10 Hit Horror Movies That DIDN'T Get Sequels

If the familial threat of Oculus wasn’t quite enough for you, then next up we have Australian indie smash The Babadook. After receiving a terrifying children’s book on her doorstep a single mother slowly descends into madness and tries to kill her young son.

The Babadook works so well as a piece of cinema because at its core it is a touching and painful story about a widowed mother and her child dealing with shared grief. But it could also work so well as a franchise because this emotional theme is manifested as an instantly recognisable boogeyman. Without sounding too cynical, The Babadook is a highly brandable character. The top hat. The coat. The claws. Even the name. One day we’ll be seeing as many fancy dress Babadooks at Halloween parties as Ghostfaces or Freddy Kruegers.

But here’s hoping The Babadook doesn’t get given sequels just for the sake of cashing in on the eponymous ghoul. Any continuation to the story needs to make sure that it is fuelled by the relationship between Amelia (Essie Davies) and her son Samuel (Noah Wiseman). Perhaps Amelia tries to overcome her grief and find a new partner? Maybe an older Samuel poses new challenges to this single mother?

The Babadook ends with Amelia literally taming her mania and learning to live with it. To a movie producer however, no beast can stay tamed forever. Especially when it made almost four times its $2 million budget at box office.