10 Reasons Horror Sequels Haven't Happened Yet

10. James Gunn Doesn't Own All The Rights - Brightburn 2

The James Gunn-produced Brightburn was a fascinatingly twisted riff on the Superman mythology, centered around a young extraterrestrial who harnesses his superpowers not for good but evil.

Though it received mixed reviews from critics, Brightburn still grossed $33.2 million against a tight $6 million budget, and considering it ended with one hell of an epic sequel tease, many naturally hoped that Brightburn 2 would eventually materialise.

While Gunn was initially positive about a sequel, word quickly went quiet on it, and it wasn't until 2024 that we received a substantial update from the man himself explaining the radio silence.

Beyond the fact that Gunn himself has been busy with numerous large-scale projects in recent years - not least his new Superman film - Gunn revealed on Threads in April 2024 that the film's rights are "all f**ked up."

Gunn stated that he only owns half the rights to Brightburn, implying that whoever owns the other half isn't exactly playing ball, before adding that Brightburn 2 was "unlikely" as a result.

Even though Brightburn production company The H Collective formally announced Brightburn 2 in late 2023, this sure sounds like a sequel that's destined to be stuck in the quagmire of development hell forever more.