20 Movie Franchises That Carried On For Way Too Long

6. Resident Evil

The Movies: Resident Evil (2002), Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004), Resident Evil: Extinction (2007), Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010), Resident Evil: Retribution (2012), Resident Evil 6 (2016 TBC) Very loosely based on the acclaimed and long-running video game series, the action/horror franchise began in 2002 with a first installment that featured decent scares and set-pieces, although the dialogue and underlying anti-corporate themes were horribly on-the-nose. Nonetheless, Resident Evil grossed over three times its budget at the box office, making a sequel a formality. Apocalypse was a thinly-plotted, poorly acted movie that still grossed almost $30m more than its predecessor, bucking the trend of video-game adaptations to provide a full-blown franchise. Three years later the third installment pretty much provided more of the same. At this point it became clear that the movies were being marketed to fans of the franchise and nobody else. Still, it once again marked a commercial high point for the franchise with a worldwide gross of nearly $150m. Paul WS Anderson returned to direct Afterlife, this time with a higher budget and the addition of 3D. Like most tiring franchises, the 3D premium saw an increase in box office takings, with Afterlife doubling the grosses of Extinction to set a new record the Resident Evil movies. Unsurprisingly, Retribution was another predictably uninspired entry in the franchise and brought nothing new to the table, yet still grossed over $240m worldwide. With Resident Evil being the most successful video-game franchise in history with total box office takings of over $915m, it would be foolish to assume that the franchise would stay dead (pun intended). Rumors have abounded over the last year that a sixth installment, tentatively titled Resident Evil: Rejuvenation, will begin shooting this year. Good news for fans of the franchise, but a big fat 'meh' from the rest of us.