10 Horror Movie Sequels That Killed Franchises

2012's Sinister was a massive box office hit, grossing $87.7 million on a budget of just $3 million(!), enough that a sequel was swiftly put into development, because why wouldn't it be?

But original director Scott Derrickson opted to vacate the director's chair for Sinister 2, subbing in Irish filmmaker Ciarán Foy (Citadel) instead, quite predictably resulting in an inferior sequel which was largely panned by critics.

Though Derrickson and original co-writer C. Robert Cargill both returned to pen the script, it ultimately felt like nothing more than a slapdash, tossed-off paycheck gig for the duo. And this was seemingly reflected in the sequel's commercial performance, as it grossed just $54.1 million on a much steeper $10 million budget, making it far less of a success than the original.

Though in recent years Derrickson has admitted that he and Cargill "dropped the ball" on Sinister 2, he has expressed interest in returning to the franchise. Yet considering an entire decade has passed since the second film and the pair are kept plenty busy with their hugely popular Black Phone franchise, it doesn't seem too likely.