2024 already looks set to be the year of sequels, with many of our favorite movie franchises getting a new installment. Which is likely to be the biggest success and why are franchises like these so popular now? It also begs the question: does every movie need a sequel?
The Power Of Franchises
John Wick, Mission: Impossible, and Indiana Jones are just a few of the popular movies from recent years that follow a series of successful films on the same theme. 2024 seems set to give us even more sequels and prequels to look at. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, Karate Kid, and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes are all due for release this year while Dune 2 has already hit movie theatres.
Sequels aren’t restricted to the movies, as there are plenty of examples of TV shows earning new seasons and spin-off shows. Some of our most-loved books include the same characters popping up again, such as Robert Langdon in Dan Brown’s novels or George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series.
We can see a similar trend in slots online, where popular games often lead to followups. Money Train 3 and Jack Hammer are a couple of recent examples of successful sequels. These slots typically stick to similar symbols but add new features or bonus rounds for each new installment.
Which of 2024’s Sequels is Most Eagerly Awaited?
Karate Kid is set to be one of the most interesting sequels this year The original was released in 1984 and remains much-loved, leading to a series of films that earned $618 million while arguably failing to recapture the original’s magic.
Ralph Macchio is back in the 2024 sequel while Jackie Chan also returns after playing kung fu master Mr Han in the 2010 reboot. Ming-Na Wen will also star in the new movie, whose plot has yet to be revealed.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire comes from another franchise whose original movie was also released in 1984 and was arguably the high point of the series to date. Despite attempting various approaches to the idea of a team of Ghostbusters, the scriptwriters have never managed to replicate the iconic first movie.
2024’s effort will be the fifth and the follow-up to 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife, while it’s also led to a TV series and many themed products. Part of the excitement around Frozen Empire is that the characters are going back to New York to meet the original crew members.
Gladiator 2 is another sequel that we’ve been waiting a long time for. The 2000 original won five Academy awards but the second film was delayed for a variety of reasons, with the death of Russell Crowe’s Maximus Decimus Meridius and Joaquin Phoenix’s Commodus meaning that any sequel would need to find a creative way of carrying on with the story. Gladiator 2 is set to focus on Lucius rather than the original idea to have Maximum fighting deities in the afterlife.
Note: the above is a concept trailer not the real trailer.
It’s Not Just About Sequels
While it might seem that 2024 is all about franchises finding new angles, there’s still scope for plenty of new ideas to reach our screens as well. However, these examples we’ve looked at could easily be the year’s top-grossing movies if they manage to recapture the magic of the originals.
Featured image created by DALL·E, based on a description provided by MikeShouts.
