Sequels are often maligned and rarely live up to the original film on which they are based. Many sequels are thrown together, poorly written, low budget attempts to capitalize on the success of the original. However, that’s not always the case. In rare instances, sequels have even gone on to be better than their predecessor. Last December, we ran a feature exploring some of the horror titles we think should have been given the sequel treatment. Since it proved popular, we are bringing you a second round. See the first installment of this feature here.
Below, you can take a look at more of the horror films that we would like to have seen a sequel made for.
Session 9
There are no credible reports of a planned sequel for this horror masterpiece but it would definitely be welcome by my assessment. The ending left enough to the imagination that there would be potential territory for a second installment to cover. It would be interesting to see a Session Nine sequel that provided a little more back story – by way of flashback - about the events that led up to what happened in the first film.
Vamp
The concept of a gentleman’s club that is run by vampires who feed on unsuspecting men was a great set up and it’s a shame that the idea wasn’t explored in any follow up efforts. Since the majority of the cast didn’t survive the first film, a sequel would be well justified in introducing an entirely new cast of characters running The After Dark Club and preying upon unsuspecting men. Beyond that, the follow up could go in any number of directions and as long as it kept the mostly lighthearted tone of the original, it would be a move well made.
Zombieland
There have been longstanding rumors about a second installment to Zombieland. As for now, it looks like the project is on hold. A series pilot was produced for Amazon but, unfortunately it wasn’t great and the response was less than positive. Naturally, no follow up episodes were ordered. If a theatrical sequel does become a reality, we look forward to seeing Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg reprising their roles as Tallahassee and Columbus.
Bubba Ho-Tep
Bubba Ho-Tep was a brilliant film and another testament to Don Coscarelli’s prowess and versatility and a filmmaker. There was a planned sequel that was going to continue the adventures of an aging Elvis Presley as he struck out on his next adventure. Unfortunately, it seems that Bruce Campbell lost interest in the part and the film never came to fruition. Presumably, the film would have Elvis facing off against a creature of the undead variety and would be filled with Coscarelli’s signature sense of humor. It may never happen, but we hope it does.
Tales from the Dark Side
This classic George A. Romero anthology series turned feature film is the perfect setup for a series. Since the film relies on a series of vignettes rather than only one continuous thread, a follow up wouldn’t require that any onscreen talent from the first film return, thus making the overall production cost more manageable. It would be terrific to see Romero and Stephen King collaborating on a second film some day.
The Strangers
The idea of a Strangers II has been kicked around for so long that the chances of it actually being realized are probably close to nonexistent. That’s disappointing because the original left the story extremely open ended, seemingly alluding to a second installment. The protagonists were so sociopathic and ruthless that they could easily scare audiences back to theaters for another round.
Maniac
At one point, there was a planned sequel to this 1980 grindhouse sleaze-fest. Joe Spinell had plans to star in a follow up but as a different character. The character Spinell was going to play was not necessarily associated with Frank from the original but would still have been a murdering psycho. A seven-minute promo reel was put together but the film never advanced beyond that point, due to a lack of willing financiers. Joe Spinell passed away in the late eighties, so we’ll likely never get to see a proper sequel to this classic tale of boy meets girl, boy kills girl, boy scalps girl and adorns mannequin with her skin. However, last year’s remake was excellent and is certainly better than nothing at all.
Chopping Mall
This Roger Corman produced story of shopping center shenanigans was a totally bizarre but surprisingly original film. The ruthless and nearly indestructible ‘kill-bots’ were a fantastic adversary and could easily have been reintroduced in a different mall setting where another group of security robots find cause to malfunction and begin killing another group of teenagers that end up in a mall after closing hours.
Freddy vs. Jason
There was a sequel in the works that never materialized, but it has not been taken off the table entirely. There is still the distant possibility of a second go around. Loyal fans would likely flock to theaters to see two of the most notorious horror baddies face off one more time. The concept doesn’t require a lot of back-story or set up; we ultimately just want to see the pair knock off some horny teenagers and then duke it out till the bitter end.
The Fog
John Carpenter’s 1980 supernatural horror film had a unique set up and a great cast. The concept would have been much better served in the form of a sequel, rather than a remake. The 2004 reimagining was unnecessary and just rehashed the same story with less precision and did not do justice to the original. A sequel set in Antonio Bay one hundred years later would allow the film to follow a lot of cues from the original while branching out and exploring new territory.