And, they lived happily ever after. What a beautiful ending to a story, one might think. Nothing could ruin the perfect plot, the masterpiece ending — except a sequel.
Sequels like “Jaws 2”and “The Exorcist II” almost feel like scams. A viewer who felt particularly satisfied with the first story might be excited to see its sequel. After all, it’s hard to see a good movie end. However, the reality is that many are let down by their favorite movies’ sequels. It’s hard not to wonder why sequels exist at all. The answer: they shouldn’t.
The majority of the time sequels are made, the first story has already come to a conclusion, often with a very impactful ending. Trying to piggyback off of a beautifully constructed movie puts immense pressure on the sequel to reach the same level. This often makes sequels feel awkward, as if clumsily glued onto their predecessor purely for the sake of generating revenue. The beauty of many stories is that they end, leaving people to their own imagination and interpretations. By continuing the plot, sequels can easily weaken the point of the original story.
This is further amplified by many sequels containing plot holes that take away from the overall story. Take “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” for example. J.K. Rowling planned for “Harry Potter” to be a seven book series from the beginning, so the original books work to create an interconnected plot that flows well together. However, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” punctures many holes into the plot of the first seven books, leaving fans confused. This ultimately undermines the intricate storytelling of the original novels, and many Potterheads refuse to recognize this sequel as actual events in the wizarding world of Harry Potter.
While successful sequels do exist, some even surpassing their predecessor in terms of popularity, such as “Dune: Part Two” and “The Lord of the Rings,” most are unnecessary and annoying. Even satisfying sequels rarely outdo the original. This often leads to inflated viewer expectations for the sequel, which are later tainted with disappointment, leaving the entire franchise with a bitter aftertaste.
The motivation to create sequels is understandable, as producers are drawn to the possibility of replicating the commercial success of the original book or movie. However, constructing sequels becomes exceedingly difficult when they were not part of the initial plan.
Producers, authors and writers should evaluate their creations and know when to lay a good story to rest. Instead of dwelling on their past successes and attempting to squeeze every last bit of money they can earn from the franchise, it’s better to simply move on for a future filled with new, possibly even better projects. Creators should avoid being repetitive and predictable by allocating their time and budget towards making new content.
All of these reasons led to the sea of failed sequels we see today. In the end, let’s face it: nobody needed “Mean Girls 2.”
