Wrtten by: Gretchen Sims

A tale as old as time, a classic — but what happened before, or after, one’s favorite films? This is where sequels and prequels come in. Normally occurring in groups of three, movie franchises are becoming increasingly popular among filmmakers. 

Nearly every movie that does well at the box office is followed up with one or two movies that extend the storyline. However, it is well known that these sequels and prequels rarely live up to the original fan favorite. So are these additional movies just a cash grab for producers? Or are they genuinely produced with the writers and directors passion and with the fans in mind? 

Many larger movie-producing corporations have been repeatedly slammed for this. Producers can easily profit off of nostalgia and love that fans have for their favorite movies, though without living up to fans expectations. From a producing perspective, this can be seen as a win-win. Making a sequel to a popular movie is a fantastic way to make money and make sure fans are eating out of their hands. 

So why has there been so much backlash about these franchises? 

Mainly because the sequels and prequels are usually terrible. Not only are producers making these movies to turn an easy profit, but they also don’t seem to care about the quality of the film. No matter how terrible the movie is, fans will go see it.

However, audiences might be in for a significant change. Due to new streaming sites, it is becoming increasingly more difficult for companies to release low quality sequels and get away with it. Now that physical movie theaters are becoming less popular and many movies are released directly to Netflix, HBO Max and Disney+, producers can not rely on box office sales for their cash grab. If audiences hear a sequel is bad, they simply won’t watch it. 

While sequels in the past have been disappointing fans for decades, this trend may be coming to an end. As long as sequels lose their profitability, franchises will be prolonged in a way that excites fans and keeps them wanting more. Hopefully, the cash cow that fuels sequels will benefit both filmmakers and fans in the near future. 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu