13 Sequels That Took Hella Long to Make (And Why)

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13 Sequels That Took Hella Long to Make (And Why)

While most sequels are churned out in a timely manner to capitalize on the success of their originals, there have been plenty of instances where the sequel has come years (even decades) after the O.G. Whether it’s for nostalgia, or a lack of original content in the pipeline, or even just a straight up cash-grab, there’s an undeniable fascination with revisiting beloved stories and characters.  

Decent ones can breathe new life into franchises, but many delayed sequels are too little too late. They’re classic cases of, “Yay, some of my favorite characters are back 20 years later, but oh no, now I’m 20 years older and don’t care anymore.” Maybe we loved the originals because we were at a younger, more impressionable stage in our lives. If our now-grown ass selves want a little shot of nostalgia, maybe we should just give the originals another once over. It was honestly surprising to see that these weren’t all just out-of-the-blue greenlights for easy money. Some filmmakers really wanted to make a sequel right away, but due to a myriad of obstacles, these 13 sequels took hella long to make.

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Come to think of it, getting those shots would be a pain in the ass.

TOP GUN: MAVERICK SOARED 36 YEARS AFTER THE ORIGINAL. CRACKED Editor Billy Weber said the studio didn't want to make a sequel after the 1986 classic because they used up all the flying shots (even reusing some 2 or 3 times), and they knew how hard it would be to make another film.

CBR / Flying Mag 

Like Back to the Future 2 did with 2015, we’ll see what the world is really like in 2049.

RIDLEY SCOTT FINALLY WANTED BLADE RUNNER 2049. CRACKED Ridley Scott never wanted a sequel to the 1982 film, then said, Umm, yeah. You change over time. At that point I had no interest in ever doing a sequel, that's why I never did a sequel to Alien for another 20 years, and then I thought, 'Do you know what, I'd better go back to this.'''' Blade Runner 2049 dropped 35 years later.

Esquire / Youtube 

Ohhhh, we see what they did with the 2 there. Class sequel tomfoolery.

FROM COMING TO AMERICA TO COMING 2 AMERICA IN 33 YEARS. CRACKED Eddie Murphy said, We never planned on making a sequel to the movie, but of all the movies I've done over the last forty years, Coming to America is the only one that has a cult following. The idea began in 2015 and the sequel was released in 2021.

Screenrant  / NY Times 

Fine, for therapy’s sake, I’ll make another one.

MATRIX RESURRECTIONS HELPED LANA WACHOWSKI GRIEVE. CRACKED In 2021, she said, I told everyone for 18 years I didn't wanna make another Matrix movie. And then I had a tragedy in my life and my parents passed away. A story where two people come back to life was healing and comforting.

NME / Youtube 

Hard to believe that it wasn’t a hit with the kiddos right away.

HOCUS POCUS 2 NEEDED 27 YEARS TO BUILD A FANBASE. CRACKED The 1993 original was a critical and financial failure, but it gained a massive cult following over the years. The original witch cast all agreed in 2014, but Disney waited to see if other remakes would be profitable first.

Screen Rant / NY Times 

The original and the sequel bookended the erotic thriller genre.

BASIC INSTINCT 2 WAS 14 YEARS IN THE MAKING. CRACKED About the 2006 sequel, Sharon Stone said, We started thinking of making a sequel, but the company that made the original had many changes, the studio that had the rights was going to sell, then not going to sell, and so on. I left the business and I came back, so there were a lot of things that happened along the way.

Cheatsheet / Youtube 

The lack of Stephen King and Brian De Palma was more than evident for this brutal rehash.

CARRIE 2: THE RAGE WAS THROWN TOGETHER 23 YEARS AFTER THE CLASSIC. CRACKED 1999's Carrie 2: The Rage was supposed to be an original project called The Curse, but it was so similar to 1976's Carrie, that MGM just decided to make it a sequel.

JoBlo / IMDB 

It takes a whole generation to grow a new Shaft.

THE SHAFT TRILOGY TOOK 48 YEARS TO COMPLETE. CRACKED Not remakes, 2019's Shaft was a sequel to 2000's Shaft, which was a sequel to 1971's Shaft. John Shaft Jr. (Jesse T. Usher) is the son of John Shaft II (Samuel L. Jackson), who is the son of the original John Shaft (Richard Roundtree).

Seattle Refined

An equally idiotic and genius way to name a sequel.

DUMB AND DUMBER TO WAS RELEASED 20 YEARS AFTER THE ORIGINAL. CRACKED The 2014 film brought Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels back together. Carrey said there was talk about a sequel in the early 2000s, but the studio opted for the prequel. Warner Bros. wasn't serious about a sequel, but when the Farrelly's got on board, it was a go.

​​LA Times / NY Times 

It took bankruptcy for Coppola to consider the 3rd film.

FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA MADE THE GODFATHER: PART III STRICTLY FOR THE CASH. CRACKED Paramount pressed him for a 3rd movie for years, but Francis Ford Coppola didn't want to make Part III. After a few flops in the '80s left his studio bankrupt, he was in desperate need of the huge Paramount payout 16 years after Part II.

Consequence

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