When a movie is successful, that’s a pretty clear indicator that audiences would enjoy a second installment. Especially if that movie can be classified as science fiction, action, or children’s entertainment. These are the types of films that lend themselves well to franchises — simply add a few new characters, incorporate a new location, and you’ve got yourself a sequel. And it doesn’t just stop there. As long as a movie is hitting its box office quotas, you can bet your bottom dollar there will be another of its kind out in a few years. But just because studios can churn out more films in a franchise doesn’t mean they should. If we’re talking about the integrity of art, that is.
There comes a point where every franchise runs its course. Maybe the director has run out of existing source material to draw from. Maybe the lead actors have exhausted their contracts. Or maybe simply too much time has gone by between films. Unfortunately, it feels like these signs are often ignored in pursuit of another win at the box office. Even if a film receives negative reviews from critics, that doesn’t mean people aren’t going to see it — especially if they’ve seen every movie in the franchise up until this point. But, imagine a world where ticket sales didn’t matter. A world where a movie franchise could end naturally, simply because the story had been told to completion. In that world, these movie series wouldn’t be nearly as long.
Here are 10 popular movie franchises that should have ended sooner.
Popular Movie Franchises That Should Have Ended Sooner
These franchises were fun in their day — but they all outstayed their welcome.
READ MORE: The Worst Movie Titles in History
12 Movies That Were Supposed To Start Franchises But Didn’t
A lot of factors can affect the cancellation of a sequel, but it can typically be chalked up to poor box office numbers and/or bad reviews. Here are 12 movies whose sequels or franchises were cancelled following their disappointing releases.