Universal PicturesIn the last couple of decades, Hollywood has come down with a bad case of sequilitis. Prior to the year 2000, there were only a handful of billion-dollar franchises on which the studios could rely. Now, there are over 30. Comic books, literary adaptations and established brands provide the built-in recognition and wide appeal that will draw audiences to the multiplex, regardless of whether or not this endless parade of follow-ups are actually any good. Despite this increasing reliance on sequels to generate box office dollars, there are plenty of movies that seem to have set themselves up for a second, third or even final installment that never comes to fruition. The go-to option is to reboot an established franchise instead of taking a chance on a new one, which has a lot to do with the continued repetitiveness and mediocrity of most franchise fare. With that in mind, this article will look at 12 potential movie sequels that haven't been made, and why they would be awesome. It is a list that covers multiple genres, and will cover the variety of reasons why these projects didn't come to fruition. It could be a case of the first movie failing at the box office, reluctance or disinterest from the filmmakers to return to the well, a studio unwilling to provide the funds or simply the passage of time that sees the idea doing nothing but gather dust on a shelf.
12. Push (2009)
Summit EntertainmentPaul McGuigan's blending of the sci-fi and superhero movie presented a visually striking and wildly ambitious genre picture that was full of big ideas and stylish action, yet struggled under the weight of the world-building needed to explain such a complicated mythology in under two hours. The ending was perfectly set up to continue expanding the universe but unfortunately disappointing box office returns nixed the idea at the first hurdle. Assembling a talented ensemble cast including Chris Evans, Dakota Fanning, Djimon Hounsou and Ming-Na Wen, the story focuses on a shady government agency known as The Division that experiments on people with superhuman abilities in an effort to create an army. The script devises its own terminology and set of skills for these superhumans, putting a fresh spin on the almost-ubiquitous physical and mental powers seen in the Hollywood superhero movie, although it does serve to over-complicate the plot. Shooting mostly on location in Hong Kong gives the movie a sense of grit and immediacy, and the set-pieces and special effects are impressive given the modest $38m budget. The burden of establishing the premise ultimately harms the movie as the plot becomes increasingly convoluted, but with the set-up out of the way a sequel could have taken the idea and ran with it. Sadly, a worldwide gross of under $50m sees Push relegated to a footnote in the history of the superhero genre.