With the breaking news of the possible cancellation of Guillermo Del Toro's Pacific Rim sequel, fans of the film are still holding their breaths that the kaiju action blockbuster will come out of its “halted indefinitely” status and back onto the studio's production list.
Unfortunately, other hugely successful movies in the past also met a similar fate. Although popular with audiences, and some still have a cult following to this day, the promised sequels for these films never saw the light of day.
Here are ten other movies that will likely never have a follow up film:
1. Goonies
The treasure hunting teens from the boondocks will never find another map to find a hidden pirate treasure. Aside from the fact that the original Goonies have all grown up (However, some of the actors, including Josh Brolin, have said they would jump to start filming a sequel tomorrow if they could), producer Frank Marshall has said that the right script has just not materialized yet.
2. Who Framed Roger Rabbit
A sequel, or prequel rather, for Who Framed Roger Rabbit, has been in Hollywood limbo for decades. And even though a promising screenplay has already been penned by Nat Mauldin, which includes Roger trying to find his real parents while punching Nazis, and meeting a quiet and shy Jessica who has yet to discover the bombshell within, it is likely that the film will never be drawn. Lead actor Bob Hoskins, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, has retired from acting. Even though director Robert Zemeckis says the film could still be possible without Hoskins, the movie still has not pushed forward.
3. The Golden Compass
Based on the book series by Philip Pullman, The Golden Compass was the first of three installments in the His Dark Materials trilogy. Unfortunately, Hollywood over-production was largely to be blamed for the movie's confusing ending and disappointing reviews. Pressure from the Catholic Church as well as Fox News personalities like Bill O'Reilly calling the movie a "war on Christmas" is also being cited by some as a reason why the second and third of Pullman's children's books will never be made into movies.
4. E.T.
This is one sequel that many in the know are probably thanking never got the green light. Steven Spielberg apparently had a completely different movie planned for E.T. 2: Nocturnal Fears where aliens come to earth to capture and torture Elliot's family into telling them where the original E.T. has gone. According to reports, it is not until the third act when E.T. comes back to save his human friends.
5. Mrs. Doubtfire
Although many would have probably loved to see Robin Williams cross dress once more as doting nanny, Mrs. Doubtfire, sadly, the actor's suicide made any possibility of a sequel with him impossible. And Mrs. Doubtfire without Robin Williams would just not be the same.
6. Unbreakable
Although both M. Night Shyamalan and Samuel L. Jackson have expressed great interest in filming a follow-up to the broody hero and villain origin story, Unbreakable, it has been said that a good script simply has not materialized yet.
And unfortunately, Shyamalan is busy working on other unnecessary sequels like a follow-up to his disastrous Avatar: The Last Airbender which we have all been trying hard to pretend doesn't exist.
7. Labyrinth
Although time and again a report will come out that Jim Henson Company is working on a sequel to Labyrinth, the idea has apparently never gone much further than being brought up at company discussions. First of all, they would need to bring back David Bowie and his extravagant 80's hair. We would accept no other Goblin King for a new Labyrinth.
8. Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Although it was one of the best films of the 80's, directed by no less than John Hughes, director of other 80's teen classics like The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink, it's probably best to leave this one alone. As Matthew Broderick said in the past, the film is like a snapshot in time and it would be difficult to recreate that in a sequel.
Still, as a jest, he said he would love for the studio to wait another few decades when he and Alan Ruck, who played best friend Cameron, are seniors so the movie could be about Ferris busting Cameron out of a retirement home and they go to, like, a titty bar and all this ridiculous stuff happens...”
That would be a sequel worth looking into.
9. Forrest Gump
The original Academy Award winning movie followed the life of Forrest Gump from childhood up to the present day (1995). But according to director Robert Zemeckis, after 9/11, the world simply changed too much for the innocence of Forrest Gump to be relevant anymore.
"I turned in the script the night before 9/11. And we sat down, Tom [Hanks] and Bob [Zemeckis] and I, looked at each other and said, we don’t think this is relevant anymore. The world had changed.” he said.
10. Beetlejuice
It has been more than 27 years but it finally looks like that this is one sequel that is *this close* to getting the studio go-ahead. According to an interview on Late Night with Seth Meyers last August, actress Winona Ryder confirmed that she and director Tim Burton are doing a Beetlejuice sequel with her and Michael Keaton to star.
“It was very hush-hush top secret … but then (Tim Burton) was doing some press for ‘Big Eyes’ and he did an on-camera interview and he said, ‘Oh yeah, we’re doing it, and Winona’s going to be in it.’ … If he said it, I can say it,” she said during the segment.
Thank you, Winona, the news of a Beetlejuice sequel gives us hope that Pacific Rim 2 may also one day me made.
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