20 INSANE Horror Sequels We Almost Got
We were so close to actually getting these WILD horror sequels.
No genre loves sequels quite so much as horror, because the vast majority of commercially successful horror films will end up getting at least a sequel or two, if not spawning a wider ongoing, potentially decades-long franchise.
But with so much potential for sequelisation, there are naturally many, many horror sequel ideas which never actually get made - especially those bolder and more outlandish ones, the kinds of which make studio executives sweaty.
And that's absolutely the case with these 20 planned horror sequels, all of which entered some stage of development but were ultimately culled for one reason or another.
In some instances, it's easy to appreciate why the studio balked at the sheer WTF factor of it all, while in others it's tough not to mourn the more daring, creative sequel we could've got.
In almost all instances, the sequel we ended up with instead - assuming we did at all - was considerably safer and less ambitious. Now, some of these sequels may well have been abject disasters in the making, but they surely would've been unique, unforgettable disasters, right?...
20. Kevin Williamson's Scream 5
Scream 4 writer Kevin Williamson has stated that it was originally intended to launch a new trilogy of Scream films, and earlier drafts of the script concluded with Ghostface mastermind Jill Roberts (Emma Roberts) actually getting away with her crimes.
Williamson's version of Scream 5, then, would pick up with Jill in college as a Sidney Prescott-esque celebrity victim, until someone figured out what she did and started killing off all the people in her life.
That certainly sounds like one hell of a unique spin on the Scream formula, though concluding Scream 4 on a quasi-cliffhanger where the killer gets away with it would've surely rubbed some fans the wrong way - especially without an obvious suggestion that Jill would be returning.
But for reasons unknown Williamson's trilogy plan was ultimately scrapped, and because Scream 4 underperformed at the box office, the slasher series was put on ice until 2022's legacy sequel revived it.
Still, considering that Jill is a fan favourite Ghostface, it's a damn shame we never got to see this fascinating direction play out.