10 Movie Sequels You Probably Never Knew Existed
From big screen glory, to bottom shelf obscurity.
Anyone who keeps up-to-date on horror movie news may have recently seen a trailer for the upcoming Deep Blue Sea 2.
The arrival of this trailer is likely to have inspired two successive reactions: 1) wow, I didn't know they were making a Deep Blue Sea sequel; and 2) wow, I really don't know why they bothered.
Within the first thirty seconds or less, it's screamingly obvious that this alleged Deep Blue Sea sequel is in truth a thinly veiled remake of the 1999 super-shark thriller. At no point does it make reference to the events of the first film; rather, it replays the same key steps almost beat-for-beat, with misguided scientists creating intelligent sharks in a laboratory miles out at sea, then paying the price when the sharks strike back.
Given that it's replaying the same concept but clearly on a lower budget, meaning it can't offer anything close to the spectacle of Renny Harlin's film, it all rather begs the question: why? Who is this film for? Who wants to see a cut-price retread of something that's already been done bigger and better?
Alas, it seems there must be a market for such films, as there are a ton of them in the direct-to-DVD market, cashing in on bankable titles from big screen hits, and churning out semi-official sequels made for a fraction of the money.
If you've never heard of any of them, no one can think any less of you.
10. Home Alone 4: Taking Back The House/Home Alone: The Holiday Heist
Naturally, we all remember the first two Home Alone movies. Most of us probably also remember that there was a Home Alone 3, although given that it introduces a whole new cast (a young Scarlett Johansson among them), it isn't necessarily considered an official part of the series.
However, you'll be forgiven for not knowing that two further Home Alone movies exist... although you're probably not any worse off for having missed them.
First came 2002's Home Alone 4: Taking Back The House, initially made for TV. This one actually had the nerve to bring back the original characters but with new actors, most notably with French Stewart (of TV's Third Rock From The Sun) replacing Daniel Stern as the villianous Marv. Curiously, they didn't bring back Joe Pesci's character Harry, instead introducing Missi Pyle as Marv's equally evil wife.
Later came 2012's Home Alone: The Holiday Heist, another TV movie entry which, perhaps wisely, took the Home Alone 3 route of keeping the format but changing the characters.
The action centres on a brother and sister left home alone after their parents go to a Christmas party when a snowstorm hits, leaving the kids to fend off new would-be burglars: one of whom, somewhat depressingly, is screen legend Malcolm McDowell.