Ordinarily when it comes to sequels, the rule of thumb is that they ought to come out anytime within the next 5 years for it to be expected among the audience. After that, it’s usually safe to assume that a sequel isn’t happening at all. But that’s exactly why belated sequels that are done well are so immensely satisfying.
While it may be true that we currently live in a cinematic world that seems drearily empty of unique or original ideas, every now and then a gem of a sequel shines through the muck - even if the audience has to wait an unreasonable amount of time to get that sequel. Here’s a list of 10 movie sequels that came so late we didn’t even know we needed them.
Aliens (1986)
The first Alien movie is unique in terms of its sequel because while the film was an amazing success it hadn’t left any sort of cliffhanger. Ripley had defeated the alien, she recorded her last log into the data-entry, and then she and the cat floated off into space waiting to be rescued.
Oddly enough, even with the tightly wrapped bow that was the original, a sequel was immediately announced following the movie’s success but fell into development hell thanks to some high executives leaving the studio, causing the movie to take 7 years to finally come out.
Finding Dory (2016)
In Pixar’s first fifteen years of existence, they only produced 2 sequels and both of them were in the Toy Story franchise. They then began to churn out sequel after sequel - but this was one of the least expected.
Finding Nemo, just like Alien, was a wonderful stand-alone film that nobody really expected a sequel from regardless of how much they enjoyed the original because it didn’t seem like there was anywhere left to go. But Pixar proved everybody wrong and decided that while Nemo’s family might again be whole, there was a forgetful little blue fish who still needed to find her parents too.
Jurassic World (2015)
Not quite a sequel, but not quite a reboot either, Jurassic World was a franchise that very few people expected to roam through after the third installment in the series.
While the sequel to this sequel was a jumbled, dinosaur-horror story mess, the film that reintroduced the world to the prehistoric beasts was a genuine crowd-pleaser, reminding audiences why they fell in love with the original Jurassic Park in the first place. Not to mention that the casting of overnight-superstar Chris Pratt as the lead was an A+ choice all around.
Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
35 years is a long time in any regard, but when it comes to movie sequels it’s about as far a gap as you’ll ever see. When the original Blade Runner came out in 1982, it turned into an instant cult-classic among sci-fi movie fans and did nothing to diminish Harrison Ford’s quickly rising star-status.
But after three decades with no sign of Rick Deckard, fans had concluded that another one of Ridley Scott’s franchises had been safely tucked into bed. Instead, director Denis Viilleneuve took up the gloves for round 2 and delivered a knock-out punch sequel that nobody was expecting.
Creed (2015)
There wasn’t a soul on earth who thought there was anything left in the Rocky franchise after Sylvester Stallone had stepped into the ring for the sixth time in Rocky Balboa. However, the Italian-stallion reminded everybody that no matter how many times you get knocked down, you get back up, and the Rocky franchise got back up in a big way.
It had been nine years since Philadelphia’s favorite fighter had stepped onto the big screen, but this time around he was doing the coaching instead of the punching. With a heroic young lead in Michael B. Jordan, this 7th installment sequel was the boost the franchise needed.
The Color of Money (1986)
Today’s audiences have become accustomed to getting sequels or fresh reboots to movie franchises, but the trend only reached its peak of popularity within the last decade or so. So few movies were produced in times like the ’80s compared to now that sequels were hardly worth the money that they cost to make them.
Well, thank goodness that didn’t matter to Martin Scorsese, Paul Newman, or Tom Cruise as they delivered one of cinema’s greatest sequels that not only came 25 years after the original (a ridiculous amount of time for the era) but finally got one of Hollywood’s most accomplished actors an Oscar.
Toy Story 3 (2010)
Honestly, any of the Toy Story sequels could have been on this list, but the 3rd installment in the franchise is special because it came at a time when Pixar was at the absolute top of its game in terms of original content.
They had only released one sequel (Toy Story 2) and had also produced some of the most original films for any genre for 4 years straight (Cars, Ratatouille, Wall-E, Up). Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the Pixar crew brought everybody back to the Toy Story franchise so that we could give Andy a proper good-bye and feel emotions that none of us were prepared to feel.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
He said that he’d be back, we just didn’t think it’d take him 7 years to get here. As soon as James Cameron’s The Terminator hit screens in 1984, movie-goers were begging to see more of the T-800 model.
What they certainly weren’t expecting to run into was the new-and-improved Sarah Connor model who had transformed herself into a battle-hardened warrior prepared to save humanity from SkyNet. Despite the fact that the movie took 7 years to reach the big screen, there wasn’t a single member of the audience who walked away complaining.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
2015 truly was the year for amazing sequels nobody knew we needed (however, we do our best not to speak of The Force Awakens). Mad Max: Fury Road marks the 3rd film on this list to have come out during 2015, and it’s arguably the best of them.
The Mad Max trilogy took place in the early 1980s starring Mel Gibson as the titular character, and unfortunately not many people today had heard of the originals until the sequel came out thirty years later. But, unbelievably, this post-apocalyptic chase-movie directed by George Miller not only lived up to its predecessors, but it took home 6 Oscars at the Academy Awards, as well.
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Update: Repeated delays for Top Gun: Maverick bring it to a May 2022 release.
This is simply speculation but it needs to be given the credit it’s due because this movie has been waiting for a sequel for a long time. Just narrowing out Blade Runner’s 35-year-gap between sequels, Top Gun: Maverick will reintroduce the world to one of Tom Cruise’s very first roles and send him back into the skies as Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell.
Very little has been divulged about the plot of the movie, besides the fact that Maverick will be bringing up a young group of fighter pilots, taking on the mentor role of the film. Again, it’s simply speculation, but is there seriously anyone who isn’t looking forward to seeing this sequel?
