We’ve all been there. You watch a movie and it really clicks with you. Maybe you like the premise, or maybe you like the knockers on the leading lady, or perhaps you’re a huge fan of the leading character. But not all movies are destined to be huge successes or even commercial successes and what this leads to is a scenario where more than one fan request for sequels has gone unanswered over the years. Here is a list of sequels we really wanted, that fans begged for but never received.
District 9
Following the appearance of an Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) over the city of Johannesburg, and a subsequent discovery of a large population of alien refugees upon that ship, the human race bands together to help the aliens looking for solace among the stars. The story, however, revolves around the plight of the alien race succumbed to a dire life on earth. As the time passes, the reality of their situation becomes clear to the entire world, and humanity does what it has always done, it becomes complacent and immune to tragedies of life that the aliens suffer.
The movie is centered around the life of one alien refugee, who tries to survive in this madness and vows to get back home. The movie made 210 million dollars worldwide and received mostly positive feedback. Fans connected wi the reality of the situation, District 9 was a social cause movie disguised as science fiction and yet it succeeded in doing what it aimed at. The being said, after countless petitions and requests to the studio, any news of a sequel has never been forthcoming. It is an understatement to say that the silence on this is a disappointment for fans.
The Goonies
Back in 1985, a misfit group of teens was all the rage. From books like Famous Five and Secret Six to movies like The GOONIES, fans really enjoyed the whole teen detective plot line. So much so that the movie GOONIES was dubbed a cult classic from the get-go. Over the years, the success of the original movie has had fans continuously clamoring for a sequel.
There has been a lot of buzz around a possible sequel where the original cast gets to revisit the “Goon Docks” but the project has never gained any traction. It seems that even though the cast and Spielberg himself (original writer/director of the goonies ) are on board for a sequel, the studio itself does not want to shell, out cash for such a movie. I want another fight with the studio heads as much as I want another hole in the head, all this just goes to show how much disappointment fans have to suffer.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Based on the book of the same name by Douglas Adams, the hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy is a perfect example of what I like to call A British comedy. The story follows Arthur Dent, a simple man from Morden day England who’s fighting to keep his home safe from a demolition crew who want to bulldoze it to build a new highway. Much to Arthur’s dismay he also finds out that an alien race known as the Vogons( Galaxy equivalent of bureaucrats ) wants to destroy the earth to make way for an intergalactic highway, an endeavor in which they succeed. After that, Arthur is left without a home, a planet and is only accompanied by Ford Prefect ( his friend from earth, who, as it turns out is an alien hitchhiker) and his own towel.
Arthur’s only tool to survive the galaxy is a pseudo-sarcastic sort of reliable Handbook known as ‘the hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy’. The audience really enjoyed the light tone of the movie and something about the sense of humor of Adams instantly clicked with fans. Douglas wrote five books in the series of the hitchhiker’s guide but the movie has never received a sequel, and any possibility of one seems remote now
SPACEBALLS
We have encountered our fair share of spoof films over the years. From the badly made parodies such as ‘Epic Movie’ to fan favorites like the scary movie series, we have seen it all. Yet there is one spoof that has stood far above then all over the years, the movie I’m talking about is Mel Brooks’ 1987 comedy by the name of Spaceballs.
Upon release, the movie instantly became a cult classic, becoming just as famous and sometimes surpassing the movies it was inspired by. Although the director and the leading actor have, over the years, mentioned the possibility of a sequel many times, no such claims have ever come to fruition. In light of these facts, it is safe to assume that Spaceballs II may never happen.
Dredd
The original Judge Dredd. Hit the theatres back in 1995. Based on a comic of the same name the story followed, Judge Dredd(Sylvester Stallone in a dystopian future where the law enforcement officers are Judge jury and executioners known as street judges) as tried to clear his name of a murder he did not commit. The movie, although appreciated by comic fans, was a commercial disaster. One, that the director wanted to redeem himself off when he worked on the 2012 reboot titled ‘Dredd’.
The 2012 reboot, although being equally praised by both fans and critics, also failed to pull in major box office numbers. Realising that the series had no future on the silver screen, an online petition to bring the show to a televised format went viral on the internet. The petition was in conjunction to the rumors that went floating around the fan community about a possible show named Judge Dredd: Mega-City one. Fans have, ever since, refused to let the matter drop, they have pursued the studio continuously but it seems that all efforts have been in vain.
Elf
If you’re like me then your holidays are just like your weekends, they include a lot of staying in and watching prime time network television than going out and partying. No offense to the wild child millennial, that’s just how nerd roll. Regardless, if you’ve ever stayed in during the year-end Christmas break then chances are you’ve seen this gem directed by Favreau, starring Will Ferrell.
The issue with this movie, unlike the others on our list, is that both the director and the leading actor (Will Ferrel) refuse to commit to a sequel. The studio (Newline Cinema) has long wanted to capitalize on the success of elf, but the lack of interest from the director and Ferrel himself has resulted in a major deterrence for getting the project off the ground. The risk lies in not only botching the sequel but also in the fact that a messed up sequel will affect the popularity of the original elf movie.
Tron: legacy
The first Tron movie came to cinemas way back in 1982, with sort of pseudo-futuristic vibe that technology of the time permitted, Tron was arguably a home run by the studio, it came out both as a commercial success and a fan favorite. The audience fell in love with the world of Tron and fell even further when the sequel came out 30 years on. Legacy not only did justice to the Tron franchise but also expanded on it to a certain degree.
Maybe that is the reason fans were so eager for a sequel to this sequel on our list. It’s really a shame that all sequel plans (for a potential Tr3n ) fell flat on its face. The studio has largely been nonresponsive when approached for a quote.
Rocknrolla
This 2008 piece of British action crime comedy is allegedly a masterpiece in its own way. The movie only grossed $25 million at the box office, but this did not stop it from attaining a cult hit status. Fans loved the grim tone of the movie, the desolate setting made it even funnier when the punchlines were delivered. Now, you see the thing is a RocknRolla sequel has been the works for a long time.
Every time someone raises the issue a new rumor shuts down the fan chatter or ignites it. The film even ends with a title card claiming that the characters will return in “The Real RocknRolla”. However, with the director working on a live-action Aladdin for Disney, it is highly improbable that we will see a sequel anytime soon.
Kill bill vol 2
The holly wood revenge saga of The Bride directed by Quentin Tarantino ( ALL HAIL THE KING) ended in Kill Bill Vol 2 back in 2004. At the end, if the movie arch Tarantino mentioned that he may, someday in the future, want to take this franchise further. Tarantino even told fans that he had. Basic plotline ready for the next installment.
But no news of a sequel has been forthcoming ever since. There were talks of an animated feature with all the blood, gore and action porn that Tarantino fans love, but all rumors dissipate faster than they appear. Fans have been nothing less than heartbroken to let an epic saga of bloodlust escape their palms.
Inception
This 2010 sci-fi action film directed by Christopher Nolan changed the very premise of sci-fi movies. It not only created a new genre of moviemaking ( using dreams to create a sense of urgency and danger when in reality there was none ) but also made sure that it did something new with the pre-existing notions of what a heist movie should be. All this along with the beautiful performance of Leonardo Di Caprio make for a great watch. What hooked fans more than the movie itself was the cliffhanger on which the movie ends. The audiences never get closure about the ending of inception. No matter what, the question lingers, are we in the real world or are we in the dream?
Naturally, fans pleaded relentlessly for a sequel. If not for the resolution of the conflict then for pure closure, but to no avail. This remains one of the mysteries of the movie industry that may never be solved. It shall remain as an open ending until the end of time.
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