10 Franchises That Should've Quit After Two Films

Franchises are all the rage now thanks to the success of the MCU, Fast & Furious and Star Wars, but that does not mean that every film should be granted a sequel just because it did well. Even a director who managed to churn out two good films should think twice before potentially ruining their legacy with a lazy third entry that exists purely to make more money.

Imagine how incredible the Alien films would be regarded if David Fincher had not been drafted in to churn out a joyless sequel - one which led to a lacklustre crossover with the Predator franchise, before a forgettable attempt to reboot the series with Prometheus.

Similarly, if Francis Ford Coppola had not written The Godfather Part III outside the first two's source material, the series would consist of perfect films without the blemish that the third entry turned out to be.

Whether it was a disappointing third film or the franchise simply ran out of steam after two movies, these franchises should have called it a day after two outings.

Francis Ford Coppola's decision to make a third film in this Godfather series was one motivated out of a need to stay relevant and to score a much needed success after his 1982 film One From the Heart flopped at the box office.

Had he not been in financial trouble due to this loss, we would never have seen the Godfather films become a trilogy. Potentially a third film could have acted as a touching tribute and epilogue to the beloved - and critically adored - saga but by Coppola's own admission he had nothing to say.

Feeling that he had completed the Corleone saga with his first two films, it is very clear that The Godfather Part III was a mistake which only left a sour taste in the mouth after two of the greatest films committed to cinema. Although this threequel was a hit, Coppola was unable to direct another great film as he churned out Bram Stoker's Dracula and Jack in the following years which have - like the third Godfather film - aged poorly.

THE OFFENDING SEQUEL(S) ROTTEN TOMATOES SCORE: The Godfather Part III - 69%