9 Ways 4th Films In A Franchise Failed (And 1 That Didn't)

Star Wars Episode 1 A fourth film in a beloved franchise should be met with excitement from audiences and the chance to build on the stories that have come before them. Generally however they end up being the worst of the bunch. If you think about it, that's baffling. You have a wealth of characters you've seen develop over three films. The chance to build on previous story lines; taking them in bigger and bolder directions. You don't even need to faff around with set up. Like any sequel, you should be good to go. And yet...how many fourth films in a franchise have you watched that seemed tired? Characters and plot lines that bear no resemblance to the original? With Hollywood's love of trilogies, that 'fourth film' ends up becoming that unexpected. unwanted child that audiences would prefer had never existed. In this article, I look at some of the big themes behind why fourth films in a franchise never seem work...even though they should. And to support my argument, I'll be picking some of the biggest, oddest, most disappointing fourth films ever to grace a movie franchise. I'd love to know your thoughts on this one, so please feel free to comment below!
 
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A writer for Whatculture since May 2013, I also write for TheRichest.com and am the TV editor and writer for Thedigitalfix.com . I wrote two plays for the Greater Manchester Horror Fringe in 2013, the first an adaption of Simon Clark's 'Swallowing A Dirty Seed' and my own original sci-fi horror play 'Centurion', which had an 8/10* review from Starburst magazine! (http://www.starburstmagazine.com/reviews/eventsupcoming-genre-events/6960-event-review-centurion) I also wrote an episode for online comedy series Supermarket Matters in 2012. I aim to achieve my goal for writing for television (and get my novels published) but in the meantime I'll continue to write about those TV shows I love! Follow me on Twitter @BazGreenland and like my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/BazGreenlandWriter