Sequels and franchises have been a big part of people’s movie-watching experience, and some viewers start thinking about what could happen next, even before the film ends. The first few sequels ever were made at the very start of the 20th century, and even films that were not particularly successful have had multiple outings. They all vary in quality, but the beauty of cinema is that there tends to be something out there for everyone.

While a lot of sequels often stick to numerical values and follow the original тιтle with a “2” or a “3” and so on, others have gotten much more creative over the years. Movie series based on books tend to follow their literary counterparts when it comes to тιтles, but more original material has toyed around with much cleverer ways of wording subsequent installments. From plays on words and puns to full subтιтles after a colon, it’s no longer just a case of sequels only ending on a number.

8

The Second Best Exotic Marigold H๏τel (2015)

Directed by John Madden

When The Best Exotic Marigold H๏τel came out, very few people were expecting it to be the phenomenon that it was. The plot centers around a group of elderly Brits who travel to a retirement home in India, and discover that a change of pace was what they needed to see, that there is still more life to be lived. The cast was excellent, with Dames Judy Dench and Maggie Smith, as well as Bill Nighy and Dev Patel, but to make $150 million on a $10 budget with such niche subject matter was astonishing.

The тιтle of the sequel is a great one on so many levels. While the first film focused on Sonny’s efforts to get his scrappy idea off the ground, the sequel sees him try and expand his brand, and open The Second Best Exotic Marigold H๏τel. As he deals with more interest in his establishment, and limited capacity, he seeks to find another location and provide more senior citizens with somewhere magical to spend their golden years. It does a great job of summarizing the plot while indicating that it is indeed a sequel.

7

Look Who’s Talking Too (1990)

Directed by Amy Heckerling

The first film was a sensation, making nearly $300 million worldwide on a budget of $7.5 million. The idea was pretty genius, having the entire life cycle of a pregnancy effectively narrated by Bruce Willis. He voices Mikey, the result of a causal encounter that changes two people’s lives forever. From voicing the actual sperm to all the “insider views” of his home for the next nine months, there are so many bizarre yet hilarious moments in this classic 1980s comedy.

Its commercial success ensured a sequel, which came quickly, as it was released only a year later. Look Who’s Talking Too is the only way the creative direction could have gone, because adding “too” was too good an opportunity to miss. Other films did it before, to varying degrees of grammatical success, and more have followed suit, but this is one of the best uses of the trope, as it is now Mikey’s sister who joins the internal monologue. The third installment is called Look Who’s Talking Now, which is also perfect since it focuses on the family dogs.

6

Now You See Me: Now You Don’t (2025)

Directed by Ruben Fleischer

Technically, this is a sequel to a sequel, as the second part of the franchise actually did have a “2” at the end. Although its tagline “you haven’t seen anything yet” could perhaps have been woven in instead for a more clever тιтle. Even adding “too” could have worked, but clearly they recognized the missed opportunity with the third film of the trilogy. Because of the fact that the original name of the film is only part of the saying, it feels satisfying to finally have the full phrase as a play on the magic tricks of Now You See Me.

It would stand to reason that this film will be the final chapter, as it completes the saying Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, but seeing as it does not come out until November 2025, not much is known of the plot. But, even if the story of these characters ends here, there is always a potential for spin-offs with even more intriguing тιтles. Now You See Me, Or Do You?, and Now You See Me Disappear come to mind.

5

Addams Family Values (1993)

Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld

The kooky, spooky family has been part of the zeitgeist since it was introduced in a New Yorker comic in 1938, and later starred in a successful TV show in the 1960s. They were revived in the 1990s, with some seriously iconic casting that included Angelica Huston as Morticia, and Christina Ricci as Wednesday. It was a global hit, earning over $191 million, and sorting out everybody’s Halloween costumes for the next three decades. This reinvigorated interest in the Addams Family, and a sequel soon followed.

It is a great тιтle because while the first movie re-introduced the audience to their gory ways, Addams Family Values digs deeper into who they are as people on a more individual level. The children are sent away to camp and must interact with regular kids who watch Disney and enjoy direct sunlight, while their parents help out Uncle Fester with finding love. Though it did not do as well financially, this sequel has gained a cult following over the years, mainly due to Joan Cusack’s iconic performance as Debbie Jellinsky.

4

28 Weeks Later (2007)

Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo

The first movie in this post-apocalyptic zombie series sounds like a sequel in itself. 28 Days Later came out in 2002 following a film called 28 Days that was released in 2000. Instead, it shows the eerie aftermath of London after a cataclysmic outbreak, as survivors try to find a safe haven. The film was a clever take on the unᴅᴇᴀᴅ genre, and received great reviews and developed a huge fan base.

28 Weeks Later focuses on a different group of survivors in another part of the world, taking place even further into the dystopian future. There were a few different directions that the тιтles could have gone in. Multiplications of 28, adding on additional years in front of the тιтle, e.g. A Year and 28 Days Later, or done exactly what they have done, and changed the unit of time. They seemed to skip months, as the upcoming third part is called 28 Years Later, so whatever comes next will have to go in a whole new direction.

3

Zombieland: Double Tap (2019)

Directed by Ruben Fleischer

Jesse Eisenberg helpfully laid out some cardinal rules for surviving a world filled with flesh-eating zombies, and the second one was to ensure that they are definitely ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, or to “double tap.” That is why it is such a fitting тιтle for this entertaining sequel. It reiterates the rules, while raising the stakes, implying some additional danger to the found family that the audience came to love. It took 10 whole years for the sequel to come out, so it is a very welcome reunion, and many were glad to see their favorites made it that far.

In Zombieland: Double Tap, Columbus shares some new rules to follow, and the gang encounters new people along the way, often having to resort to the “double tap” technique. Audiences clearly missed the mix of gore and comedy, as well as the chemistry between the four core characters, because the sequel surpᴀssed the original at the box office. Hopefully, in another 10 years, viewers will be treated to Zombieland: Don’t Be a Hero or a prequel called Zombieland: Limber Up.

2

Before Sunset (1995)

Directed by Richard Linklater

Jesse and Céline meet on a train and spend a beautiful few hours together, until they have to part ways in Before Sunrise. The premise was relatable and heartbreaking, and it felt like watching a perfect first date unfold before the viewers’ eyes. It was not a box office smash, but it resonated with a whole generation who saw themselves in the characters and immediately booked tickets to Vienna in hopes of meeting someone special as well. It also happens to have a score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, so the critical reception was clearly positive.

Nine years later, they reunite in New York, confirming that they did not manage to reconnect like they planned. This time, they have even less time together, but still choose to spend what little time they have Before Sunset. It was a beautiful way to tie into the original film, while moving the story along. Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy collaborated on the screenplay, making it that much more personal to them as they brought back these beloved characters. Before Midnight followed another 10 years later, so if all goes well, audiences can expect Before Dawn around 2029.

1

I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)

Directed by Danny Cannon

Slasher films were absolutely huge in the 1990s, with Scream and the first I Know What You Did Last Summer, making huge numbers at the box office and reinvigorating the genre. The four telegenic teens whose careless accident leaves them at the mercy of a fishhook-wielding murderer who wants revenge. As expected, not all of them make it, but those that do were teased a sequel at the very end of the movie, with “I still know” ominously written on a steamed window. Surely, there was no other тιтle that would do.

I Still Know What You Did Last Summer reunites Julie and Ray while introducing some new characters to kill off. Anyone with a working knowledge of geography would have realized that something was off when they won a trip to a tropical island despite an incorrect answer, and that it was all a trap. The sequel may not have been as good as the original, but it needed to exist if only for the excellent тιтle. The newest film in the franchise reverts back to the original name, which could mean another sequel.