It can be exciting for audiences to see theirfavorite film become a franchise. Throughout cinema’s long history, series likeStar WarsandGhostbustershaveallowed fans to periodically check in with beloved characters while revisiting familiar worlds and lore, making them longtime staples of pop culture.
Unfortunately, some franchises are never truly allowed to find their footing. Many are allowed a few entries, butonce box office returns begin to diminish, or creative burn-out hits hard, these series fade away from the conversationas they stop seeing new releases. But this isn’t the case for all dead franchises.Some leave fans clamoring for more even decades past a series' final release, often because an engaging story is left incomplete, or the characters and world were enjoyable. These are10 movie franchises that should have gone on longer, because they had more to offer than what audiences ultimately got.
10’The Chronicles of Narnia' Series
Latest Release: ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader’ (2010)
Back in 2005, fantasy films were experiencing a lot of mainstream success.Peter Jackson’sLord of the Ringstrilogy had just concluded, whileDaniel Radcliffewas in the middle of his run as the title character of the wildly popularHarry Potterfilms.Another fantasy series rising to prominence during this time wasThe Chronicles of Narnia, based onC. S. Lewis’s book series of the same name.
The first film,The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, was a hit with audiences and critics alike,winning itself box office success withits memorable worldand unique special effects work. Its sequel,Prince Caspian, fared just as well with critics, but proved to be less fortunate at the box office, resulting in the franchise moving to 20th Century Fox for 2010’sTheVoyage of the Dawn Treader, which ended up beingthe series' final release, ending one of the best fantasy franchises of the era. Currently, the franchise isset to be rebooted on Netflix, butit remains a shame that Hollywood’s original interpretation ofNarniawas never fleshed out to the extent that it was intended to be.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
9Disney’s ‘Muppets’ Series
Latest Release: ‘Muppets Most Wanted’ (2014)
Jim Henson’s Muppetshave been a beloved pop culture staple for decades now. The troupe of felt misfits was officially introduced to audiences through 1976’sThe Muppet Showbeforeseeing further success with filmslikeThe Muppet MovieandThe Great Muppet Caper, on top of additional television projects likeMuppet Babies. Unfortunately,following Henson’s passing in 1990, the franchise lost its way, resulting in the creation of films likeMuppet Treasure IslandandMuppets from Spacewhich, while appreciated by fans of the series, failed to see the mainstream success of past works.
Then, in 2011, seven years after acquiring the rights to the property, Disney releasedThe Muppets, bringing the series back to the public eye.The film was a perfect reminder of everything that made Henson’s characters so beloved to begin with, while effectively updating their humor for the modern day. In 2014,The Muppetswas followed byMuppets Most Wantedwhich, while not as good as its predecessor, was still a solid entry in the franchise, showing thatthe beloved puppets had plenty left to offer. Unfortunately, despite its quality,Most Wantedfailed to see the box office success of its predecessor, and since then, the Muppets have only appeared in TV and streaming projects likeMuppets NowandMuppets Haunted Mansion,disappointing fans, and leaving the series' future on the big screen completely up in the air.
The Muppets
8The ‘Gremlins’ Series
Latest Release: ‘Gremlins 2: The New Batch’ (1990)
In 1984,Joe Dante’sGremlinswas released, giving rise to anew generation of horror fans, while also playing a heavy role inthe creation of the PG-13 rating. Six years later,Gremlins 2: The New Batchreintroduced audiences to the tiny terrors,this timefeaturing a more comedic tonethat actively poked fun at its predecessor, playing out more like a big screenLooney Tunescartoon than a horror sequel.
Ultimately,Gremlins 2wasn’t the financial success thatGremlinshad been, sothere was no rush for anyone involved to produce a third entry in the series. In the decades since,a third release has been discusseda number of times, and the eponymous creatures have stayed relevant through appearances in projects likeThe Lego Batman Movieand even an animated series based on the franchise, buta third film has yet to materialize, leaving fans hungry for more big screenGremlinsantics.
7The ‘Austin Powers’ Series
Latest Release: ‘Austin Powers in Goldmember’ (2002)
One of the most prominent comedy franchises in the late ’90s and early 2000s wasMike Myers’Austin Powersseries. Beginning with 1997’sAustin Powers: International Man of Mystery,Myers immediately won audiences over with his cheesy, over-the-topspoof ofJames Bondfilms. The firstPowersfilmcombined raunchy comedy with other clever forms of humor, including experimentation with camera positioning that would be right at home in any silentCharlie Chaplinclassic, making it stand out from many other popular comedies of the time.
International Man of Mysterywas a success, butThe Spy Who Shagged MeandGoldmemberwere far larger successes,solidifying Myers' groovy secret agent as one of themost beloved comedic iconsof the era. But then the franchise disappeared. Despite scattered appearances by Myers as bumbling antagonist Dr. Evil over the years,the franchise has yet to see a fourth installment in the two decades sinceGoldmember, which is a shame considering the unique, fun brand of humor that was on display in all three films.
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
6The ‘Happy Death Day’ Series
Latest Release: ‘Happy Death Day 2U’ (2019)
Released in 2017,Happy Death Dayisa refreshingly original horror comedy take onthe familiar time loop narrativepresent in films likeGroundhog DayandPalm Springs. In it, college student Tree Gelbman (Jessica Rothe) is repeatedly murdered by a mysterious killer wearing a mask depicting a baby’s face. Each time she dies, Tree wakes at the start of the same day, eventually figuring that if she is able to survive the day, then she’ll be able to escape the loop.
The first film carrieda distinct and fun comedic tonethroughout, but its sequel,Happy Death Day 2Utook this to the next level while also shedding some of the original’s horror inspirations, this time exploring the sci-fi side of time loop stories. WhileHappy Death Day 2Uwas a great sequel, it wasn’t nearly as successful as its predecessor, resulting in the series stagnating to this day. DirectorChristopher Landonrecently mentionedworking on a treatment for the third film, but it has yet to be greenlit,leaving the future of the franchise in uncertainty.
5The Brendan Fraser ‘Mummy’ Series
Latest Release: ‘The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor’ (2008)
Throughout the 1980s, the leading adventure franchise wasSteven Spielberg’sIndiana Jonestrilogy, but whenHarrison Ford’s eponymous adventurer rode off into the sunset in 1989’sIndiana Jones and the Last Crusade, it seemed as ifthere were few heroes that could take the famed archaeologist’s place in the zeitgeist. This remained true until 1999, whenStephen Sommers’The Mummydebuted in theaters.
The Mummyisa solid adventure film that is heavily elevated by Brendan Fraser’s extremely charismatic performanceas series lead Rick O’Connell. Fraser’s endearing charm, his stellar chemistry with co-leadRachel Weisz, and the general fun of the film made it a box office hit, spawning a sequel, 2001’sThe Mummy Returns, and a spinoff series titledThe Scorpion King. The main series went dormant for a few years, but Fraser returned in 2008’sThe Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, which proved to be its final entry despite the movie’s success at the box office. In the years since, Universal attempted to reboot the franchise with 2017’sThe Mummy, starringTom Cruise, but it lacked the charm of Fraser’s films,disappointing fans and critics alike.
The Mummyis streaming on Peacock in the U.S.
WATCH ON PEACOCK
4Richard Linklater’s ‘Before’ Series
Latest Release: ‘Before Midnight’ (2013)
Richard Linklater’sBefore Sunrisetells the story of Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Céline (Julie Delpy), two young travelers who meet on a train and spontaneously decide to spend a night together roaming the streets of Vienna while Jesse waits for his flight home. Its sequel,Before Sunset, picks up nine years later (mirroring the real-life gap between films), following the two as they encounter each other for the first time since the events of the first film. The trilogy’s finale,Before Midnight, featuring another nine-year gap, follows Jesse and Céline as they navigate the tension and resentment within their marriage.
TheBeforemovies area beautiful examination ofhow love, people and relationships can changeand morph throughout life. All three films are filled with brilliant dialogue, andsome of the finest acting of all time from both Hawke and Delpyas they wander various gorgeous cities. The scenes that the two leads share could easily be mistaken for improvised pieces based on just how naturally they are acted, but they are in fact meticulously written and prepared, serving as an excellent showcase for two of cinema’s most talented actors. WhileMidnightis a perfect conclusion to the series,there’s still plenty more forLinklater, Hawke and Delpy to say about love, justifying fans' hopes for its eventual continuation.
Before Sunrise
3Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Hellboy’ Series
Latest Release: ‘Hellboy II: The Golden Army’ (2008)
Back in the early 2000s, it was becoming increasingly clear that superhero movies might be the next major film trend. Movies likeBlade,X-MenandSpider-Manwere seeing growing box office returns and, as a result, studios were becoming increasingly comfortable producing superhero projects. This led to the 2004 release ofGuillermo del Toro’sHellboywhich, while not nearly as successful as some of its contemporaries, startedone of Hollywood’s best superhero series.
BothHellboyandHellboy II: The Golden Armyfeature strong performances, particularly fromRon Perlmanwho plays the eponymous demon, and somestellar makeup and effects work, something which should come as no surprise to anylongtime fan of del Toro’s films. The second film ended with the reveal that Hellboy and love interest Liz (Selma Blair) were on the verge of having twins,perfectly setting up athird film that sadly never came to be. Since 2008, theHellboyfranchise has been rebooted twice, both times without the involvement of del Toro or Perlman, making it seemunlikely that the series will ever reach its intended conclusion, much to the disappointment of its fans.
2’The Lego Movie' Franchise
Latest Release: ‘The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part’ (2019)
The firstLego Moviecame as a huge surprise when it was first released in 2014. At first glance, the film appeared to be nothing more than a soulless cash grab onthe level ofThe Emoji Movie, but luckily for filmgoers,it wound up beinga genuinely great family filmwith laugh-out-loud humor, and a message that anyone could appreciate. Three years later, spinoffThe Lego Batman Moviewas released and, against all odds, it managed to be one ofthe bestBatmanfilms of all time, making bothLegofilms unlikely hits in terms of critical reception. Unfortunately, later that same year,The Lego Ninjago Moviewas released, proving itself to bea financial and critical misfire that the franchise never quite bounced back from.
2019’sThe Lego Movie 2: The Second Partwas a hilarious follow-up to the original, building on its themes while surpassing it in a number of ways. Unfortunately, its quality wasn’t reflected in the movie’s box office returns, andThe Lego Movie 2wound up being a financial disappointment, effectively ending the franchise. Nowadays, the Lego brand is being used for other film projects, likePharrell Williams’Piece by Piece, but the fact that the originalLego Movieseries faded away so quickly is a shame, andit leaves Hollywood with one less quality family movie franchise.
The Lego Movie
1Sam Raimi’s ‘Spider-Man’ Series
Latest Release: ‘Spider-Man 3’ (2007)
Back in 2002,Sam Raimi’sSpider-Manpopularized superhero films like never before. Audiences quickly fell in love withTobey Maguire’s portrayal of the iconic web slinger, leading to the release ofSpider-Man 2in 2004, a film which is often viewed as one ofthe best superhero films of all time, and laterSpider-Man 3, whichproved to be more divisive. Both sequels were huge financial successes,promptingthe development of a fourth filmwhich never saw the light of day, with Sony instead rebooting the franchise with 2012’sThe Amazing Spider-Man.
Despite the fact that they are most certainly products of their time, Raimi’sSpider-Manfilms are still an absolute blast to watch. They gave Maguire’s Peter Parker an engaging story arc, while surrounding him with interesting supporting characters likeKirsten Dunst’s Mary Jane Watson andJames Franco’s Harry Osborn,sucking audiences in with their relatable narratives. FollowingSpider-Man 3’s release, Maguire revisited the character in 2021’sSpider-Man: No Way Home, reminding audiences of why his interpretation of Spidey was so beloved to begin with, andreigniting fan interest in a follow-up focused on Raimi’s canon.
