10 Anticipated Movie Sequels Stuck In Development Hell

Should any movie ever enjoy a certain amount of success, be it critically, commercially, or both, there usually will be a sequel announcement not too far behind. Even films that tell a self-contained story that needs absolutely no further exploration, like Joker, see follow-ups greenlit all the time.

It can often be the easiest, and most unsurprising thing in the world to announce that certain movie franchises are coming back for more, though it is not always that easy to fulfill that promise. Just as sequels get announced all the time, they also get cancelled, too.

Then there are those sequels that fans have been anticipating, that have been announced or are being worked on in some capacity, but are no closer to being released. They are stuck in development hell, in that they haven't been cancelled (yet), but for one reason or another, or multiple, they have just stalled.

Whether films have been stuck trying to continue a story that began over 20 years ago, looking to find their place in an ever-growing wider shared universe, or battling for the attention of the right person's creative mind, it sucks when fans get excited at the prospect of a next chapter and are given nothing but endless waiting.

Nicholas Cage has had one hell of a career, but with more recent outings like Renfield, Longlegs, and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, you could argue that the actor is more popular now than ever. That being said, there are a lot of people who still have a soft spot for National Treasure.

The original movie released in 2004, with the sequel coming in 2007, and ever since, there have been questions about completing the trilogy, to which the people involved have very different answers.

Cage himself has stated previously that, since the producers were looking to push the franchise into TV rather than film, it wasn't something that he was interested in. However, the TV show, National Treasure: Edge of History, has come and been cancelled after one season, with confirmation from producer Jerry Bruckheimer that the script for the third movie is being worked on, and that it is treating the Disney+ outing as canon.

Once the script is completed, it will be sent to Nic Cage, whom Bruckheimer is hopeful will be responsive to it. In spite of the actor's previous comments, it would seem that a return to the big screen may still be on the cards, but it's hard to see that continue should the man who played Ben Gates turn the offer down.