Sometimes, you see a movie, leave it, and you don’t think it needs a sequel. Or maybe you want a sequel, but it never gets made, and unexpectedly, a legacy sequel comes out decades later. All of this and more have led to some great films, so here are over 30 sequels that no one really asked for but are actually beloved.
Puss In Boots: The Last Wish
One year after the release of the fourth Shrek film in 2010, we got Puss in Boots. At the time, I think it's safe to say many of us weren’t looking for a spinoff of the sequels. However, we got it. Then, in 2022, we got its sequel, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.
Between its unique animation style, its existential questions about death, a truly horrifying villain and all the humor we know and love from the Shrek films, Puss In Boots: The Last Wish will stay with you for a long time after watching it, and I can’t say that’s typically expected from a film that’s sequel to a spinoff.
Twisters
Back in 1996, after the release of Twister, there was talk about making a sequel. However, nothing came of that, and we all moved on. Then, almost 30 years later, stars Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones and director Lee Isaac Chung came flying onto the scene to make the legacy sequel Twisters, and boy did it work!
Top Gun: Maverick
Yes, there had been chatter about a Top Gun sequel for years and years and years after its release in 1986. However, we got nothing for literal decades. Then, 36 years later, Tom Cruise and co. came zooming back into theaters with Top Gun: Maverick, and it dominated.
The film raised the bar for aviation action, and it somehow managed to not just live up to Top Gun, but exceed it in a lot of ways. Overall, the film by Joseph Kosinski was an epic and wild ride that came out three decades after the original, proving that the need for speed was still there.
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (And Everything That Followed)
Let’s be real, they could have stopped at three if they wanted to. However, the Mission: Impossible movies didn’t end there, and thank goodness. After the releases of M:I 1, 2 and 3, they switched up the naming trend and revamped with the release of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol in 2011.
Since then, we’ve gotten so many wild stunts from Tom Cruise and so many seemingly impossible missions, and it’s not stopping there either. That’s because if there’s a mission, we will always choose to accept it.
Toy Story 3
The first two Toy Story movies were all about Buzz, Woody, and co.’s adventures in Andy’s room. These two films came out in 1995 and 1999, and they are beloved by so many. Then, in 2010, eleven years after 2 came out, they returned again with Toy Story 3, which saw the toys donated to a childcare center.
While the film wasn’t exactly asked for, it was made and it blew audiences away. It also left them crying their eyes out.
Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle
Did we need a legacy sequel to Jumanji that saw the board game turned into a video game? No. But did we get it? Yes. And did it blow audiences away? 100%.
Starring Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan, this film was a super fresh take on the classic starring Robin Williams as the kids ended up in the jungle rather than the jungle ending up in their homes. And it was so well received, that now there are two more films based on the video game adaptation of the classic board game.
Cobra Kai
There’s always been a demand for more Karate Kid, however, no one asked for or quite frankly deserved the goodness that is Cobra Kai. Rather than following Daniel LaRusso, the show flips the script and follows his original rival Johnny Lawrence as he works to start his own dojo and turn his life around.
After starting out on YouTube, the show found great success, and eventually wound up on Netflix. Now, Cobra Kai is one of Netflix’s most bingeable and beloved shows.
Creed
After six Rocky movies that came out across four decades, you’d think another one or a spinoff wasn’t necessary. However, then Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan came in swinging with the story of Apollo Creed’s son Adonis, and to mix my sports metaphors, they knocked it out of the park.
Blade Runner 2049
Folks were apprehensive about returning to the universe of Blade Runner 35 years after the original’s release. However, Blade Runner 2049 received good reviews and a positive response from audiences in the time since its release in 2017. Although, should we be surprised by that? It was directed by Denis Villeneuve and starred Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford.
The Incredibles 2
Admittedly, there was always a want for an Incredibles sequel. However, the one we got was not what we expected. After ending the first film on a cliffhanger, there was a 14-year break and then we got The Incredibles 2 which took the story in a new, refreshing and exciting direction.
Mad Max: Fury Road
After making three Mad Max movies between 1979 and 1985, the prospect of the franchise returning with such force in 2015 was unexpected. However, it ended up being incredible, because not only is George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road a hit, it’s now widely considered one of the best action movies of all time.
Fast Five
Fast Five is the film that definitively changed the Fast and Furious franchise. While the previous Fast movies were rooted in street racing and did up the ante every time, the fifth installment took things to a whole new level. Following the team’s heist in Brazil, this film proves that sometimes a fifth movie can be the best one, because, to this day, Fast Five is one of if not the best Fast and Furious movie.
Prey
The Predator franchise began in 1987, and each decade since, we’ve gotten a new film. However, in 2022, I don’t think many asked for or expected Prey. The film was widely well-received, and the prequel introduced many to the wildly talented actress Amber Midthunder. It went over so well with audiences, in fact, that it’s now considered one of the best Predator movies.
Toy Story 4
If you thought Toy Story 3 seemingly came out of thin air, then you likely really weren’t ready for Toy Story 4. Released nine years after the third film, this project is quite different from the others as it sees the toys with Bonnie and Woody specifically struggling with his life as a toy. It’s a thoughtful and fun film, and one that I was surprised I loved so much since the bar was sky high for it.
Scream (2022)
While each Scream movie features a new ensemble of side characters, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette were always leading the films. However, 2022’s Scream – which is notably the first project in the franchise not directed by Wes Craven – acted as a changing of the guard. While Sidney, Gale and Dewey were there, the film was led by Melissa Barrera’s Sam, Jenna Ortega’s Tara and their set of friends, giving us a fresh yet fitting addition to this beloved horror franchise.
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
Yes, there was a want for Mamma Mia! 2, however, I don’t think anyone asked for them to go this hard! The film flashes back and forth between the present and the past, adding new ABBA songs and bringing back fan favorites, meaning the vibes were so high in this sequel and it's a worthy successor of its beloved predecessor.
T2: Trainspotting
In 1996, Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting was met with a lot of love. Then, 21 years later, in 2017, Ewan McGregor and co. got back together for the sequel T2: Trainspotting.
Shrek 2
Shrek was a cultural phenomenon, and honestly, it still is. However, Shrek 2 came onto the scene swinging, and the story that included the antagonistic Prince Charming and Fairy Godmother is widely considered the best Shrek movie.
Paddington 2
I’m not being dramatic, Paddington 2 is a masterpiece. As you will note if you look at its many five-star reviews, Paddington 2 is a wonderful, wholesome and deeply beloved film that is also a sequel that no one expected to love this much.
Before Sunset
Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy put a wonderful love story to screen in Richard Linklater’s Before Sunrise. Typically, romances don’t get sequels. However, in 2004, the crew got back together again to make Before Sunset, which is also a deeply loved film.
Sister Act 2: Back In The Habit
Sister Act 2: Back In The Habit – which is a wonderful title – was the surprise sequel to Whoopi Goldberg’s beloved Sister Act. While it’s not as beloved as the original, it is heaps of fun and filled with magical musical moments.
John Wick: Chapter 2
John Wick was an action-packed new film that blew people away. Then, after its success Chad Stahelski got to make more of these movies with Keanu Reeves, spawning one of the great action franchises.
The Suicide Squad (2021)
After the first Suicide Squad film, I don’t think anyone needed or really wanted another one. However, then James Gunn got his hands on the property and saved it with ease as he brought back characters like Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, and introduced new ones, like John Cena’s Peacemaker.
Gremlins 2: The New Batch
Six years after the release of Gremlins, we got another story about these little monsters. And like its predecessor, it’s a spooky and fun film that audiences really love.
Halloween (2018)
In 1978 we saw Jamie Lee Curtis lead the iconic slasher Halloween, and we were introduced to the legendary horror villain Michael Meyers. After that, we got movies in 1981, 1982, 1988, 1989, 1995, 1998, 2002, 2007 and 2009. In fact, 2018’s Halloween is the third movie to just go by the singular name. So, it’s safe to say there were questions about if we needed an eleventh film in the franchise. However, this entry from David Gordon Green was a welcome one that breathed new life into the franchise.
Magic Mike XXL
Magic Mike XXL is one of those movies that has no right to be as good as it is. I don’t think many thought Channing Tatum’s movie about strippers would get a sequel, however, Magic Mike ended up being quite the success. A few years later we got its great sequel that takes the beloved strippers on the road so they can go to a stripper convention.
Thor: Ragnarok
If you’ve watched the Marvel movies in order, you know that Thor: The Dark World is a dark spot in the franchise. So, going into the threequel about the God of Thunder, apprehension is the word I’d use to describe many viewers' thoughts about it. However, under the direction of Taika Waititi, the third Thor movie took a hard turn into comedy, leaned into Chris Hemsworth’s comedic sensibilities and brought this franchise based on the Norse hero back to life.
Terminator 2: Judgement Day
You know, The Terminator did say “I’ll be back,” and he was right. In 1991, Arnold Schwarzenegger returned as the titular character, and he did so with a bang. To this day it's considered one of the great sequels, and The Terminator came back a few more times after that.
Psycho II
It might not be as critically acclaimed as its predecessor but Psycho II has quite the cult following. The film follows Norman Bates 20 years after the events of the first film, and offers an interesting look into what happened two decades after those infamous events at the Bates Motel.
Predator 2
Predator 2 is a cult classic. While it’s not as acclaimed as its predecessor, the 1990 sequel led by Danny Glover has many fans who adore it.
Home Alone 2: Lost In New York
The first Home Alone became a fast favorite and one of the best Christmas movies. Then, two years later, Kevin McCallister didn’t get left home alone, he got lost in New York, and the shenanigans that ensued made this sequel just as classic as the original.
Aliens
After Ridley Scott’s 1979 classic Alien, James Cameron took over to helm the sequel, Aliens, in 1986. Not only is it a great sequel, it’s one of the best sequels ever. And, not only is it a fantastic sequel, it’s also just flat-out one of the best movies of the ‘80s.
From cult classics to critically acclaimed flicks, there’s a whole swath of sequels we didn’t really ask for. However, I’m oh so happy they happened, and I think a bunch of viewers are too.
