Movies don’t last forever, but sequels can make it seem that way. In today’s short-attention-span theater, a franchise that doesn’t crank out new content can often be left behind. A great companion film can sometimes be the secret ingredient to turning a summer blockbuster into a global juggernaut.
Some movie sequels seem like sure things. The moment the credits roll on the original incarnation, fans are already clamoring for a follow-up. Much like the floating message at the end of Back to the Future promised “To Be Continued…" these beloved movies all had that longing for further storytelling. Whether it was budget, timing, or internal strife, it just wasn’t in the cards. Still, it’s fun to play what-if.
So, what if? What if these films all received their rightful next chapter? Would we see their stories differently today? Grab some popcorn. These are the top sequels that never happened.
Updated November 27th, 2023: This article has been updated by Rafa Boladeras with even more movie sequels that never happened.
10 Mathilda: The Professional
Leon: The Professional
- Release Date
- November 18, 1994
- Director
- Luc Besson
- Cast
- Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman, Danny Aiello
- Rating
- R
- Genres
- Action, Crime, Drama
Although Léon: The Professional didn’t leave any story threads hanging that would scream sequel, director Luc Besson had the idea of following Mathilda’s (Natalie Portman) character once she became older. She also became a “cleaner” and went to get revenge on the members of the cartel that ordered her family to be killed, which is prime sequel material.
Between Portman’s career, the fact that her experience wasn’t great during the filming of the original and that Besson didn’t have the rights to the characters in the movie, the sequel was scrapped. Later, the idea of a child who has become a woman and wants revenge on the cartel became the Zoe Saldana movie Colombiana.
Rent Léon: The Professional on Apple TV+
9 Ei8ht
Se7en
- Release Date
- September 22, 1995
- Director
- David Fincher
- Cast
- Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, R. Lee Ermey, Daniel Zacapa, andrew kevin walker
- Rating
- R
- Genres
- Crime, Mystery, Thriller
If there’s a movie that ends incredibly and would never need a sequel, it's Se7en. Yet, executives believed they could get a lot of box office money with a sequel and tried to makeEi8ht. The sequel gave Somerset (Morgan Freeman) psychic abilities, so they could find a supernatural serial killer. The idea was so out of the left field from the original that David Fincher, Brad Pitt, and Freeman all passed, and the script became another movie; Solace with Antony Hopkins. What’s in the box? Not a great idea for a Se7en sequel, that’s for sure.
Stream Se7en on Paramount+
8 Gump & Co.: Forrest Gump 2
Forrest Gump
- Release Date
- July 6, 1994
- Director
- Robert Zemeckis
- Cast
- Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson, Sally Field, Rebecca Williams
- Rating
- PG-13
- Genres
- Drama, Comedy, Documentary, Romance
Sequels are like a box of chocolates. Sometimes a national tragedy comes along and stomps away its hope of being made. Forrest Gump was a massive movie success. The Oscar-winning drama not only rocked the box office but the critical world alike. A follow-up was all but assured in the minds of many. After all, what’s not to love? The new version of Forrest was poised to be the same old, same old. Gump found himself entwined with newer pop-culture stories like OJ Simpson’s Bronco chase. It was all corny fun, right?
Then, just as the script was written up for the sequel, 9/11 happened. How close in proximity were they to each other? One day. As Eric Roth, the writer of both the original and ill-fated sequel, explained to Variety, “I turned in the script the night before 9/11. And we sat down, Tom (Hanks) and Bob (Zemeckis) and I, looked at each other and said, we don’t think this is relevant anymore. The world had changed. Now time has obviously passed, but maybe some things should just be one thing and left as they are.”
Stream Forrest Gump on Paramount+
7 Who Discovered Roger Rabbit?
A true you-had-to-be-there moment in movie history, Who Framed Roger Rabbit? gave viewers a chance to see cartoons and people co-exist in the same world. The end result was an unforgettable film that saw its titular bunny star skyrocket to the top of Disney. So, how do you tank such a project? Perhaps by setting the sequel, Who Discovered Roger Rabbit?, in a 1940s World War II backdrop. The idea was so bizarre that Steven Spielberg swiftly exited the project and Disney followed suit. Who blew it, Roger Rabbit? You did.
Stream Who Framed Roger Rabbit on Disney+
6 Ghostbusters 3
Ghostbusters 2
- Release Date
- June 16, 1989
- Director
- Ivan Reitman
- Cast
- Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis, Ernie Hudson
- Rating
- PG
- Genres
- Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
The third installment of Ghostbusters is unique in that there was no one set movie or project. Rather, Ghostbusters 3 was an institution in and of itself. There were three known drafts in 1999, three more in 2008, and one in 2012. The roster of supporting players had all the original favorites, along with names like Judd Apatow, Eliza Dushku, Bill Hader, and Anna Farris. Even a possible Rick Moranis involvement couldn’t get things off the ground. In the end, Ghostbusters would have to wait until 2021 for its true afterlife.
Rent Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II on Apple TV+
5 E.T. 2: Nocturnal Fears
E.T.
- Cast
- Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, Peter Coyote, K.C. Martel
- Genres
- Adventure, Family, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
- Release Date
- June 11, 1982
- Director
- Steven Spielberg
- Rating
- PG
Yes, the real name was E.T. 2 Nocturnal Fears. It's right up there with Cheech Marin’s Eddie Torres parody of the franchise. The plot saw Elliot get kidnapped as E.T. must play the hero to bring him home. No word on Reece’s Pieces being involved, but it would only make sense. When asked about it, apparently Steven Spielberg said it would “rob the original of its virginity.” That all but tanked the hopes for a true E.T. sequel. With that, the Extra-Terrestrial would be forced to keep his nocturnal fears to himself.
Rent E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial on Apple TV+
4 Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian
Beetlejuice
- Release Date
- March 30, 1988
- Director
- Tim Burton
- Cast
- Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Annie McEnroe, Maurice Page, Hugo Stanger, Michael Keaton
- Rating
- PG
- Genres
- Comedy, Fantasy
Somehow, Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian was almost a real movie. After ABC and Fox milked the original Beetlejuice for all its sweet animation, Broadway musical, and video game money, the next logical step was a sequel. Then, the next step after that is obviously Hawaii. Makes sense, doesn't it? To say the story is simple wouldn't be doing it justice. The Deetz Family move to Hawaii. Beetlejuice shows up. The end. Warner Brothers ultimately passed on this piece of island gold in favor of a Batman movie instead.
Someone must’ve said the name Beetlejuice three times, because in 2024 there will officially be a Beetlejuice 2, a completely different film where they’re not going to Hawaii, but that deals with Michael Keaton’s character once again. Original director Tim Burton and actress Winona Ryder are also involved, while Jenna Ortega will play Ryder’s character’s daughter. The movie was almost done before the writers' and actors' strikes began, so there’s going to be more news about it very soon.
Rent Beetlejuice on Apple TV+
3 Kill Bill: Vol. 3
Kill Bill Vol. 1
- Release Date
- October 10, 2003
- Director
- Quentin Tarantino
- Cast
- Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox, Daryl Hannah, David Carradine, Michael Madsen
- Rating
- R
- Genres
- Action, Crime
A book could be written about all the projects Tarantino had in his mind that never came to fruition, but Kill Bill: Volume 3 might be the biggest and most wanted by fans. The director was teasing the idea even before Kill Bill: Volume 2 was released, where lawyer Sofia Fatale (Julie Dreyfus) would raise Nikki’s (Vivica A. Fox) daughter to get revenge on The Bride (Uma Thurman) 10 years after Volume 2. The fans have cast the movie with Zendaya as Nikki’s daughter and Maya Hawke, Thurman’s real-life daughter as B.B. Unfortunately, Tarantino still wants to retire after his tenth film, and that last movie is going to be about a movie critic, so we’ll likely never see this revenge story on the big screen.
Rent Kill Bill: Volume 1 and Kill Bill: Volume 2 on Apple TV+
2 Finding Nemo 2
Finding Nemo
- Release Date
- May 30, 2003
- Director
- Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich
- Cast
- Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Alexander Gould, Willem Dafoe, Brad Garrett, Allison Janney
- Rating
- G
- Genres
- Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family
Before Dory hogged the glory, Finding Nemo 2 was supposed to be about Nemo. After all, it’s his name on the marquee. Originally titled Finding Nemo 2: Escape from Oilglobs, this follow-up on the Nemo family was set to follow Nemo’s long-lost twin, Remy. This new brother would help the fish save one of their friends from an oily demise. Disagreements in 2005 caused this potential toy store money-grab to shut down prematurely. It would be another ten years before Dory was crowned the heir apparent to Nemo’s throne.
Stream Finding Nemo on Disney+
1 Scoob! Holiday Hunt
scoob
- Release Date
- July 11, 2020
- Director
- Tony Cervone, Dax Shepard
- Runtime
- 94
- Genres
- Animation, Comedy, Family, Mystery
Leading the pack of canceled sequels is the haunted production of Scoob! Holiday Haunt. This campy prequel to the 2020 movie Scoob! was set to come to HBO Max on December 22. It appears that is not going to happen as the film has been shelved, despite being "95%" finished.
The team was in post-production when they heard the news. Warner Brothers, embarrassed over this leak, contacted director Michael Kurinasky to apologize for the mix-up. They wanted to release it but, you know, taxes. “In our phone calls that we had with people, they explained that this is what’s happening,” Kurisnky told Variety. “And because we are taking this tax write-off, we can’t monetize it. That’s how it was explained to me.” And he would have gotten away with it too, if it were for you meddling kids!
Stream Scoob! on Max
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