10 Movie Sequels You Probably Never Knew Existed
6. The Hitcher II: I've Been Waiting
Four years before Michael Bay's production house Platinum Dunes dished up a remake of 1986 cult action horror classic The Hitcher, a direct sequel was produced for the home market, bringing back original actor C Thomas Howell (who has since expressed regret about making the follow-up film).
Faced with the unenviable task of picking up where the inimitable Rutger Hauer left off, Jake 'slightly less crazy-looking son of Gary' Busey stars as 'Jack,' another deranged hitch-hiker - possibly a reincarnation of Hauer's John Rider - who crosses paths with a now-PTSD addled Jim Halsey (Howell), driving across country with his girlfriend (Kari Wuhrer).
It's a shame that more effort wasn't put into The Hitcher II: I've Been Waiting, as there are vague hints of something interesting, exploring how Howell's Jim copes with the traumatic memories of the first film, and tying into the mystical overtones of the original: is the Hitcher really a man, or some sort of supernatural entity?
Unfortunately, poor writing and direction lets the whole thing down; neither this nor the 2007 remake with Sean Bean can hold a candle to the original Hitcher.