10 Status Updates On Iconic Horror Franchises

Who doesn't love a good scare?

Since the dawn of cinema, horror has taken many forms, entertaining and terrifying audiences in countless ways that have fed on everything from people's fear of the unknown to our innate dread of physical harm. Monsters, slashers, demons, aliens and more have all contributed to popular horror over the years, with single films evolving into franchises that have spawned sequels, prequels, television shows and so on.

These are series whose ongoing existence on the big and small screens have forever cemented their place in the annals of horror history in spite of terrible entries, poor creative choices and/or misguided reboots. Thanks to the passage of time and inevitable franchise fatigue resulting from concepts being pushed to their limits, nearly every one of these franchises has hit a stumbling block along the way. Some have fallen fatally while others have merely ground to a temporary stop.

But it's a testament to their fundamental iconography that they have continued to live on in spite of such issues, guaranteeing that creative minds will always be there to rebuild them from the ashes once again, for better or worse.

With the Halloween season once more upon us, let's take a look at just a few of the most popular ongoing horror franchises to get up to speed on what's happening with them, what's on the way or if we should keep our expectations about their future in check...

Last Film Entry: Hannibal Rising (2006)

What's going on? Hannibal Lecter first turned up onscreen in 1986's Red Dragon adaptation Manhunter, though that film was eclipsed a few years later by The Silence of the Lambs. Two more films followed with Anthony Hopkins reprising the iconic role before the arrival of the 2006 prequel sans Hopkins that essentially killed the franchise on the big screen.

Though rumors understandably floated around about a potential new film with Hopkins back in the saddle in the years after Rising's release, it never came to fruition, leaving many doubting that anyone new could touch his performance were Hannibal to undergo a new interpretation. Fortunately, when NBC's Hannibal arrived in 2013, Mads Mikkelsen stole the role right out from under Hopkins in the eyes of many, with his performance and the series around him breathing new life into the franchise, lasting three seasons until it was cancelled earlier this year.

As of now, the future of Hannibal Lecter is up in the air. It's entirely possible in today's era of television revivals that Hannibal could be continued down the line on another network or platform in some form - a new season, a miniseries or a movie - especially when the cast and crew themselves still want more, but for now, it seems, don't expect to see a new take on everyone's favorite cannibal on the big or small screen anytime soon to allow the franchise as a whole the chance to breathe.