10 Horror Movie Sequels That Killed Franchises

The first Gremlins was such a gigantic mainstream hit that it's genuinely surprising it took six years for a sequel to materialise, with Gremlins 2: The New Batch finally hitting screens in 1990.

After years of struggling to get the sequel made with other filmmakers, original director Joe Dante finally agreed to return on the condition of having full creative control over the movie and more than triple the original's budget.

The result is one of the most gloriously unhinged sequels of all time - a cartoonish parody of both the first film and Hollywood sequels in general that's also one hell of an astonishing practical effects showcase.

Though quite arguably one of the greatest sequels ever made, Gremlins 2 also wasn't what audiences were expecting. It was a much goofier experience than the more horror-centric original, and one which consequently bombed at the box office.

With a final haul of $41.5 million - a fraction of the original's $212.9 million - Warner Bros. put the franchise to bed, and though a potential Gremlins 3 has been in the works for over a decade, would it surprise anyone if it never came to fruition?

Given the taxing nature of the practical effects required for a Gremlins film - CGI be-damned - it's little surprise that the only major Gremlins media since the second film is a recent animated TV series. It's a shame that audiences of the era didn't embrace Gremlins 2, but damn if its existence isn't a net-positive for movies and, indeed, the world.