There are certain stories in Hollywood that were meant to be one and done. However, for various reasons, these stories are often brought back to life in the form of a sequel. After all, if there’s one thing we know about the entertainment industry, it’s that studios are not going to pass up on any opportunity to make money. Over the years, there have been many movies that have gotten sequels even though the original films were meant to stand alone. While some of these sequels have spawned into entire movie franchises, others ended up being serious flops that probably shouldn’t have ever made it to see the light of day. Keep reading to see 10 movies that weren’t supposed to have sequels but did.
1. The Bourne Identity
The 2002 movie The Bourne Identity was a huge box office hit. Starring Matt Damon as a CIA operative who lost his memory, the movie was full of action and excitement. Although The Bourne Identity went on to become a franchise, that wasn’t the original plan. However, once the studio saw how lucrative the movie was, they decided to make four more movies.
2. Caddyshack
In the years since its release, Caddyshack has gone on to become a comedy classic. There was never a plan for Caddyshack to have a part two, but Warner Brothers decided to try to capitalize on the success of the first movie. Unfortunately, however, the second film was doomed from the start. According to Sports Illustrated, Rodney Dangerfield and director Harold Ramis dropped out of the production. Unfortunately, Caddyshack II wasn’t a great movie. Honestly, any time a sequel consists of an entirely new cast you know it’s probably not going to be great.
3. The Blair Witch Project
The Blair Witch Project is easily one of the most memorable scary movies of the 1990s. However, when the film was being made no one could’ve known how big of an impact it would have. While it’s true that the idea of a sequel was never completely off the table, the original plan was to take things slowly. However, once Artisan Entertainment saw how successful the first movie was they quickly moved ahead with another one. The original directors did not return for the second project and it ended up being a major flop. In fact, lots of people probably don’t even remember that there was a sequel.
4. American Psycho
American Psycho was based on a novel of the same name. Like many movies that are based on a single book, the movie was meant to be self-contained in just one film. However, in 2002, a sequel that essentially had nothing to do with the first movie was released. The second movie was released straight to video and never got much attention.
5. Friday the 13th
Technically, Friday the 13th was always open to having a sequel, but it deserves a spot on our list anyway for a very interesting reason. Victor Miller, who wrote the original Friday the 13th movie hates the sequels and has never even seen them. In an interview, he said, “To be honest, I have not seen any of the sequels, but I have a major problem with all of them because they made Jason the villain. I still believe that the best part of my screenplay was the fact that a mother figure was the serial killer—working from a horribly twisted desire to avenge the senseless death of her son, Jason. Jason was dead from the very beginning. He was a victim, not a villain. But I took motherhood and turned it on its head and I think that was great fun. Mrs. Vorhees was the mother I’d always wanted—a mother who would have killed for her kids.”
6. Dirty Dancing
Lots of movies are better off being left alone, and Dirty Dancing is one of them. While the movie is now considered a classic, the same can’t be said for its sequel. A second movie called Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights was released in 2004 and went largely unnoticed. The good news is that Jennifer Grey, who starred in the original, has discussed the possibility of another sequel.
7. Donnie Darko
When Donnie Darko was released in 2001, the film didn’t do well in terms of numbers. However, in the years after its release, it developed a cult following which created interest in a sequel. S. Darko was released in 2009 and featured a new cast. Richard Kelly, the writer and director of the original movie, had no involvement in the sequel.
8. Gremlins
Gremlins was incredibly popular upon its release in 1984. Surprisingly, however, director Joe Dante had no interest in making a sequel. Eventually, however, he was persuaded by Warner Brothers. Gremlins 2: The New Batch hit theaters in 1990 but ended up being somewhat of a flop at the box office.
9. The Exorcist
The Exorcist was such a good movie that everyone should’ve known there was no way it could be topped. Needless to say, it’s easy to see why the director had no interest in making another movie. Once again, however, Warner Brothers insisted and moved forward with creating Exorcist II: The Heretic with new writers and a new director.
10. Carrie
The 1976 movie Carrie was based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name and it was never meant to have a sequel. After all, it’s kind of hard to make a second movie when everyone dies in the first one. However, that didn’t stop the release of The Rage: Carrie II. Interestingly enough, The Rage was actually meant to be a completely separate story, but it was branded under the Carrie name with the hopes of drawing more attention.
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