10 Horror Movie Sequels That DITCHED The Horror
These sequels to hit horror movies totally switched genres.
Horror is perhaps the most fertile of all genres where sequels are concerned - if one horror movie is successful, its formula can be repeated, perhaps with some minor variations, for a good while before audiences typically lose interest.
But not all sequels to horror movies are created equal, and sometimes the filmmakers at the forefront want to do something different than just give viewers more of what they've already seen.
Sometimes a horror sequel won't actually be a horror movie at all - it'll ditch the genre almost entirely and fashion itself as something quite different.
This is obviously a considerable risk both artistically and commercially, though it goes without saying that it can pay off dividends if a filmmaker has a smart idea for hopping to a new genre.
And so, for better or worse, these 10 movies all switched from horror to a new genre entirely, the results of which were wildly mixed.
Some were rejected by critics and audiences entirely, others simply underperformed at the box office despite solid reviews, and a few were storming, astronomical successes that changed the franchise forever more...
10. M3GAN 2.0
Though the first M3GAN was a relatively tepid PG-13 horror movie, it was still absolutely a horror movie, revolving around a murderously protective AI doll which preys upon anyone who interferes with its young owner, Cady (Violet McGraw).
For recent sequel M3GAN 2.0, though, director Gerard Johnstone set in motion a massive genre pivot, ditching the horror almost entirely for a sci-fi action black comedy.
There's very little in the way of suspense or unease this time around - M3GAN 2.0 is very much a tongue-in-cheek riff on Terminator 2 in which a resurrected M3GAN (Amie Donald) faces off against a new robotic antagonist, AMELIA (Ivanna Sakhno).
The high-tech shenanigans are dialled up to 11, the action is more acrobatic and choreographed, and the comedy is far more silly, ensuring that the mild horror of its predecessor it basically nowhere to be seen.
Abandoning what made the first film such a surprise hit with teens probably explains why M3GAN 2.0 flopped at the box office.