10 Great Movie Sequels (That Nobody Saw)

It's hard to live-up to greatness, especially when nobody sees.

The Two Jakes
Paramount Pictures

Making a sequel to an iconic film is risky business indeed.

What worked first time around can often fall flat on a second attempt, failing to reignite that initial spark that captured the audience's imagination. In some cases it goes that one step further and tarnishes the original's reputation.

However this just isn't always the case.

Sometimes the filmmakers get it right and defy the 'sequel curse' that haunts so many films by churning out a product that does justice to its predecessor. Ensuring that fans get to happily revisit characters, stories and locations they adore in a manner which feels both respectful and necessary.

In an ideal world the filmmakers who get it right should be lauded, but all the goodwill in the world does not translate to success.

Whether through a lack of interest from audiences, poor marketing or just a badly timed release, the films featured here never got the time of day upon release. Some have gone on to achieve cult status, but still remain largely unseen by mainstream audiences, despite their pedigrees.

So with that, let's dive on in and look at ten incredible follow-ups to iconic films that nobody saw.

10. Scream 4

The Two Jakes
Dimension Films

Coming eleven years after the disappointing Scream 3, fans were chomping at the bit when a new instalment in Wes Craven's meta-slasher series was announced.

Sadly however, that this excitement from fans didn't translate into huge success. Often considered to be due to a lack of interest from mainstream movie-goers at the time, Scream 4 only really appealed to those who had stuck with the franchise through its two previous sequels.

For those of us who did however, Scream 4 is an absolute treat. Taking the meta-stylings of earlier films and cranking them up to new heights, this film sought to subvert the remake trend of the time by acting as a pseudo-remake of the original Scream.

All of our favourite characters were brought back for more bloody mayhem, alongside fresh-faced newcomers like Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere and Rory Kulkin. The script absolutely sparkled with writer Kevin Williamson's skill for meta-humour and an increased amount of on-screen bloodshed served to satisfy fans who'd become accustomed to the more extreme horror of the time.

Scream 4 was the final film by Wes Craven before his passing, but comfortably sits amongst the very best of his output.

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Contributor
Contributor

UK based screenwriter, actor and one-half of the always-irreverent Kino Inferno podcast. Purveyor of cult cinema, survival horror games and low-rent slasher films.