In the age of sequels and reboots, it seems like no iconic franchises are safe from the monetary potential their stories hold. Even if a film series had an ending that was widely accepted to be perfect, studios understand that new content can regularly be added. Whether it be a reboot, remake, or sequel,there is virtually always a way to extend the narrative universe of beloved movies.While there have been many examples of this idea in recent years, some franchise revivals are more controversial than others.
For example,Jurassic Parkwill be receiving its seventh installment more than 30 years after the original film withJurassic World Rebirthin 2025, marking its fourth new-era project. Additionally, in a series that was originally meant to be a trilogy, there are still multipleupcomingStar Warsmoviesplanned for the next few years.Even if the new idea isn’t good, its inclusion in the narrative of the source material will always guarantee viewership.Sometimes, releases of this nature prove why this practice is a slippery slope.
10Hellboy (2019)
Directed By Neil Marshall
Considering the immense popularity of Guillermo del Toro’s originalHellboyfranchise, the initial announcement of a reboot garnered hopeful excitement among fans of the beloved antihero. Unfortunately,this enthusiasm quickly disappeared when Neil Marshall’s 2019 adaptation ofHellboyfinally hit screens.This version wasn’t the most recent installment, though.Brian Taylor’sHellboy: The Crooked Manwas given a very limited theatrical release, but primarily arrived on streaming services in October 2024.
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Sadly, both modern projects come up short, failing to capture the magic that the first movies conjured. The 2019Hellboywas incredibly inconsistent and packed in an excessive amount of gore that just seemed over the top. Worse yet,the special effects were mediocre at best, even in comparison to the version that came out a decade earlier.Something wasn’t quite right about Hellboy’s (David Harbour) makeup, and the CGI was disappointingly subpar.
There were several reasons why Paul Feig’s 2016Ghostbustersreboot was unfavorable, but most importantly, it simply wasn’t necessary. With that being said, the introduction of an entirely new female cast was a refreshing idea, but it didn’t hit home. Despite the hilarity of the actresses,the environment of the movie wasn’t playing to their strengths.While the 1984 version was certainly comedic, it struck a nice balance between a humorous and serious tone that worked well with the narrative.
The 2016Ghostbusterswas unfortunately a box office bomb, losing over $70 million due to a large budget and marketing expenses.
The modern take, however, was almost a parody of itself, ramping up the comical nature much further than it needed to.The result was wacky dialogue that painfully overshadowed the plot.The franchise has grown considerably since then, with a total offiveGhostbustersfilmscurrently in the collection. Thankfully, the new additions have significantly stepped up in quality.
Men in Blackpresents an interesting case in the context of franchise revivals. After the 1997 version, the sequel didn’t arrive for five years, and there were an additional seven years between each of the later installments. When it comes toMen in Blackmovies, it’s pretty simple. The original was undoubtedly the best, and the follow-ups are in a different league altogether. Nevertheless,Men in Black: Internationalfelt out of place in terms of the relationship between the characters and the story.
It’s a hard task to pull off theMIBformula without the presence of Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smithat the forefront. Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth were certainly up to the task and put forth a strong effort, but the plot felt too basic for the two to shine. While it was more or less balanced out by the lighthearted nature, it’s difficult to replace beloved characters whilst having a story that doesn’t offer enough substance for the new ones to stand out.
It was truly disappointing to receive such a lackluster reboot attempt with the 2017 release ofThe Mummy.Although the film isn’t a sequel to the original 1999 story, it was meant to kick off a new series, dubbedDark Universe, but the other movies never happened. It’s frankly unsurprising that this ambitious idea never came to fruition, considering how poorly executed the first title was.
Brendan Fraiser’sMummyfranchise was enjoyablefor so many reasons. His performance alone could’ve carried the series on its back, but it didn’t need to. Despite their cheesy tone, they featured great stories, thoughtful action, and hilarious dialogue. Although the third film wavered in quality, it wasn’t as bad as the modern version. Kurtzman’s imagination of the story suffered in several areas. The CGI was omnipresent, yet subpar. The plot was all over the place, and Tom Cruise seemed to recognize these pitfalls and acted accordingly.
InOcean’s Eight’sdefense,the follow-ups to the modernOcean’s11had a significant number of missteps, namely in the first sequel. The scenarios reached a degree of absurdity that could’ve easily been avoided. For example, the weird meta acting inOcean’s Twelvewhere Tess (Julia Roberts) was forced to disguise herself as Julia Roberts just seemed like a practical joke. However, the improvisational qualities of the original franchise’s characters complimented this ridiculousness nicely.
WhenOcean’s Eightwas tossed into the mix, it was an attempt to introduce new characters into a preexisting box. Despite the star-studded female cast that played their roles extremely well, it seemed like the film’s placement in the universe was forced. The story would’ve been improved if it was carried out in a similar, yet individual franchise. Although it was an entertaining project,Ocean’s Eightdiverted its focus to too many areas.
Horror franchises are the classic culprit of sequels that run amok. Even the big names in the genre, likeFriday the 13thandHalloween,have installments exceeding double digits. Although these follow-ups have rare bright spots, they’re typically destructive to the overall quality of the series. When it comes to theNightmare on Elm Streetmovies, the latter films offered several great additions. Then,they tried to reignite the franchise with a remake, and it didn’t go well.
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It doesn’t make sense that a reboot after 30 years could be so much worse, but sure enough, it was. Visual differences aside, the 2010 version was just incredibly tasteless. For the most part, each film that came before it carried a comprehensive theme that tied in nicely with the narrative,but the remake didn’t bring anything new to the table.Instead, components of the Freddy Krueger formula were strung together in a manner that lacked substance.
When it comes to the cinema of superheroes, the originalFantastic Fourfranchise wasn’t anything to write home about. Although the casting was pretty solid, the films suffered from a subpar storyline and poor character dynamics. So, when it was finally time for the highly anticipated remake, hopes were very high.Unfortunately, the 2015Fantastic Fourwas somehow significantly worse.
It’s astounding how far the new movie dropped off in quality. For starters, the pacing didn’t make any sense. The entire plot felt like a setup for an event that was never going to come.WhenFant4sticfinally reaches its short-lived climax, it endsout of nowhere. It simply wasn’t the right way to bring life back to the beloved characters. There is still a glimmer of hope for the mistreated franchise in thehighly anticipatedFantastic Four: First Steps, which is expected to be released in 2025 as part of the MCU.
The Pirates of the Caribbeanis one of the most beloved movie franchisesto ever exist. Led by the masterful Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) at the helm of the ship, the series is packed with entertaining features that are hard not to love. Despite critical reception that signals the pirate tale has been stretched too far, there is still confirmation of asixthPirates of the Caribbeanmovie.
In all honestly, the fifth installment wasn’t that bad, but it didn’t seem necessary in the context of the franchise. Additionally, it had a different feel in comparison to the previous titles. The gritty, well-thought-out plot lines that characterized the first few movies took a sharp turn inDead Men Tell No Tales. Despite being an intriguing villain,the introduction of Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem) felt incredibly sudden and was brought in with a brief origin story.The usual characters were all over the place and ultimately came together through a rushed plot.
AlthoughThe Exorcisthad an odd timeline in terms of release succession, the most recent movie,The Exorcist: Believer, witnessed the greatest gap between installments. The series has featured different continuations of the story in prequels and sequels, which have come from both film and television. While it had a promising beginning,the franchise revival effort was, for the most part, completely weak.
The new film was meant to be the first title of a newExorcisttrilogy, but the idea was scrapped after the negative audience reception ofBeliever.
The Exorcist: Believeris a direct follow-up to the original, and it doesn’t hold a candle to the 1973 version.It’s just senseless to rekindle the story in the manner that was done,and the execution simply wasn’t there. To make matters more complicated, Blumhouse Productions is taking another crack at it and will be releasinganotherExorcistmovie in 2026. Hopefully, this next project will approach the classic source material from a new angle, and bring some higher-quality content to the table.
1The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
Directed By Lana Wachowski
Nobody was expecting another addition toTheMatrixfranchise, but sure enough, that’s what ultimately happened. The first film was one of the most famous pieces of cinema ever made, in both concept, story, and technicality. It features some of themost groundbreaking special effects in movie historyand remains an icon in its genre for good reason. Consequently,it seems entirely unnecessary for such a marvel to be followed up over 20 years later.
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Although they weren’t as good as the original, the second and third installments were acceptable continuations of the story, butThe Matrix Resurrectionsdemonstrated why the practice of reviving franchises is often foolish.The new plot didn’t contribute anything different and relied too heavily on a misplaced sense of nostalgia. While it certainly had entertaining moments, the recasting and flashbacks made it feel like more of a tribute film than a thoughtful sequel, which was unfortunate.
