10 Movie Franchises Saved From Extinction By Sequels
7. Jurassic World Brought Back The Theme Park Set Up
The Steven Spielberg directed 1993 blockbuster Jurassic Park was such a mega-success upon release that even the venerable E.T helmer was tempted to drop his “no sequels” rule when he returned to the director’s chair for 1997’s follow-up The Lost World.
That flick did a pretty good job of justifying said rule upon release, as even the combined presence of a T-rex marauding through San Francisco and veteran character actor/ national treasure Pete Postelwaithe couldn’t bring back the magic from the first film. The inevitable third instalment dropped the franchise’s quality further, meeting a tepid reception from critics when it arrived in 2001. Something needed to change, and according to Alligator scribe John Sayles, that something was the lack of some human-raptor hybrids.
Unfortunately cooler heads prevailed, and in 2015 Jurassic World landed in cinemas. No, there wasn’t a super soldier half-man-dino in sight, but there was a likeable cast, some intense and impressive action sequences, a handful of nostalgic nods to the original, and overall a charming tone which won over critics and audience members alike.
And then they all lived happily ever after, never creating an insane sequel wherein arms dealers tried to buy designer dinosaurs and Bryce Dallas Howards and Chris Pratt ended up chased through a gothic mansion by Rafe Spall…