10 Recent Movies That Reignited A Dying Franchise
There is life in these old dogs yet.
These days, there aren't too many good films that stay as one, single, standalone effort. As soon as there is any sort of success, whether critically or commercially, a sequel or possibly more are greenlit. This isn't inherently bad, but there is something of a stigma around subsequent follow-ups, and how they rarely capture the magic of the original.
This is particularly true for franchises that barrel towards a number of entries in the double digits, or those that have seen multiple reboots and remakes, often within the space of just a few short years.
However, no matter how tired certain film series are perceived to be, they can never be counted out. There is always the potential to reignite that spark that had audiences fall in love in the first place. Some franchises have had to wait decades for these moments, but have now finally been given a reason to believe there may be a bright future ahead.
Whether it's because of a turn to a different style altogether, or quite conversely returning to the roots of the original that had potentially been lost along way, there are multiple series that over recent years have shown they still have some fight in them yet.
10. Prey
Predator is one of the most iconic action movies from one of the most iconic action stars, but for 35 years, this was the sole good outing in the entire franchise.
Three sequels followed over the years in Predator 2, Predators, and The Predator, as well as the ill-fated Alien vs. Predator crossovers, and none of them came even close to the original. They didn't just fall short, they fell well short. However, the fortunes of the franchise turned around well and truly with the release of Dan Trachtenberg's Prey.
The fifth film in the series took things back to its roots. There were no gang wars in LA, no outer space battleworlds, and no government conspiracies - just the hunter and the hunted out in nature, the line between them blurring which is which.
Predator: Killer of Killers has already released in 2025 to incredibly positive reviews, while Predator: Badlands is set to come in November, both also directed by Trachtenberg. Two films from this franchise in a single calendar year may have seemed like flogging a dead horse before the release of Prey, but it's now fair to say that the future appears to be in good hands.