20 Greatest Direct Sequels Ever Made

1. The Godfather Part II

Back To The Future II
Paramount Pictures

Francis Ford Coppola must have wondered to himself as he began production on The Godfather Part II; how do you make a successful follow up to one of the greatest movies of all time? The answer, as it turned out, was surprisingly simple. Make another one of the greatest movies of all time.

Acting as both a sequel and prequel, Part II made up for the lack of Marlon Brando by having the young Robert De Niro play Vito Corleone in flashback, with the actor matching Brando by winning an Academy Award for his work as the future Don. Similarly, the movie equaled its predecessor by also winning Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay, with Coppola managing to one-up himself by landing the Best Director statue that had eluded him the first time round.

A grand and epic study mired in tragedy on how power can corrupt, The Godfather Part II is a more ambitious and complex tale than its predecessor, and the greatest sequel of all time fittingly finishes on one of the most powerful final scenes in cinema history.

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