7 Brilliant movie sequels that never got made

The public speculates about what might happen in the sequels of numerous blockbuster films. Audiences commonly anticipate sequels for stories that leave open plot points or provide supplemental after-credit scenes that establish future storylines. Not every planned follow-up of a film receives production.

Movie sequels are sometimes delayed for several reasons. This might occur due to changes in the studio's focus, creative decisions, poor box office performance, or challenges in recruiting the right performers or directors. The original productions remained the only available versions since ideas for follow-ups, script drafts, and future development indicators did not result in completed sequels.

Disclaimer: This article is based on the writer's opinion. Reader's discretion is advised.

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The list of 7 brilliant movie sequels that never got made is given below:

7. Green Lantern 2

The Green Lantern (2011) was regarded as a failure. DC Comics stated that following the rebirth of Krona, viewers discovered that Sinestro orchestrated the Manhunters' assault during a post-credits scene.

At the end of Green Lantern, the audience sees Mark Strong's character, Sinestro, morph into a Yellow Lantern villain version of his present form. Plans to produce Green Lantern 2 were canceled, so the plot never materialized into a movie.

Contrary to its $200 million budget, the film barely generated $220 million from theater sales. It was predicted that Green Lantern would have needed to make about $500 million to be declared a smash hit.

However, the film failed to achieve the target. Moreover, Reynolds detested the movie, as evidenced by his ability to make fun of Green Lantern due to Deadpool's self-awareness. Due to the original's massive box office revenue and critical failure, there was not enough room for sequels.

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6. The Dark Knight 4

Christopher Nolan created the Dark Knight Trilogy by directing three interconnected films. Bruce Wayne transforms into the superhero Batman after he attains his wealthy status. The only reason for taking this job was to ensure that Gotham City would be safe from danger.

The first part shows Bruce undergoing training to fight crimes. The Dark Knight puts Batman at a moral crossroads when his antagonist, Joker, appears. In The Dark Knight Rises, Batman fights Bane and pretends to be dead while transferring the responsibility of protecting Gotham City to John Blake.

In an interview from 2019, Bale stated that the two of them always tried to focus on making each movie the best they could by taking it one at a time. He told the Toronto Sun,

"We knew we had to reinvent it. I literally had people laugh at me when I told them we were doing a new kind of Batman."

He continued,

"I think that the reason it worked was first and foremost Chris’ take on it. But also we never were arrogant to assume that we had an opportunity beyond one film at a time."

The fourth part of this successful trilogy remained unproduced forever. Nolan always planned to tell his story in three parts. He thought that if he didn't break it up this way, the plot might become too complicated and lose its focus. Moreover, Christian Bale insisted on continuing as Batman only if director Christopher Nolan took part in the new films. Warner Bros. showed interest in producing another film, but Nolan and Bale decided against continuing to protect the trilogy's total quality.

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5. ET 2

Steven Spielberg chose not to create a sequel to E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial because he was concerned that the first part might lose its original charm. Although there were plans for a story where Elliott and the other characters faced challenges with unfriendly aliens, the team looked at a possible sequel titled E.T. II: Nocturnal Fears.

However, Spielberg ultimately felt it was best not to move forward with the idea. Still, Spielberg decided against the idea because it would conflict with the narrative essence of the original film.

According to Spielberg, if a sequel were developed, the original E.T. would lose its purity, demonstrating his conviction that the plot did not require going to the alien world or introducing more serious aspects. Spielberg carefully chose this course of action because it protected the pure-hearted energy that people loved about his first film.

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4. Independence Day 3

Independence Day 3 would be the best science fiction action film ever made. A motion picture adaptation of this story would explore space exploration by human beings until they reach the depths of outer space. As the story progresses, these traveling humans would encounter different alien species while discovering their high technology and conclude by confronting hostile extraterrestrial adversaries near their home planet.

The production of Independence Day 3 suffered from decreased popularity because Will Smith was not available to participate, and there were time considerations to address. The poor financial performance and harsh critical reception of Independence Day: Resurgence made the franchise cease all production activities. With Independence Day 3 on Disney+, director Roland Emmerich intended to bring the series back to life.

Even though there hasn't been an official announcement for Independence Day 3, there’s a chance that streaming platforms might revive the franchise someday with a new movie or even a series. When the movie Independence Day was released over the July 4 weekend, it quickly became very popular, making a remarkable $817 million worldwide. Will Smith's portrayal of the film's protagonist, Steven Hiller, has solidified his status as a legitimate movie star, and the epic alien invasion/disaster film continues to be a sci-fi adventure cult classic.

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3. Gladiator 2

During the mid-2000s, music artist Nick Cave delivered Gladiator's sequel to meet the demand of actor Russell Crowe. Within the script titled Christ Killer, Maximus emerges from death with Roman divine powers to execute Jesus Christ and his religious followers. Throughout history, right up to today, Maximus has battled through many wars, eventually leading him to the Pentagon.

Crowe and director Ridley Scott decided against producing the script because they found its creative elements excessive and fantastic. The project faced cancellation, after which the makers decided to focus on developing a conventional follow-up.

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2. The Golden Compass 2

In 2007, The Golden Compass adapted Philip Pullman's novel to create a fantasy adventure film. Young Lyra Belacqua travels through an alternate reality universe as she saves kidnapped children and investigates the secret plans around the obscure substance Dust on her way to the Arctic region. The film unites actors Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman in its prominent cast.

The release of this film resulted in poor commercial success, as it failed to generate $372 million worldwide, even though production costs reached $180 million. Many people, including critics and fans, noticed that the film left out important religious themes from the original book. As a result, they thought the film was ultimately shallower and less profound than it may have been.

The studio leaders have chosen to cancel their plans for making more movies in the series. This decision was made for several reasons, mainly because the earlier films did not receive a good response from audiences. The original story earned praise after it became the popular TV adaptation, His Dark Materials, while maintaining faithfulness to the original novel.

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1. Gump & Co.

Gump & Co. might become a sequel to Forrest Gump. Forrest Gump is a heartfelt film about an everyday man who unexpectedly becomes involved in significant historical moments. The story follows Forrest through his times in the American South, where he confronts struggles to discover heroism by chance. His truthful personality, combined with his generosity, helps him meet iconic people and serve in the Vietnam War honorably before creating a prosperous shrimp enterprise.

The story shows historical periods through its combination of humorous and moving scenes. After the film's sensational success, the author, Winston Groom, wrote Gump & Co., which continued Forrest's journey in his special storytelling style. No production plans emerged to create a Forrest Gump sequel movie. Director Robert Zemeckis and actor Tom Hanks felt that Forrest Gump had reached a perfect conclusion. Therefore, no sequel would be appropriate.

According to the authors, the narrative appeared finished at this point without any need for additional continuation. The 9/11 terrorist attacks showed that making a sequel to something during that difficult time would not have seemed right, considering the deep pain many people were feeling around the world. The ultimate discussions regarding the sequel ended prematurely because the talks remained at their basic stage.

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It can be concluded that the reasons for the unmade sequels were diverse, as were the films. Films such as Green Lantern and The Golden Compass underperformed financially. The Dark Knight and Forrest Gump were left alone due to their original vision. Factors such as lack of studio confidence, creative differences, and cultural shifts play a significant role in creating sequels.

While it is easy to speculate about what could have been, these anecdotes serve as reminders that not every film requires a sequel. Sometimes, a single, well-told narrative can stand on its own.