10 Long-Gestating Movie Sequels That Were Worth The Wait
6. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Years Waited: 32
After the release of Return of the Jedi in 1983, Lucas returned to the franchise in the late nineties to deliver the prequel trilogy, but there was little to no word on the sequel trilogy he promised decades earlier. The years came and went, and following the 2005 release of Revenge of the Sith, it looked as if Star Wars was well and truly over.
Until 2012, when Disney bought Lucasfilm and the doors to the universe were re-opened. From this came the 2015 release of The Force Awakens.
To say this film had a lot on its plate is an understatement. It had to reintroduce the world to Star Wars, catch audiences up on their favorite original trilogy characters, introduce new characters to anchor the series going forward, and justify a $4 billion purchase.
Amazingly, J.J. Abrams pulled it off. The Force Awakens is certainly not the best film in the saga, but it effectively reignited the world's hunger for Star Wars, put the legacy characters in brave new positions, and introduced new heroes and villains for an entirely new generation of fans.
It's also a stellar film to boot, with great writing, inventive direction, and knock-out action sequences. Plus, any film that gives the world Adam Driver as Kylo Ren is truly worth the wait.