10 Movie Franchises That Died In 2016
2. Jack Reacher
The Franchise: After 2012's Tom Cruise-starring adaptation of Lee Childs' iconic novel character debuted to a decent-but-not-spectacular $218.3 million (against a $60 million budget), a sequel seemed likely if not exactly certain. In October of this year, amid little fanfare, the follow-up finally dropped.
How It Died: Jack Reacher: Never Go Back was released to negative reviews, criticised for being a generic action sequel with little flavour beyond the enjoyable pairing of Cruise and Cobie Smulders.
Again budgeted at $60 million, the movie pulled in an underwhelming $136.9 million, significantly down on the first film and probably enough for Paramount to shelve a third go-around.
After all, the law of diminishing returns being what it is, another sequel could end up a straight-up bomb.