5 Movie Sequels We’ll Probably Never Get to See
Sometimes, a sequel is worth making, as in the case of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, which kicked off the summer of 2017 with a bang, as we reported here on Rapid River Magazine. The film went on to earn $863,197,744 worldwide per The Numbers, compared to the $771,051,335 earned by its predecessor, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1.
Yet, the narrative with sequels is that for every acclaimed and successful follow-up, there are many more that should not have seen the light of day, such as Speed 2: Cruise Control. That being said, the appeal of making a sequel is high, especially for films that made a killing in the box office or became huge cult favorites. So with that in mind, here are 5 films that deserve a sequel, but we’ll probably never get to see.
Goodwill Hunting 2
For a film with a 97% Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, one would think that Goodwill Hunting would have had a sequel by now. Will Hunting (played magnificently by Matt Damon) could take on the Robin Williams role by possibly mentoring someone in need of help. Unfortunately, a sequel hasn’t happened, and it likely never will. After all, there has been very little talk of a follow-up movie, with the stars happy to leave the original as it is.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial 2
The original 1982 sci-fi film chronicles the friendship of Elliot (played by Henry Thomas) and his extraterrestrial friend, E.T. Filmmaker extraordinaire Steven Spielberg toyed with the idea of making a sequel in the 1980s, but ultimately decided against it even as the potential plotlines — Elliott exploring the galaxy to search for his friend, or E.T. going on a new adventure — would have been fascinating. Now, 36 years later, an E.T. sequel seems beyond this universe.
Forrest Gump II
So, whatever happened to the Gumps — the elder one and his offspring? The possibilities of that storyline alone would have been intriguing, and would have been perfect for a follow-up film. The sequel could even go back to the source material as author Winston Groom wrote a sequel called Gump & Co (which in a nod to how the film begins, “don’t never let nobody make a movie of your life’s story”).
Rounders II
The original Rounders, released in 1998 and starring Matt Damon (again) and Edward Norton, has become a cult classic. PartyPoker states that there are rumors of a sequel every couple of years, with the latest hints coming from Matt Damon himself. Entertainment Weekly reported in 2016 that Damon had mentioned the possibility of a sequel. The actor admitted that the original film’s writers Brian Koppelman and David Levien had a story, and that it would be interesting to see the characters compete in today’s poker scene. So far no further evidence of a sequel being developed has come to light.
Inception 2
The original Inception, a neo-noir sci-fi heist film helmed by Christopher Nolan, was released in 2010 and achieved both commercial and critical success. There is a lot of potential for further stories set in Christopher Nolan’s world. A sequel looks unlikely though with Joseph Gordon-Levitt shooting down any plans. On Twitter Gordon-Levitt told fans: “For once in Hollywood, a character’s “last job” was actually their swan song as they ride off into the sunset.”
But as the saying goes, “Never say never.” So, even though the 5 films listed here will likely not see the light of day, just bear in mind that stranger things have happened in the film industry.
