10 Movie Sequels That Were Sent Out To Die

Perhaps the most obvious sign of a studios' lack of faith in a project can be found in the period said picture is released in theatres.

In the case of the sequel to 2000's Samuel L. Jackson-starring Shaft by the name of... erm... Shaft, Warner Bros' decision to trot out the return of iconic private investigator and former NYPD detective John Shaft on the same weekend as the comeback of another set of well-known agents in the summer of 2019 said more about their belief in the film's potential success than words ever could.

As expected, Men in Black International thoroughly trounced the Rated R offering, with the much more commercial and popular combo of that well-known property and stars like Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson setting the stage for a not too shabby $253 million overall haul against Shaft's dismal $20 million on a $30 million budget.

Sure, the flick's eventual dropping on Netflix likely led to it finding a broader audience long term. Yet, even that arrival on the streaming giant's platform wasn't exactly sang out from the rooftops, once again showcasing how little hope everyone involved had in this unwanted follow-up.