Sequels to hit movies are a Hollywood staple.
Here are some of the most fascinating would-be follow-ups that never got off the ground…
This article comes fromDen of Geek UK.
Sequels, by their very nature, are difficult to get right.
The only problem is that more of the same doesnt always cut it.
A good sequel is a delicate balancing act.
Veer too much from what made the first film work so well andyou get something likeThe Matrix Reloaded.
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It takes imagination, an appreciation for the original source material and guts.
They may well have ended up disappointing in the way many sequels before have.
Then again, they could have taken their respective franchises to unparalleled heights.
And its the not knowing that makes each so thoroughly fascinating.
Nick Caves Gladiator 2
Gladiatorwas never supposed to have a sequel.
The death of Russell Crowes sword-wheeling protagonist Maximus Decimus Meridius in the final reel put paid to that.
The studio was keen on a sequel and, perhaps unsurprisingly, so were Crowe and Scott.
Or, rather, he had other people in mind.
Nick Cave, to be precise.
Crowe approached the enigmatic singer-songwriter-turned-scriptwriter about penning a sequel centred on Maximus.
Hey Russell, didnt you die inGladiator1?
Cave asked over the phone.
Yeah, you sort that out, came Crowes response.
Cave even subtitled itGladiator 2: Christ Killer.
Unfortunately, it wasnt all that well-received, with Crowe telling Cave bluntly: Dont like it mate.
I mean, as a piece it works very well.
Storytelling, [it] works brilliantly.
It also made a steady $159 million at the box office, meaning a sequel surely beckoned.
The original even left a pretty sizeable subplot unresolved.
Spartan is informed, however, that his daughter is very much alive and well.
That left the daughter subplot unresolved.
Thankfully, Joel Silver had just the idea in mind.
The case was finally settled in May 2019 though.
This one may not be dead quite yet.
Con Air in Space
Con Airis big, brash and brilliant.
Back in 2011, West pitched his idea for a follow-up that completely turned on its head.
Con Airin space, he said.
If it was clever writing it could work.
Reviled by critics,The Bodyguardended up the second highest-grossing film of 1992.
Talk of a sequel was inevitable, but one never arrived.
Diana was apparently intrigued but expressed apprehension about filming intimate scenes.
She was a little nervous because her life was very governed.
He would be joined by his very own Dirty Dozen of colourful characters known as the Toon platoon.
Batman Returns ending even teased aCatwomancomeback, with the characters feline shadow spotted during the films final frames.
Catwoman hadnt quite used up all of her nine lives though.
The traumatic events of the previous film leave Catwoman with a pretty handy bout of amnesia.
Dark and brooding was out in favor of colorful and brash, withCatwomanquickly running out of steam.
Burton and Pfeiffer eventually moved on to bigger and better things.
Then there was the small matter of Dennis Hoppers return.
So how was he coming back?
Steven Spielbergs Dark E.T.
Spielberg got as far as penning a 10-page treatment for it alongside the first films writer Melissa Mathison.
2: Nocturnal Fears, the sequel brought with it a pretty radical shift in tone and arguably genre.
All of which would pave the way for ET to return and save the day.
More horror than fun, family entertainment, the project never went beyond its fascinating treatment.
If only he had applied the same logic toIndiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
read more: How Steven Spielbergs Night Skies Became E.T.
They are left with little choice but to call inBeetlejuiceto save the day.
Despite an admittedly unappealing title, the premise made for a surprisingly good concept.
Everyone who took the time to read the script was keen on getting it made.
Or at least thats how it seemed.
Maybe a little too bold, in fact.
Dan Aykroyd rebuffed any notion of a follow-up for much of the 1990s.
Then, coincidentally, the mother of all turkeys,Blue Brothers 2000, happened.
Aykroyd had a sudden change of heart and set about writing a follow-up alongside Harold Ramis.
The same couldnt be said of Bill Murray.
Alas, Murray wasnt keen on the idea.
