8 Movies You Wrongly Thought Were Sequels

8. 10 Cloverfield Lane

Though it has the word Cloverfield in the title and an alien invasion sub-plot, 10 Cloverfield Lane is not the super secret sequel project it initially seemed to be when the curtain was first drawn back on it. In reality, the links between Cloverfield and its "follow-up" are quite vague - it's definitely the same world, but it's not exactly the same story.

What 10 Cloverfield Lane really is - rather than a sequel - is a brand expansion. It's an opportunity for Paramount to establish an Anthology of Cloverfield movies - which will be expanded further with God Particle in 2018 (though the title may change). They aren't linear in any way, and there's no real hint that they are even tied together the same way serial movies traditionally are.

Instead of thinking of it as a franchise, it's best to think of Cloverfield as a way to model films. They're siblings rather than sequels, and each will stride out on their own journeys confidently, with the marketing boost of belonging to an established brand but no requirement to follow on narratively. it's all terribly clever.