Franchises are inescapable.
The endless-sequel format works well, with blockbusters like Star Wars and the Fast and
Furious movies able to make hits with every release.
But there are some movies out there that would maybe just be better off left alone.
Whether the first films were standalone greats or bargain-bin flops, here are some upcoming
sequels that we just can’t believe are being made.
Wedding Crashers 2
The 2005 hit Wedding Crashers is finally ready to crash theaters again in the form of a sequel,
according to Variety.
The original grossed over $200 million domestically over a decade ago, and now Wedding Crashers
director David Dobkin is laying the groundwork for a sequel that could include 007 himself,
Daniel Craig.
Dobkin wrote on Quora:
"Vince, Owen and myself sat around at Owen's house one day and broke the story.
It was really funny.
We wanted Daniel Craig to be the ultimate wedding crasher, with his sexy body and his
speedo, and the two guys would be incredibly threatened by him."
Provided Dobkin can tap into the same chemistry, energy, and knockdown laughs the all-star
cast summoned for the first film, this could actually be a sequel worth waiting for.
Then again...fans hoped the same thing for Zoolander 2, and look how that turned out.
"Old?"
"La-may?"
Yes on both counts.
American Pie 5
Since 1999, the American Pie franchise has given the world three additional servings
of Jim, Oz, Finch, Michelle, and Stifler.
And that’s not even counting the four straight-to-DVD spin-offs, which were all pretty much, well…
In the wake of 2012’s American Reunion, the fourth theatrical installment of the franchise,
talk was already turning to a fifth film.
In 2015, Tara Reid revealed that a fifth chapter in the raunchy comedy saga was indeed in the
works, and that "they may be doing it in Las Vegas."
And as surprising as it sounds, the franchise might still actually be bankable — American
Reunion brought in $234 million worldwide.
Assassin's Creed 2
Practically from the moment it hit theaters, hype for Assassin’s Creed fell even harder
than Michael Fassbender’s stunt double.
Even before the film opened, however, executive producer Patrick Crowley told GameSpot that
he fully expects to make Assassin’s Creed the start of a film franchise, saying, "It's
not a one-off.
Everybody expects that this movie will continue."
Star and producer Michael Fassbender also told CinemaBlend in December 2016 that tentative
plans were already laid out for a film trilogy: "This is the sort of origin to this story.
We have an idea of where he’s going to go over the next two films.
We kind of did a three-film arc."
Both Fassbender and Crowley have been tight-lipped about the sequel’s development ever since,
but despite bombing in the domestic box office, foreign ticket sales have launched Assassin’s
Creed’s gross well past its production budget of $125 million, making this sequel all the
more likely.
Gremlins 3
More than 30 years after Gremlins arrived in theaters — and more than 25 years after
its follow-up, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, underwhelmed at the box office — star Zach
Galligan has confirmed that Gremlins 3 has been given the the go-ahead, along with an
extra piece of good news:
"It’s not going to be a reboot.
It will not be a remake in any way, shape, or form."
The third installment in the franchise reportedly has Steven Spielberg and original Gremlins
screenwriter Chris Columbus attached, and Carl Ellsworth, who wrote Disturbia, Red Dawn,
and The Last House On The Left, is on board to write the script.
All that aside, rumors have been swirling about a third Gremlins for years.
We'll see if it actually happens this time.
Goon: The Last of the Enforcers
Goon: The Last of The Enforcers is a follow-up to Goon, starring Seann William Scott with
a supporting cast that boasts Liev Schreiber, Elisha Cuthbert, and Wyatt Russell.
Jay Baruchel, who also played a supporting role in the original, has signed on to direct
the sequel.
Baruchel told Metro News Toronto he’s taking the job seriously and doesn't want to let
Goon fans down.
"You have no choice but to give them something that you think is better than the first movie.
So that's why it took five years between the first two movies, is because we wanted to
make sure we got it right."
Zombieland 2
It's the return of the double-tap.
In late 2016, Deadpool writers Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese revealed to Kevin Smith on
Geeking Out that they received backing to pursue a sequel to their surprise hit.
A Zombieland sequel has been discussed numerous times since the original racked up over $100
million during its 2009 box office run, but those talks have obviously all come to naught
— so while Wernick and Reese's excitement is infectious, we're still taking this with
the teensiest grain of salt for now.
Saw: Legacy
This is the horror franchise that just won't go away.
Saw: Legacy will be the eighth installment in the franchise.
That’s not exactly surprising, but since the last one was called Saw 3D: The Final
Chapter...well, we kind of hoped it really was.
While not much is known about the plot, it seems safe to assume Saw: Legacy will involve
a group of people being forced to play sadistic games to stay alive.
Michael and Peter Spierig directed, and it's scheduled to drop October 27, 2017 — just
in time for Halloween.
The Predator
After a long, painful run of cheesy cash-ins, it’s about time we got a decent Predator
movie, and Shane Black’s 2018 installment — called simply The Predator — is already
looking like a killer.
Black, who wrote Lethal Weapon and directed The Nice Guys, among plenty of other Hollywood
classics, has been tapped to write and direct, and he said he plans to push the franchise
forward with a sequel rather than a reboot.
Black — who actually played a bit part in the original — told Collider he was reluctant
to take the gig until Fox told him he'd have enough money to deliver the movie he really
wanted to make.
Given Black's track record for quality with action-packed blockbusters like Lethal Weapon
and Iron Man 3, this bodes well.
Frankly, the most unbelievable thing about this sequel is that, after so many years,
it might actually be completely awesome.
"Stick around."
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