8. Percy Jackson: The Sea of Monsters
The Release Date: August 16th, 2013
What Its Got Going For It: Whether you caught it or not, theres no doubting that the original Percy Jackson movie adaptation The Lightning Thief built solid foundations for a franchise that could potentially build towards Hunger Games-esque status. The main cast were likeable, the narrative compelling (if long-winded) and the premise for future instalments engaging enough to bring viewers back into auditoriums a couple of years later. Fast forward four years, though, and we begin to glimpse the high tide that sequel The Sea Of Monsters is up against
Why Its Already Doomed: The Lightning Thief made nowhere near as much cash as distributors 20th Century Fox (another regular on this list- funny, that!) might have hoped, with very little real prospect for a sequel to be commissioned anytime soon. It came as a big surprise, then, to learn that the second novel in Rick Riordians childrens fantasy series would still get an adaptation in the near future. The real problem, though? As harsh a reality as it may seem, within the film industry, four whole years no longer classifies as the near future. Already, many of us have started to express concerns at the length with which our enthusiasm for Avatar 2 can remain while we have at least a further twenty-four odd months to wait until its release, so its obvious why The Sea Of Monsters is to some extent in a far worse position right now. Unless the production team have opted for a tonal reboot- unlikely, seeing as the only real casting change has come with Pierce Brosnans axe and Anthony Heads debut- theres little to suggest that the 9-year old children who are now 13-year old teens will still be interested in what becomes next of their unlikely childhood hero. Id love to see this statement proved false come twelve months from now, as Im sure The Sea Of Monsters will be at the very least an enjoyable watch, yet looking at how The Bourne Legacy has turned out five years since Ultimatum, my hopes certainly arent high.