There are plenty of movie franchises which seem like they could be in trouble, but they still have the chance to turn things around. Many of the biggest franchises of recent years – including Jurassic World and Star Wars – are facing pivotal moments, where one movie could make or break their futures. There’s a lot of hype building around these movies already, as their performance could dictate how many other upcoming projects fans are treated to.
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One great movie can revive a franchise, like how Creed brought Rocky back to life or how Rise of the Planet of the Apes created a whole new era. At the moment, there are plenty of big franchises hoping for the same kind of impact. In some cases, franchise have had to endure years and years without a movie, so the tension has risen. Franchises like Pirates of the Caribbean and Shrek need to prove that they’re still worth watching.
10 The Mandalorian & Grogu
Star Wars Will Be Returning To Theaters In 2026
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When Disney took over the Star Wars franchise, it seemed as though there would be a steady stream of movies for years to come. However, the poor box office performance of Solo: A Star Wars Story and the divisive fan response to the sequel trilogy caused Disney to rethink their strategy. Many movies were either canceled or turned into TV shows for Disney+. It’s now been 5 years since a Star Wars movie was released.
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Related Everything We Know About The Mandalorian & Grogu Movie
The Mandalorian’s story will continue with a Star Wars movie. Here’s everything we know about the project, including cast, release, and timeline.
Many of the upcoming Star Wars movies are up in the air at the moment. Taika Waititi, Rian Johnson and Shawn Levy have all seen their projects stalling. One Star Wars movie that’s definitely going ahead is The Mandalorian & Grogu, a spinoff of the popular Disney+ show starring Pedro Pascal as a bounty hunter. If The Mandalorian & Grogu is a financial success, and it’s receieved well by fans of the franchise, it could provide the shot in the arm that Star Wars desperately needs.
9 Pirates Of The Caribbean 6
The Pirates Franchise Might Be Facing A Full Reboot
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After 2017’s Dead Men Tell No Tales earned over $800 million at the box office, another Pirates of the Caribbean was confirmed to be in development. However, the franchise has now lost all its momentum after 7 years in development hell. A reboot starring Margot Robbie was also confirmed, but this has since been canceled. This means that the franchise will be seeking to reinvent itself with Pirates of the Caribbean 6.
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Assuming that Pirates of the Caribbean 6 doesn’t also get shelved, it faces a daunting task. Although the Pirates movies are all commercial successes, the franchise’s critical reputation has been declining with each new movie. If Pirates of the Caribbean 6 moves ahead with an all-new ensemble cast, as some reports suggest, it won’t even have the zany charm of Captain Jack Sparrow to fall back on. However, this could give it the freedom to tell new stories.
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8 Superman
James Gunn Is Bringing Back One Of DC’s Most Popular Heroes
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Henry Cavill has been playing Superman since 2013, but James Gunn is ushering in a new era for the superhero. David Corenswet is set to suit up as Superman for 2025’s reboot, which will focus on a younger version of the character. This could be a huge moment not only for Superman, but also for the future of DC Studios. They have had a patchy record in comparison to the MCU, but with Gunn overseeing things, there’s a chance they could rebound.
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Alongside David Corenswet, the cast includes Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicolas Hoult as Lex Luthor. Some story details remain unknown, but Gunn has already confirmed that Superman won’t be an origin story, despite wanting a younger actor playing the character. There are plenty of potential stories to tell, and it seems likely that Superman could have several sequels if it’s a hit with critics and audiences.
7 Wake Up Dead Man
The Knives Out Franchise Faces An Uncertain Future
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It would be harsh to describe Rian Johnson’s Knives Out franchise as “flagging,” but it’s certainly reached an important crossroads. While Knives Out and Glass Onion both scored well with critics, there is a slight drop in quality with the sequel. Knives Out could easily become a franchise forever chasing the high of a dynamite first entry, like Ghostbusters, Men in Black or Pirates of the Caribbean.
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Related Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery – Cast & Everything We Know About Knives Out 3
Knives Out 3 is on the way, and there are already exciting updates about the third installment in the hit murder mystery franchise.
Wake Up Dead Man will have to rediscover the original streak of Knives Out if the franchise is to break the mold. It would be easy to make a new Benoit Blanc movie every few years with a new ensemble cast in tow, but Knives Out doesn’t have to fall into a managed decline. One thing that could help the franchise is getting it back into theaters, which is something that both Johnson and Daniel Craig seem keen on.
6 Shrek 5
The Shrek Franchise Could Have Ended Long Ago
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Shrek Forever After came out all the way back in 2010. As the title suggests, it was envisioned as the last Shrek movie, but Mike Myers is set to return as the antisocial ogre once more. Such a long gap between sequels often spells trouble for a franchise, so it will be interesting to see whether the franchise still has something to offer. The last two Shrek movies suggest that the story may have run its course.
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The long-gestating Shrek 5 is finally getting underway, and there are already a ton of exciting updates concerning the big green ogre’s return.
One positive omen about Shrek 5 is that the franchise hasn’t been entirely dead for the last 14 years. The Puss in Boots spinoff movies have been critically and commercially successful, especially 2023’s brilliant Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. If Shrek 5 can learn a lesson or two from this movie, then it could breathe new life into the franchise. The Donkey spinoff movie with Eddie Murphy is a more dubious prospect, however.
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5 The Fantastic Four: First Steps
The Fantastic Four Deserve A Place In The MCU
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While the MCU certainly doesn’t seem to be in any danger, the Fantastic Four are in desperate need of a win. Before the MCU came along, they were among Marvel’s most popular heroes, alongside Spider-Man and the X-Men. However, they haven’t yet had a movie worthy of their stature. 2005’s Fantastic Four and its sequel were both met with mediocre reviews, while 2015’s attempted reboot was nothing short of a disaster.
Related Everything We Know About Marvel’s Fantastic Four Reboot
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Fantastic Four: First Steps is one of the most exciting upcoming Marvel movies, and the positive reaction to the casting is adding to the hype. However, after two disappointing attempts to bring the superhero team to the big screen, this news also comes with a certain level of nervousness for fans. If this reboot also fails, it could be the last time that Marvel tries to make a Fantastic Four movie. If it succeeds, however, there’s huge potential for sequels.
4 Sherlock Holmes 3
Robert Downey Jr.’s Sherlock Holmes Franchise Has Been Dead For Years
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Guy Ritchie directed Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law in two Sherlock Holmes movies that went down a treat with audiences, but the franchise suddenly ground to a halt. The last Sherlock Holmes movie came out in 2011, so the recently confirmed Sherlock Holmes 3 can’t rely on momentum. With Guy Ritchie creating a Young Sherlock TV show, Sherlock Holmes 3 may have to find a new director too.
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Related Sherlock Holmes 3: Confirmation & Everything We Know
Sherlock Holmes 3 has been in development for quite some time now, and it’s finally moving forward. Here’s everything we know.
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There’s no shortage of movies and TV shows about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s iconic detective, but Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes managed to cut through. Partly thanks to the charm of the two leads, Sherlock Holmes separated itself from the pact and made over $1 billion between its two movies. It remains to be seen whether audiences will still have the same love for the franchise without Ritchie in the director’s chair, and if the movies can pick up where they left off over a decade ago.
3 James Bond 26
News On The Future Of The Franchise Is Hard To Come By
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Daniel Craig starred in some of the very best James Bond movies of all time, bringing the franchise roaring into the 21st century. He will certainly be a tough act to follow, but there are some exciting contenders who could step into the role of 007. The problem is that three years have passed now without any concrete news about Bond 26. While this isn’t unheard of for the franchise, it could stall its momentum.
Related James Bond 26: Who Could Play 007 & Everything We Know
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The James Bond franchise is at a crucial turning point, and the next movie could set the tone for a whole new era. There has never been a gap of more than six years between Bond movies. With no news on the next sequel, it will be at least five years this time round. After such a long gap between Spectre and No Time to Die, the franchise is at risk of wasting its potential. Until news about a star, a story and a director are made public, the wait will continue.
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2 Ballerina
John Wick Faces A Make-Or-Break Moment
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John Wick: Chapter 4 seemed to provide the perfect ending for the franchise, so it’s standing on shaky ground moving ahead. Ballerina is set for a 2025 release date as the first spinoff movie in the franchise. The trailer shows that Keanu Reeves will return alongside Ana de Armas, but it could be a passing of the torch. There are other John Wick movies and spinoffs reportedly in the works, but the franchise’s future could hinge on Ballerina.
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Following the outstanding success of the first four John Wick films, the ever-popular action franchise is getting a spinoff in the form of Ballerina.
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The big question hanging over Ballerina is whether fans of the franchise will want to see stories that don’t focus on John Wick himself. The underwhelming response to The Continental suggests that the franchise could struggle without Reeves’ titular assassin. If Ballerina is a success, it could expand the horizons of the John Wick franchise. There are plenty of characters who could have their own spinoff without Reeves, including Caine, Sofia and Koji.
1 Jurassic World Rebirth
The New Era Provides A Much-Needed Blank Slate
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The Jurassic World movies have all been big commercial hits, but they have been steadily declining in quality. Although 2015’s Jurassic World was generally seen as a good way to update the Jurassic Park franchise, Jurassic World Dominion‘s 29% Rotten Tomatoes score underlines just how poorly it was received. Now, a new era of the franchise carries the potential to get things back on track.
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Related Jurassic World Rebirth: Release Date, Cast, Story & Everything We Know About The Next Jurassic Park Movie
Even though Jurassic World: Dominion wrapped up several major story arcs, it has officially been announced that Jurassic World 4 is happening.
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Jurassic World Rebirth will feature a new cast, led by Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Bailey. This offers the franchise the possibility of making a clean birth from the previous trilogy. It remains unknown whether any of the old characters will return. The Jurassic World trilogy struggled to integrate characters from the older movies into the narrative, so it might be best to keep things simple and start an original story that isn’t burdened by the past.