It has become common
practice for filmmakers to strip-mine the past for pre-existing IP
with a ready made fan base. This has resulted in a slew of new
'first' sequels to movies from the 80s and 90s –
movies that we never thought required a second outing. In 2020, sequels that
may or may not be coming your way include:
- Top Gun: Maverick (Top Gun 2)
- The Rocketeers (The Rocketeer 2)
- Coming 2 America (Coming to America 2)
- Triplets (Twins 2)
I love a good dot-point
list, so here's another one of belated releases from the past few
years:
- Split (Unbreakable 2)
- Doctor Sleep (The Shining 2)
- T2 Trainspotting (Trainspotting 2)
- Blade Runner 2049 (Blade Runner 2)
The fear of alienating
those who are unfamiliar with the original has also precipitated the
rise of the ‘soft reboot’ - films that are more remake than
sequel. These films rarely adhere to a numbering system (for example,
Rocky II, Rocky III, Rocky IV) but instead try to hide their
numerical position in a larger franchise (Rocky Balboa, Creed). Every
so often, though, a belated sequel will appear that proudly flaunts
its sequelness. But does that always make for compelling viewing?
Let's compare two recent examples...