Random Movie Sequels Came Out So Long After Original That No One Cared Anymo (13 items)

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  (#6) The Two Jakes

  • Jack Nicholson, Tom Waits, Madeleine Stowe, Harvey Keitel, Eli Wallach, Meg Tilly, Richard Farnsworth, Rubén Blades, David Keith, Frederic Forrest

  Sequel to: Chinatown (1974)

  Year released: 1990

  Gap: 16 years

  Jack Nicholson directed and starred in a sequel to Chinatown named The Two Jakes - but who has heard of it? Critics regard Chinatown as one of the best neo-noir films and one of the best screenplays ever written. The film won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and received nominations for 10 others.

  Chinatown featured one of Nicholson's most memorable performances, so it's easy to understand why he wanted to reprise the role. But returning to a beloved character creates a chance to taint its legacy. While not panned, the film didn't earn the same critical acclaim, box office success, or awards as the first film.
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  (#4) Independence Day - Resurgence

  • Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Jessie Usher, Maika Monroe, Travis Tope, William Fichtner, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Judd Hirsch, Brent Spiner, Sela Ward

  Sequel to: Independence Day (1996)

  Year released: 2016

  Gap: 20 years

  Independence Day was the highest-grossing film of 1996, bringing in a reported $817 million at the box office. It was also the film that cemented Will Smith as a blockbuster powerhouse. It was an odd choice to make a sequel 20 years later without Smith. Both Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman reprised their roles, but it wasn't enough to save a sequel without Smith. The 2016 film made $389 million at the box office. That sounds decent, but the original outearned it even before being adjusted for inflation.
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  (#1) Zoolander 2

  • Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson

  Sequel to: Zoolander (2001)

  Year released: 2016

  Gap: 15 years

  Hot off his Meet the Parents success, Ben Stiller directed and starred in Zoolander. The film received mixed reviews, as is the case with many comedies, but favorable critics praised the satire for being a purposely silly film that knew how to have fun with itself. It performed well at the box office, and Stiller's "Blue Steel" pout was a genuine pop culture moment.

  However, Zoolander 2 wasn't able to achieve the same purposely dumb fun, even with a slew of celebrity cameos. The film's failure showed at the box office - it was barely able to make back its budget.
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  (#11) Sin City: A Dame to Kill For

  • Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson, Jaime King, Powers Boothe, and Bruce Willis. Newcomers to the series include Josh Brolin, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Eva Green, Dennis Haysbert, Ray Liotta, Christopher Lloyd, Jamie Chung, Jeremy Piven, Christopher Meloni, Stacy Keach, Lady Gaga, Alexa Vega, Julia Garner, Juno Temple

  Sequel to: Sin City (2005)

  Year released: 2014

  Gap: 9 years

  Sin City was both a critical and commercial success. The film earned praise for its visually groundbreaking way of bringing Frank Miller's graphic novel to the screen. It was also terrifically violent for a comic book movie of the time. The stylish, brutal film paved the way for 2014's Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, which was neither a critical nor commercial success. Critics said the sequel was as visually striking, but it failed to deliver across the board in the same way the first film did. Most damning of all for the franchise was the sequel made $39 million on a reported budget of $65 million.
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  (#5) Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

  • Charlie Sheen, Shia LaBeouf, Susan Sarandon, Carey Mulligan, Michael Douglas, Josh Brolin, Oliver Stone, Eli Wallach, Frank Langella, Vanessa Ferlito, Austin Pendleton, Natalie Morales, John Bedford Lloyd, Julianne Michelle, Erin Wyatt

  Sequel to: Wall Street (1987)

  Year released: 2010

  Gap: 23 years

  Wall Street seemed to embody the high-energy, high-stakes mood of New York City's Wall Street in the '80s. While 2013's The Wolf of Wall Street replicated this, too, it would be hard for a film to feel as authentic as 1987's Wall Street. The film had mostly favorable reviews and a good box office showing, but Michael Douglas's performance (which scored him an Academy Award) is the film's most memorable aspect.

  The 2010 sequel received mixed reviews, with many critics deeming it unnecessary. But what proved especially tricky for the sequel was the social climate had dramatically changed. After 2008's Great Recession, Gordon Gekko's "Greed is good" motto didn't have the same ring to it.
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  (#8) Psycho II

  • Anthony Perkins, Dennis Franz, Vera Miles, Meg Tilly, Robert Loggia, Tom Holland, Lee Garlington, Virginia Gregg, Oz Perkins, Victoria Brown, Hugh Gillin, George Dickerson, Ben Frommer, Claudia Bryar, Sheila K. Adams, Robert Alan Browne, Ben Hartigan, Thaddeus Smith, Chris Hendrie, Gene Whittington, Bob Hilgenberg, Tim Maier, Jill Carroll, Robert Traynor, Michael Lomazow

  Sequel to: Psycho (1960)

  Year released: 1983

  Gap: 23 years

  While one may have the impulse to dismiss Psycho II as not being a true sequel since Alfred Hitchcock did not direct the film, it did star Anthony Perkins in the role of Norman Bates. Vera Miles also returned as Lila Loomis. So, even without Hitchcock, this is seemingly the sequel to the horror classic. And the original indeed is a classic. Critics praised Psycho for its innovative screenplay and Hitchcock's direction, as well as the terrifying bathroom scene.

  The original film made $50 million at the box office, or about $413 million when adjusted for inflation. It was a success all around. The sequel was not. Critics gave it mixed reviews, and the film made a disappointing $34 million at the box office.

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