8 Big Movie Cliffhangers That Will NEVER Be Resolved

By Padraig Cotter /

Buena Vista Pictures

There used to be a time when sequels were the exception, and not the rule. In the past actors and directors generally liked to move on and create fresh stories and characters, and outside of the promise of a huge check, sequels held little appeal.

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Times change, however, and the era of the franchise is firmly in place. Now most movies, especially big budget ones, leave the door wide open for sequels, prequels, spin-offs and everything in-between. Inevitably, not every movie will be a hit, so it can be slightly embarrassing when the first part in a potential series ends with a clear set-up for more adventures, and the audience just isn€™t interested. Sometimes it€™s not even a case that the film fails, just that the studio involved decides to start fresh and reboot, ignoring what a previous film established (as in the case of The Incredible Hulk).

Whatever the reason, that leaves a lot of movies with cliffhanger endings that will never be resolved. This list compiles some of the best, and most blatant examples of a film ending with a sequel hook that didn€™t get followed up on. Some hint at intriguing future stories, some are kind of lazy and some are just plain dumb. But all of them have been left abandoned at the altar, for people on the internet to be snarky about.

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So be warned: Here be spoilers.