10 Horror Franchises That Ended Too Soon
2. The Strangers
The premise of The Strangers is a fantastic one. Simple yet chillingly effective, the crux of the two offerings for the franchise to date revolves around a trio of murderous sorts who torment people on a totally random basis.
In 2008's The Strangers, Liv Tyler's beaten down and bloodied Kristen begs the question as to why she and her partner James had been targeted - only to get the eerie response of "because you were home" from Dollface.
While there's clearly something to be said about a a deep, elaborate, twist-laden horror offering, there's also a whole lot to enjoy about a film - or, in this case, a franchise - that keeps things simple.
The Strangers would be followed up in 2018 by the vibrant, atmospheric, balls-out terror of Johannes Roberts' The Strangers: Prey at Night. That sequel didn't quite hit the critical and box office highs of its predecessor, but it was still an effective, tense picture that served as a love letter to John Carpenter and the movies of the '80s. And also, Prey at Night closed with the tease of a third film.
By all accounts, despite initial plans for a third Strangers movie, the mixed response to The Strangers: Prey at Night has sadly seen that option taken off the table for the foreseeable future.
Of all of the franchises featured in this list, however, The Strangers is one that seems the most realistic to hopefully get another outing down the line.