Fantasy connotes big world-building which could serve sequels well, butsome amazing fantasy movies that deserved sequels never got them.It seems likesequels people wish for are scrapped, while too manyunwanted movie remakes and sequelsare coming sooner rather than later. Famed fantasy movies in a variety of mediums work as excellent standalones but leave open the potential for an equally great sequel.
Complicating matters is that some of thebest standalone fantasy moviesmight deserve a sequel, but they don’t necessarily need one. If the story has come to a natural conclusion and forcing it to carry on would malign it, it is best that the movie is left alone. However,several fantasy movies that are effectively standalones imply some interesting possibilities for sequels,which would cleverly segue into an organic new story.
10The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Tim Burton Isn’t Interested In The Potential Of A Jack Skellington Sequel
AfterThe Nightmare Before Christmasovercame a tumultuous production and a lackluster release by becoming a cult classic, interest in a sequel only grew.Fans of Jack and Sally have been clamoring for the next adventure for years,potentially exploring more of the setting where holidays are produced by appropriately themed towns.
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Cast
Henry Selick directs The Nightmare Before Christmas, a stop-motion fairytale from the mind of Tim Burton. Jack Skellington is the king of Halloween and one of Halloweentown’s most beloved citizens, but he longs for something more. When he stumbles across a magical door that leads him to discover Christmas, he makes it his mission to replace Santa Claus and bring festive cheer to his perpetually spooky hamlet.
However, Tim Burton has in no uncertain terms said that he has no interest in makingThe Nightmare Before Christmas 2. Depending on Burton’s legal sway overThe Nightmare Before Christmas, it may be amovie that actually can’t be rebootedor get a sequel without his permission.Burton did not directThe Nightmare Before Christmasbut is the creator of the original idea,conceptualized while he was working for Disney.
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Following up on the original would be a challenge, but the creators would only need to repeat the roundabout plot with some relatable beats and fantastic music.Another wacky adventure featuring Jack Skellington (hopefully with Danny Elfman returning) is narratively possibleif the people involved want to go for it.
9Power Rangers (2017)
The Underrated Power Rangers Reboot Should Be Expanded Into A Sequel
While thePower Rangersreboot struggled at the box office, it was well-received by the franchise’s oldest fans,striking a balance between a serious story and an inherently goofy premise. The characters were well-developed with a good overall dynamic, played by some underrated up-and-coming stars. Yet as Hollywood closes in on a decade since, some fanscan’t accept that 2017’sPower Rangersdoesn’t have a sequel.
This is a good setup for a series of epicPower Rangersmovies that can hold their own in a world of grim yet funny superhero blockbusters. It might not have been the biggest earner in Hollywood, but could have been financially successful if given more time to build up goodwill in the industry. However,Hollywood rarely takes another chance after a financial failure,which spelled the end of this iteration of the Power Rangers.
8Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
The Who Framed Roger Rabbit Sequel Never Saw The Light Of Day
One of the main things to know about the canceled Roger Rabbit sequel is that while Zemeckis wanted to make it, Disney did not.
FollowingWho Framed Roger Rabbit’s massive success, director Robert Zemeckis workshopped some ideas for a sequel, each just as crazy as the original movie. His first idea was the World War II-setRoger Rabbit: The Toon Platoon, which would have featured Roger and other toons trying to rescue Jessica from Nazi Germany. Later,Zemeckis worked on Who Discovered Roger Rabbit,essentially about Roger investigating his origins.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Who Framed Roger Rabbit combines live-action and animation to create a world where humans and cartoon characters coexist. Set in 1940s Hollywood, the film follows a private investigator who is contracted to work on the case of a cartoon framed for murder, despite his dislike of cartoons. Bob Hoskins, Charles Fleischer, Christopher Lloyd, and Kathleen Turner all star.
One of the mainthings to know about the canceledRoger Rabbitsequelis that while Zemeckis wanted to make it, Disney did not, worried about some potentially insensitive elements being received poorly today. However,Roger Rabbitcould still be a fun vehicle for a 3D vs. 2D animation movie,much like whatChip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangerseventually became. Yet with the anticipation of a legacy sequel,Roger Rabbitwould likely do even better.
7The Dark Crystal (1982)
A Movie Sequel Would Have Served The Dark Crystal Better Than The TV Show
A Jim Hensen Creature Shop classic,The Dark Crystalsets up an interesting world that references a lot of history, which naturally allows for more story.However, Netflix took things a step too far withThe Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. This prequel series takes itself too seriously, trying to tell a fantasy action epic entirely with puppets. YetAge of Resistanceaccomplishes some good world-building with more Gelfling characters.
The Dark Crystal
Directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz, and featuring Henson’s signature use of puppetry and animatronics, The Dark Crystal tells the story of two Gelflings, a fictional race of elf-like fantasy creatures, who must embark on a quest to restore balance to their world through the mending of an all-powerful crystal, broken and corrupted by a malevolent race known as the Skeksis. Stephen Garlick and Lisa Maxwell voice the protagonists, Jen and Kira.
The Dark Crystaldeserved a continuation, but this might have worked better in the form of a contained sequel or prequel movie that expands the world while embracing the tone of the original. This movie probably should have come out decades ago, garnering the classic feel of many goofy fantasy titles that arose out of the 1980s and 1990s.The Dark Crystalmissed out on its perfect sequelwhen Netflix overestimated the context in which people would accept the puppets.
6Brave (2012)
Disney’s Independent Princess From Before Frozen Deserved Better
Braveis a hugely underrated Disney-Pixar movie, and Merida is just as underappreciated a heroine.Frozenwas widely lauded as the"modern"Disney Princess movie when Merida charged onto the big screen ready to topple the patriarchy a year earlier. Yet in this regard,Braveundermines its own protagonist.
Brave
Pixar’s Brave follows Princess Merida of DunBroch (Kelly MacDonald), the daughter of a clan chief in medieval Scotland. When Meridia is told she must marry the suitor of her parents’ choosing, she refuses, defying an age-old tradition and causing chaos in the kingdom. This starts a chain of events that causes Merida’s mother, Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson), to fall victim to a magical curse, the princess sets off into the wild to rescue her.
Bravewas advertised as a princess wanting to get out of an arranged marriage, butthe movie ended up being more about balancing independence with duty and Merida repairing her relationship with her mother.However, these themes are still well-executed, and aBravesequel could have made up for the first movie’s shortcomings by expanding upon Merida fighting for autonomy.
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Underrated animated fantasy movies do not get the love they deserve due to the industry’s biases, despite profound themes and great original stories.
Like with a lot of fairy tales and Disney movies,Once Upon a Timeof all things started on something interesting withBrave, even if it didn’t do that good a job with it. Yet the plot ofMerida wanting to inherit her father’s throne in her own right mixed with more magic based on Celtic folklore is the makings of a good sequel.
5Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
The Rip-Roaring Action Flick Based On D&D Needs Its Follow-Up
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves 2is not confirmed, but the actors and directors seem casually interested in making it. However, this only irritates people who want them to start working on it immediately.Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieveswasn’t a massive success at the box office, but managing to turn any kind of profit is good in this erawhen movies likeFuriosa: A Mad Max Sagaflopped for external reasons.
The big-budgetDungeons & Dragonsmovie proved to be great fun and comedy with well-planned action and world-building,driven by charismatic actors. There is plenty to draw upon from the source material and give rise to the sequel, after the straightforward story of the first movie. Getting back Chris Pine, Regé-Jean Page, and Michelle Rodriguez is also key, setting the stage for an action romp as good as its predecessor.
4Megamind (2010)
DreamWorks' Wildly Amazing Superman Spoof Deserved A Sequel Right Away
With more people having realized how good Megamind is, the sequel could have expected more success.
Megamindhilariously deconstructs the superhero mythos in an underrated animated movie stocked with amusing references to Superman. After suffering a life crisis due to defeating his heroic counterpart, creating a new hero who turns evil, and becoming Metro City’s hero himself,Megamind is primed for a sequel where another villain shows up, and he is forced to question how suited he is for the role.With more people having realized how goodMegamindis, the sequel could have expected more success.
Megamind
Megamind, released in 2010, explores the tale of an alien supervillain who, after conquering his long-time rival Metro Man, creates a new hero adversary. However, when this creation turns malevolent, Megamind is compelled to protect the city from the threat he inadvertently unleashed.
Just in 2024,fans got theMegamind Rules!series and the TV movieMegamind vs. The Doom Syndicate,both met with a poor response. With such unceremonious releases, it doesn’t seem as though DreamWorks is giving this property the attention it deserves and needs to thrive.Megamindalso could have benefited from a sequel that came out sooner after the first movie and was given the treatment of a theatrical release.
3Spirited Away (2001)
The Defining Studio Ghibli Movie With Maybe The Most Sequel Potential
Studio Ghibli has not made a habit of producing sequels, unlike its Hollywood counterparts. However, one ofGhibli’s best movies mightbe the answer to what the studio could do in a sequel. It’s not as though the concept is inherently a cash grab when good animated sequels likeToy Story 2andKung Fu Panda 2exist.There have never been any plans for aSpirited Awaysequel,but the vibrant world offers many avenues for more stories.
Spirited Away
Spirited Away, a masterpiece by Hayao Miyazaki, is an animated fantasy film that follows the enchanting journey of a young girl named Chihiro. Trapped in a mystical world after her parents are transformed into pigs, Chihiro must navigate a realm filled with spirits and peculiar creatures to save her family.
Chihiro endsSpirited Awayhaving been fundamentally changed by her otherworldly experience, and now with the knowledge of how Haku has always been a part of her life. How this place and its inhabitants affect her life going forward is the foundation of a sequel. Additionally,Chihiro’s coming-of-age arc could be given even more depth by showing her in her teen years,delving into her becoming an adult in age and not just symbolically through adventure.
2The Green Knight (2021)
The Green Knight Could Be The Start Of A Hollywood King Arthur Franchise
Hollywood has been chasing an epic King Arthur action franchise for years,never quite getting it right. Riding on the success of thefirst Pirates of the Caribbean, Jerry Bruckheimer hopefully producedKing Arthur, which flopped. The more recentKing Arthur: Legend of the Swordplanned on six sequels — plans which crashed and burned.
The Green Knight
An epic fantasy adventure based on the timeless Arthurian legend, The Green Knight tells the story of Sir Gawain, King Arthur’s reckless and headstrong nephew, who embarks on a daring quest to confront the eponymous Green Knight, a gigantic emerald-skinned stranger and tester of men. Gawain contends with ghosts, giants, thieves, and schemers in a more profound journey to define his character and prove his worth in the eyes of his family and kingdom by facing the ultimate challenger.
Yet the industry might have stumbled upon the movie that could lead to a bigger Arthuriana universe without even realizing it.The Green Knightis based on the medieval textSir Gawain and the Green Knight,reframing the plot to showcase a scathing depiction of the destructive powers at play in King Arthur’s court. Gawain goes on a brutal journey where he realizes that he is no exception.
Every King Arthur Movie, Ranked Worst To Best
The Arthurian legend infused with magic and mysticism remains a popular choice for filmmakers to adapt, but which King Arthur movie ranks best?
Filmmakers could pick up the story focusing on Arthur or another one of his knights in an anthology movie series. Medieval Arthuriana is mostly many loosely connected adventures, andThe Green Knighthas proven to be the most impactful and thematically profound take on the Round Table seen yet in cinema— the world would benefit from more movies like it.
1Inkheart (2008)
Inkheart Is A Majorly Underrated Fantasy Movie With Sequel Source Material
Inkheartis a dazzling movie based on a popular fantasy novel,with a great premise, perfect pacing, and a strong cast including Helen Miren and Andy Serkis. It largely flies below the radar of fantasy movies because of the changes it makes to the source material, simplifying the narrative for a contained story. While this might have disappointed the books' biggest fans, it is made into a great movie that still could have been continued.
Inkheart
Inkheart is a fantasy adventure film directed by Iain Softley, based on Cornelia Funke’s novel. Brendan Fraser stars as Mo Folchart, a “silvertongue” who can bring characters from books to life by reading aloud. When an ancient villain escapes into the real world, Mo, his daughter Meggie (Eliza Bennett), and a band of allies must stop him. The film explores themes of literature, magic, and family bonds.
If the fans wanted a more detailed world from the movie adaptation, a sequel could have been the way to do it.Cornelia Funke wrote fourInkheartbooks,which provide the framework for the plot, but the mere fact of more screen time would have helped world-build. The nature of the story sets up an amazing literary crossover with the original characters mixed in, but people don’t give the first movie enough credit to warrant a sequel.
