There are lots of sequels on the way, including follow-ups to Enchanted, Avatar, Knives Out, and Attack the Block. Here’s hoping they are worth watching and worthy of the movies from which they have been spawned.
But at the time of writing, the following sequels have not been given the green light. There’s a chance that some of these movies will make an appearance one day but there are others on the list that probably (and sadly) won’t!
Check out our list below and then let us know which sequels you want to see happen in the not-too-distant future.
A new Home Alone movie with Macauley Culkin
The first two Home Alone movies are now considered Christmas classics despite the over-the-top violence that goes against the festive message of goodwill to all men! The sequels? Not so much. Home Alone 3 and Home Alone: The Holiday Heist were pretty poor and last year’s reboot – Home Sweet Home Alone – wasn’t particularly great either.
The biggest reason why these movies flopped was the writing as the screenwriters failed to capture the magic of the originals. Another reason why they didn’t work was the lack of Macauley Culkin! Sure, he’s all grown up now, but is that a good reason to have a Home Alone movie without Kevin Mccalister? We don’t think so.
In the sequel, we could see a grown-up Kevin worn down by work and the stress of raising a family. When his wife plans a trip to her parents at Christmas, Kevin could fake a winter illness to get out of the dreaded excursion. After she leaves with the kids for the winter break, Kevin could remain home alone and enjoy his house the same way his younger self did in the original movie.
Of course, his me-time wouldn’t last long as two surprise guests would turn up at his door – Harry and Marv! That would be the cue for more cartoonish action as Kevin takes on the burgling (and bungling) pair once again!
A Live-Action Peter Parker/Miles Morales Spider-Man movie
Peter Parker and Miles Morales have already been seen together in Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse but a live-action movie with the two of them would not be unwelcome. If Tom Holland does agree to return for one last Spider-Man movie, it could be this one, and he could meet up with Miles to mentor him in the ways of web-slinging. This would pave the way for further Spider-Man movies with Miles at the centre instead of Peter.
There are a number of actors who could take on the role of Miles. Justice Smith (Detective Pikachu) would be a good choice but Stranger Things’ Caleb McLaughlin and Lonnie Chavis (This Is Us) are also worthy contenders if the makers of the movie wanted a younger Miles.
Taking a nod from the other Tom Holland Spidey movies, the team-up movie could be called Spider-Man: Miles From Home (we are copyrighting this title as you read this sentence). As for the villain? Well, it could be The Prowler, the first foe Miles fought in the comics and who we last saw in the animated Spiderverse movie. Or we could see the return of Mysterio or Venom, as Miles fought both of these within his comic book adventures.
A second chance for Ryan Reynolds as Green Lantern
Another Green Lantern movie? Are we kidding? Well, no! If Hollywood is going to green-light a superhero sequel, they may as well as give the go-ahead to a hero who actually has the power to shine a green light with his alien ring (not a euphemism)!
Okay, so that probably isn’t the best reason to bring Ryan Reynolds back as Green Lantern. But as the first movie was something of a missed opportunity, it would be great to see Reynolds get a second chance to play Hal Jordan, the reckless test pilot who was granted shape-changing powers by the Green Lantern Corps.
Sadly, this is one sequel that isn’t likely to happen as Reynolds has expressed no interest in returning to the character. He has even hinted that the first movie is one of his biggest regrets! But does this mean another live-action Green Lantern movie isn’t likely to happen? There is no news of a movie at the time of writing but a Green Lantern television series is still in the works at Warner Bros apparently, despite the recent studio shake-up that saw Batgirl get cancelled.
According to reports, the series will focus on several Green Lanterns from the comic books, including Alan Scott (Jeremy Irvine) and Guy Gardener (Finn Whitrock). Could Reynolds make a cameo as Hal Jordan? It’s unlikely but mark our words, in the brightest day and blackest night, we won’t let the thought of a Reynolds appearance escape our sight!
Another adventure for Lara Croft
There have been three Tomb Raider movies to date, two starring Angelina Jolie and one starring Alicia Vikander. Do we really need another one? If you’re a fan of the games, your answer might be “yes,” especially if you have been disappointed by the movie adaptations we have had so far. While they weren’t exactly awful, they haven’t quite captured Lara’s adventures from the video games, as there was nowhere near enough tomb raiding and puzzle solving.
There were plans for another movie starring Vikander but when MGM lost the rights to the game franchise, the proposed sequel died with it. This is a shame but a sequel could still happen at another studio with Vikander in the lead role if the actress agrees to do it. Like Jolie before her, she was a great Lara Croft, even if her Tomb Raider movie wasn’t a complete success.
If Vikander decides to move on, the sequel could star another actress in the role – Florence Pugh would be a good choice – or the new studio could reboot the franchise. Whatever direction the franchise goes in next, we hope it sticks closely to the earlier games in the series, perhaps with a surprise T-Rex attack and a scene where Lara accidentally locks her butler in the refrigerator (gamers will understand these references).
A return to the world of Narnia
If you enjoyed the previous movies set in the world of Narnia – The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, Voyage Of The Dawn Treader – you may have been hoping for an adaptation of The Silver Chair, which was the next book in CS Lewis’ fantasy series that was the natural contender for the next cinematic adventure.
The sequel was all set to go ahead but then Walt Disney Pictures/Walden Media decided to focus on a prequel instead, an adaptation of The Magician’s Nephew. Unfortunately, this didn’t happen either as the studio lost the rights to the book series in 2011.
For a while, it seemed as if the chances of a sequel were never going to happen. But then Netflix bought the rights to the Narnia books and stated their intention to adapt them into movies and a TV series. This was back in 2018, however, and there has been no news since, even though the streaming giant (presumably) still holds the rights to Lewis’ works.
We fully expect a return to Narnia at some point but this will likely be in the form of a reboot rather than as a sequel to the movies that came before. This is unsurprising as most of the original actors have aged out of their roles, although Ben Barnes could feasibly return as Prince Caspian in The Silver Chair should that be given the green light as a sequel to the movies that came before.
Sadly, a sequel is unlikely to happen – we did consider sending Netflix a box of Turkish Delight to bribe them into the idea – but at least we will venture into the world of Narnia at some point when the streaming behemoth begins production on the reboot.
Another adventure for The Goonies
Rumours of a sequel to The Goonies, the popular 1985 adventure movie, have been circulating for years but despite the Goonies’ motto – never say die – there is a strong chance that a sequel won’t actually happen.
There are reasons for this, of course. For one thing, the original cast is all grown up now so a new movie couldn’t be a direct follow-up to what came before unless the characters reunited as adults for another treasure-hunting adventure. Richard Donner, the first movie’s director, passed away in 2021, so his demise further reduced the chances for a sequel. Then there’s Warner Bros, the studio behind the first film, who have shown a distinct lack of interest in a sequel, despite the box office success of the original.
Still, we shouldn’t lose hope! As Top Gun: Maverick proved recently, a sequel to an 80s movie can be box office gold, so if Warner Bros are taking note of this, they might give the green light to The Goonies 2 at some point. It could follow Maverick’s example and be a legacy sequel with the original cast returning instead of a new group of youngsters or it could be the children of the original Goonies who, inspired by their parent’s example, embark on an adventure of their own.
While we wait for further news of a sequel, there is still an opportunity to revisit the world of The Goonies as Our Time, a series inspired by the movie is coming to Disney+ at some point in the future.
A return to the monstrous world of Van Helsing
2004’s Van Helsing was an ambitious action flick starring Hugh Jackman as the vampire hunter of the title. Unfortunately, critics sunk their teeth into the movie and tore it to shreds in some very scathing reviews. They were likely the reason why the planned sequel was scrapped, even though the original movie doubled it’s production budget with the $300 million that it made at the box office.
It’s a surprise that a sequel never happened as Underworld, another gothic tale set in the world of vampires and werewolves, went on to have several sequels, despite the poor reviews that the movies in this franchise received. Van Helsing was arguably better than all of them and while it wasn’t quite the movie it could have been, it wasn’t quite the disaster that many critics made it out to be. Personally, I thought it was a rather fun movie, with some decent action scenes and a riveting performance from Jackman as the monster slayer.
There have been rumours of a Van Helsing reboot over the years, most recently with Overlord director Julius Avery at the helm. We can assume that this is still happening although there have been no updates on that planned project over the last couple of years. It’s unlikely that Hugh Jackman will return to the role if it is a reboot rather than a sequel but this is a bit of a shame, as his years as Wolverine have kept him in fine shape for a Van Helsing follow-up.
Another day off for Ferris Bueller
If you’re a fan of John Hughes’ classic teen movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, you will be glad to know that a sequel is actually happening courtesy of the guys behind Cobra Kai. However, the sequel will not follow the further adventures of Ferris Bueller, the infamous slacker that Matthew Broderick played in the original movie. Instead, the sequel, Sam and Victor’s Day Off, will focus on the valets from the 1986 movie that stole Cameron’s dad’s Ferrari and took it for a spin around Chicago.
But here’s the thing. Do we really need a Ferris Bueller sequel without Broderick’s character? We think the movie will probably be pretty good due to the producer’s Cobra Kai credentials but it does seem rather pointless. A movie with Ferris at the centre makes more sense and it could see the character take a day off from work (probably after rigging up an intricate contraption to simulate his sick voice for a call to his employer) to have further adventures with his best friend Cameron (a returning Alan Ruck).
John Hughes planned a follow-up movie years ago but that sadly fell apart, allegedly because Broderick didn’t want to reprise the role. But as several 80s movies are now getting a sequel, including A Christmas Story and Beverly Hills Cop, there could still be scope for another go-round for Ferris. The movie could be based around the premise we have already mentioned or it could see Ferris as a dad trying to raise a son that shares some of his character traits.
If the Sam and Victor movie is a hit, perhaps we’ll get one step closer to an actual Ferris sequel. In the meantime, check out this Superbowl commercial that features Broderick goofing off from work.
Another vacation with the Griswolds
Back in the 1980s, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) and his family delighted audiences with their vacation-related mishaps throughout 3 hilarious movies. They returned for a fourth movie, Vegas Vacation, in 1997, but this wasn’t as good as those that had come before. In 2015, there was an attempt to reboot the franchise, with Ed Helms taking on the role of Rusty, Clark’s son, and it focused on his family road trip to Wally World, the destination of choice for Clark and his family in the original 1983 movie.
Chevy Chase made a brief appearance in the reboot although his comedic timing was nowhere as strong as it had been back in the earlier Vacation movies. Despite this, Helms was still good value as the beleaguered dad and while the film didn’t get a lot of positive reviews, I personally had a good time watching it. As such, I had high hopes for a sequel! Unfortunately, Vacation’s poor performance seemingly put the brakes on that one!
Should a sequel ever happen, it could be a direct follow-up to the movie that came before. That ended with Rusty and his family on a plane to Paris, so the scene could be set for a similar movie to European Vacation, the 1985 follow-up to the Griswold original. Alternatively, we could see the Griswolds head off for an adventure Down Under, as there were plans for an Australian vacation movie for Clark and his family back in the 90s. For now, we can but hope but if you’re a fan of the Vacation movies, you might want to start a petition to bring back the Griswolds!
A return to Earth for E.T.
After ET phoned home back in 1982, he made us all shed a tear when his crewmates returned to Earth and took him back to his planet. But what happened next? We never got to see a movie sequel so we don’t quite know although there was a novel – ET: The Book Of The Green Planet – that charted ET’s attempts to return to Elliot.
There was a plan for a movie sequel – ET 2: Nocturnal Fears – although this was never given the go-ahead, presumably because the premise was too scary for children. You can hear more about that here. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been a lot of talk about an ET sequel in the years since, and this could be a good thing, as it might only dilute the emotional power of the original.
Still, with Steven Spielberg at the helm, there is still scope for a sequel that is as good as the first movie. It could see ET return to Earth expecting to see Elliot, Michael and Gertie at the ages they were, but due to a time travel twist, they would actually be much older (as befits their real ages). Alternatively, ET could meet another human child, perhaps Elliot’s son, and if ET had a child himself, the two families could go on an adventure together.
Despite this speculation, it’s unlikely that we will see another movie with the lovable alien – why does ET insist on breaking our hearts? – but there is a 4-minute film that was released a few years that shows us what an ET sequel could conceivably look like.
So there we have it, our 10 picks for movies we’d love to see a sequel for.
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!