us to succeed and be happy. This could easily be applied to an older protagonist dealing with stress at school, frustrations with family and friends, or even disappointment with themselves. Pixar is no stranger to sequels, but they sometimes take a long time to make it to theaters. Let’s hope we get news of an Inside Out sequel sooner rather than later.
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