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.
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For example, Jurassic Park will be receiving its seventh installment more than 30 years after the original film with Jurassic World Rebirth in 2025, marking its fourth new-era project. Additionally, in a series that was originally meant to be a trilogy, there are still multiple upcoming Star Wars movies planned 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.
10 Hellboy (2019)
Directed By Neil Marshall
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Considering the immense popularity of Guillermo del Toro’s original Hellboy franchise, 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 of Hellboy finally hit screens. This version wasn’t the most recent installment, though. Brian Taylor’s Hellboy: The Crooked Man was 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 2019 Hellboy was 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.
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9 Ghostbusters (2016)
Directed By Paul Feig
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Ghostbusters PG-13
Director Paul Feig Release Date July 14, 2016 Cast Melissa McCarthy , Kristen Wiig , Kate McKinnon , Leslie Jones , Chris Hemsworth , Neil Casey , Charles Dance , Michael Kenneth Williams , Cecily Strong , Andy García , Matt Walsh , Ed Begley Jr. , Steve Higgins , Michael McDonald , Karan Soni , Zach Woods , Nate Corddry , Toby Huss , Katie Dippold , Jessica Chaffin , Jamie Denbo , Steve Bannos , Adam Ray , Bill Murray , Dan Aykroyd Runtime 117 minutes Expand
There were several reasons why Paul Feig’s 2016 Ghostbusters reboot 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 2016
Ghostbusters
was unfortunately a box office bomb, losing over $70 million due to a large budget and marketing expenses.
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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 of five Ghostbusters films currently in the collection. Thankfully, the new additions have significantly stepped up in quality.
8 Men In Black: International (2019)
Directed By F. Gary Gray
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4/10 Men In Black: International PG-13
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*Availability in US Director F. Gary Gray Release Date June 14, 2019 Cast Chris Hemsworth , Tessa Thompson , Jess Radomska , Liam Neeson , Emma Thompson , Les Twins , Rebecca Ferguson , Kumail Nanjiani , Rafe Spall , Stephen Wight , Viktorija Faith Runtime 115 Minutes
Men in Black presents 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 to Men in Black movies, it’s pretty simple. The original was undoubtedly the best, and the follow-ups are in a different league altogether. Nevertheless, Men in Black: International felt out of place in terms of the relationship between the characters and the story.
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It’s a hard task to pull off the MIB formula without the presence of Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith at 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.
7 The Mummy (2017)
Directed By Alex Kurtzman
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The Mummy PG-13
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*Availability in US Director Alex Kurtzman Release Date June 9, 2017 Cast Tom Cruise , Javier Botet , Annabelle Wallis , Marwan Kenzari , Courtney B. Vance , Russell Crowe , Jake Johnson , Sofia Boutella , Selva Rasalingam Runtime 1h 50m
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It was truly disappointing to receive such a lackluster reboot attempt with the 2017 release of The Mummy. Although the film isn’t a sequel to the original 1999 story, it was meant to kick off a new series, dubbed Dark 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’s Mummy franchise was enjoyable for 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.
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6 Ocean’s Eight (2018)
Directed By Gary Ross
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6/10 Ocean’s Eight PG-13
Director Gary Ross Release Date June 8, 2018 Cast Helena Bonham Carter , Denisa Juhos , Matt Damon , Mindy Kaling , Charlotte Kirk , Cate Blanchett , Rihanna , Awkwafina , Sarah Paulson , Dakota Fanning , Anne Hathaway , Sandra Bullock Runtime 111minutes
In Ocean’s Eight’s defense, the follow-ups to the modern Ocean’s 11 had 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 in Ocean’s Twelve where 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.
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When Ocean’s Eight was 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 Eight diverted its focus to too many areas.
5 A Nightmare On Elm Street (2010)
Directed By Samuel Bayer
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7/10 A Nightmare on Elm Street R
Director Samuel Bayer Release Date April 30, 2010 Cast Jackie Earle Haley , Kyle Gallner , Rooney Mara , Katie Cassidy , Thomas Dekker , Kellan Lutz Runtime 95 Minutes
Horror franchises are the classic culprit of sequels that run amok. Even the big names in the genre, like Friday the 13th and Halloween, 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 the Nightmare on Elm Street movies, 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.
4 Fantastic Four (2015)
Directed By Josh Trank
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Fantastic Four PG-13
Director Josh Trank Release Date August 5, 2015 Cast Miles Teller , Michael B. Jordan , Kate Mara , Jamie Bell , Toby Kebbell , Reg E. Cathey Runtime 100 minutes
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When it comes to the cinema of superheroes, the original Fantastic Four franchise 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 2015 Fantastic Four was 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. When Fant4stic finally reaches its short-lived climax, it ends out 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 the highly anticipated Fantastic Four: First Steps, which is expected to be released in 2025 as part of the MCU.
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3 Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)
Directed By Joachim Rønning And Espen Sandberg
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7.5/10 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales pg-13
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*Availability in US Director Joachim Rønning Release Date May 26, 2017 Cast Johnny Depp , Geoffrey Rush , Orlando Bloom Runtime 2h 9m
The Pirates of the Caribbean is one of the most beloved movie franchises to 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 a sixth Pirates of the Caribbean movie.
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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 in Dead 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.
2 The Exorcist: Believer (2023)
Directed By David Gordon Green
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6.5/10 The Exorcist: Believer R
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*Availability in US Director David Gordon Green Release Date October 6, 2023 Writers Peter Sattler , David Gordon Green Cast Leslie Odom Jr. , Ellen Burstyn , Ann Dowd , Jennifer Nettles , Lidya Jewett , Olivia Marcum Runtime 121 Minutes
Although The Exorcist had 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.
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The new film was meant to be the first title of a new
Exorcist
trilogy, but the idea was scrapped after the negative audience reception of
Believer.
The Exorcist: Believer is 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 releasing another Exorcist movie 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.
1 The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
Directed By Lana Wachowski
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Nobody was expecting another addition to The Matrix franchise, 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 the most groundbreaking special effects in movie history and 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, but The Matrix Resurrections demonstrated 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.
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