Talia Parker
Higher Degree by Research Scholar, School of Communication and Arts

When a sequel really works, it’s one of cinema’s purest joys. It adds new layers to the original film, challenges and expands characters we’ve grown to love and gives us more time in movie worlds that captivated our imaginations. When a sequel is done badly, it’s a catastrophic betrayal made all the more personal for how much we loved the original. But how can the latter be avoided? And what makes a great sequel?

It’s often said these days (because it’s true) that Hollywood is obsessed with sequels. This year has already seen many examples: Mission: Impossible 8 has just come out, following The Accountant 2, Final Destination: Bloodlines, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy and Another Simple Favour. Many more are set to release this year, including the Freaky Friday sequel, 28 Years Later, Jurassic World: Rebirth, Megan 2.0, Karate Kid: Legends, just to name a few. These lists don’t even start on other kinds of IP-based films like A Minecraft Movie and Until Dawn, which might be even more in vogue at the moment.

When it comes to sequels, there are 2 main measures of success: box office returns, and reception from critics and fans. Financial returns are helped inherently by the film’s status as a sequel – with how expensive movie tickets are these days, fans are more likely to spend money on a film where they know the characters and the world, and their curiosity has been piqued by a new adventure with both.

This is proven by the numbers. If we look at the 10 highest-grossing films of all time, according to IMDB’s Box Office Mojo, eight of them are sequels. The same is true if you isolate just the 2024 numbers, with the top 4 all being sequels: Inside Out 2, Deadpool & Wolverine, Moana 2 and Despicable Me 4.

To be financially successful, a sequel has to be wanted by the fans. If the viewers who made the previous films successful aren’t invested in a follow-up, the target market is already alienated. Word of mouth spreads quickly among devoted fan communities and rejection from the fandom can spell disaster for a sequel.

One way to make audiences clamour for a sequel is to advertise the reappearance of the original’s most popular characters. For example, last year’s Deadpool & Wolverine boasted the return of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine after a seven-year hiatus. Fans were excited to see the movie after hearing that alone. However, this can be a double-edged sword – bringing back a beloved character risks fans hating the movie and wishing they’d never been brought back to stain our fond memories. Deadpool & Wolverine demonstrated how to avoid this trap: by treating the character with respect, honouring the legacy they left in their previous films and creating a new story that feels necessary and important, not like a cynical cash-in on the character’s reputation. The filmmaker’s care was rewarded with a 94% fan score on Rotten Tomatoes and over a billion dollars at the box office.

Sometimes – some wonderful times – a sequel manages to create an important artistic addition to the world of the original. Some are even hailed as better than their originals: Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Aliens, Toy Story 3, The Dark Knight, Top Gun: Maverick. A sequel that achieves these heights must balance the old and the new very carefully.

A case in point would be Blade Runner 2049, made 35 years after the original Blade Runner. This sequel manages to feel not only welcome, but essential. It extends and deepens the themes of the original by focusing more on ‘Replicant’ characters, further blurring the line between human and machine that began in the first film. It features compelling performances from popular actors like Ryan Gosling and Ana de Armas and the visuals are stunning, offering fans an updated version of the familiar world using new special effects technology. It also features the return of the original’s characters, but uses them sparingly, allowing audiences to both remember those they loved and spend time with those they’ve just met, rather than dedicating the whole story to pure nostalgia.

Great sequels give fans a reason to be excited about movies. A sequel can be an opportunity for a director to establish or extend an audience’s trust in their work or introduce themselves to new viewers (such as Denis Villeneuve with Blade Runner 2049 and James Mangold with Logan). They can also inspire fans to go to theatres, which exposes them to trailers and advertising for other original films they might not have otherwise encountered. When done right, a sequel is a win-win scenario for fans and creators alike.