The best thing about Hollywood is that it loves to make sequels. This is obvious from the way we are bombarded with trailers, posters, promos, and news about the upcoming films in the franchise. While we are being provided with the info about the follow-ups, there have been a few that have successfully stayed under the radar. Now let’s have a look at a few of the sequels we never knew were being made.
1. Tomb Raider 2
The Tomb Raider franchise was rebooted in 2018. It had Alicia Vikander playing the lead role. Tomb Raider is also getting a sequel. It was originally planned to release on March 19, 2021. But it has been delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Alicia Vikander will reprise her role as Lara Croft. The sequel has been written and directed by Lovecraft Country showrunner Misha Green. The film also might see the return of Kristin Scott Thomas as Ana Miller. Ana is now the head of the company that was set to release the world-ending virus that Croft prevented.
2. Sherlock Homes 3
A third installment in the Sherlock Holmes franchise has always been a plan of Warner Bros. Robert Downey Jr. has been busy with his other commitments from the last few years. This includes the highly successful Avengers franchise, where we saw him playing the role of Tony Stark/Iron Man. Now since his character died in Avengers: Endgame, he is returning to reprise his role in Sherlock Holmes 3. The film was scheduled to release on December 21, 2021. But since no developments have happened, it will obviously be pushed by a year or two.
3. Big Trouble in Little China 2
Directed by John Carpenter, Big Trouble in Little China is considered to be one of the wackiest action movies ever. A remake with Dwayne Johnson was announced in 2015. A lot of updates have been coming in since then. The latest reports say that the events of the first film will still exist in the new Dwayne Johnson movie. Kurt Russell recently confirmed that he won’t return in the sequel.
4. Four sequels of Avatar
2009’s Avatar smashed all the box office records. James Cameron announced four more sequels. Sigourney Weaver once said that the shooting of the first two films is already complete. Avatar: The Way of Water is scheduled to release on December 17, 2022. It will be followed by three more sequels – Avatar: The Seed Bearer on December 22, 2024, Avatar: the Tulkun Rider on December 19, 2026, and Avatar: The Quest for Eywa on December 17, 2028.
5. Edge of Tomorrow 2 – Live Die Repeat and Repeat
Edge of Tomorrow opened to positive reviews from critics but was a box office disappointment. But still, the makers have confirmed a sequel. The sequel will see the return of Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt and it will be directed by Doug Liman. Liman has claimed that the sequel will be much better than the original film. He said if the sequel takes shape, it will be much smaller in scope.
6. RoboCop Returns
1987’s RoboCop was directed by Paul Verhoeven. It was followed by two more sequels and a reboot in 2014. The reboot was not much popular as the original one. The latest entry, named RoboCop Returns has been written by Ed Neumeier and Michael Miner. They also wrote the 1987 film. But the script never got made and now MGM has given a green signal to it. The screenplay is being rewritten by Justin Rhodes.
7. The Meg 2
The Meg was considered as a Jaws rip-off. But still, it was successful at the box office. After looking at the audience’s response, Warner Bros. announced a sequel in October 2020. The plot for the sequel is not known yet. The script will be written by Jon and Erich Hoeber working off a draft by Dean Georgias. All of them shared the writing credit for the first film.
8. The Expendables 4
There was no news on the development of The Expendables 4 since the release of the third installment in 2015. Sylvester Stallone announced through Instagram in July 2019 that the sequel was back on. He directed, co-wrote, and starred in the original Expendables in 2010. He exited from The Expendables 4 in 2017 but looks like that was temporary. Jason Statham and Arnold Schwarzenegger have been confirmed for the fourth installment. The makers are expected to announce the list of the rest of the cast very soon.
9. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
The first two Conjuring films earned millions at the box office. It features Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. The third film of the franchise will be directed by Michael Chaves instead of James Wan. Wan will serve as the producer of the film. He has also collaborated on the script along with David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is scheduled to release in theatres on June 4, 2021.
10. Aladdin 2
Disney’s live-action remakes of its animated classics have helped them to earn billions at the box office. 2019’s Aladdin falls in the same category. Aladdin is also getting a sequel. Will Smith, Mena Massoud, and Naomi Scott would reprise their roles from the first film as Genie, Aladdin, and Jasmine. Guy Ritchie is expected to return as the director. The plot might be an adaptation of another folk tale from One Thousand and One Nights.
Which of them are you excited about? Let us know in the comments.
