15 Failed Sequels (and Why They Crapped the Bed)

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15 Failed Sequels (and Why They Crapped the Bed)

Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures

Studios foam at the mouth as an original’s box office numbers climb higher and higher. They might even get on the phone that opening weekend to get the ball rolling on a sequel. And why not? They know it’ll come with the original’s built-in audience, so sure, it might cost them more to pump out a follow up, but the returns are basically a slam dunk! Right?! Come on, guys, right?! Well, not for these entries. 

These bad boys cost way more than their original, and made a hell of a lot less. Sometimes, luckily enough, they just managed to make their money back, but there’s a lot of losers here. And we’re never ones to wish ill on any project, but when they don’t even hide the fact that the sequel is a cash grab, we’re cool with them taking a hit. For a myriad of reasons, these 15 sequels just crapped the bed, and we’re here today to find out why.

'Superman IV: The Quest for Peace'

Failed Sequels J Eh:00 Superman IV: The Quest for Peace When has anyone ever said, The fourth one was the best? A mainstay of worst comic book movies ever lists, it was such a failure that it killed live- action Superman movies for almost 20 years. CRACKED

Warner Bros.

Goliath

'The Matrix Resurrections'

Failed Sequels For PC NET PO Rx 7IQ P The Matrix Resurrections A movie not even its creator wanted. Almost 20 years after the trilogy, co-creator Lana Wachowski came on board reluctantly, and it showed. Fans noticed the self-deprecating themes, and it kind of tarnished the trilogy. CRACKED

Warner Bros. Pictures

Wired

'Terminator: Dark Fate'

Failed Sequels Terminator: Dark Fate We must go back and stop this movie from happening! Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, and James Cameron reunited to take things too far. This sequel quickly states that the entire mission of the original two films was all for nothing. CRACKED

20th Century Studios

Screen Rant

'Predator 2'

Failed Sequels Predator 2 Predator 2: Lost in L.A. It sounds like a fictional movie in the BoJack Horseman universe, but nope. Bringing Predator from the rainforest to Los Angeles and overcomplicating the story confused fans, and it fell way short of its successful original. CRACKED

20th Century Studios

Game Rant

'X-Men: Dark Phoenix'

Failed Sequels X-Men: Dark Phoenix It's been done. The final installment of the Fox reboot was same- old, story-wise, as the Jean Grey turned dark plot had been done in X-Men: The Last Stand (which was itself a failed sequel). CRACKED

20th Century Studios

Vox

'Shaft' (2019)

Failed Sequels Shaft (2019) Shaft failed to pass the baton. Samuel L. Jackson's Shaft in 2000 was a critical and financial success, but in 2019, his return was outdated and unnecessary, and lost almost $15 million. CRACKED

Warner Bros. Pictures

WatchMojo.com

'The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter'

Failed Sequels The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter A never-ending story that needed an ending after all. The German original film found massive success in the U.S, but the sequel was a step down both visually and in storytelling. Not to mention: it lost almost $20 million. CRACKED

Warner Bros.

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'Grease 2'

Failed Sequels Grease 2 They couldn't catch Grease Lightning in a bottle again. In 1978, Grease was Paramount's second highest grossing film (behind The Godfather). But by 1982, that '50s bad boy style felt stale. John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John didn't return for it. CRACKED

Paramount Pictures

Screen Rant

'Blues Brothers 2000'

Failed Sequels Blues Brothers 2000 If you want nostalgia, just watch the original. In 1998, Dan Akroyd teamed up with John Goodman - which seemed like a slam dunk, but it only reminded fans of how good Aykroyd and John Belushi were back in 1980. CRACKED

WatchMojo.com

'Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2'

Failed Sequels They spent more on a weaker version. The DIY original was made for under $500k and raked in $248 million, but this sequel cost $15 million to gross $47.7 million. It used the same basic formula, but managed to make it worse. Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 CRACKED

Artisan Entertainment

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