Movie sequels are a fact of life in Hollywood, but some franchises kept going with more and more sequels long after the audience stopped caring. Film is a unique medium because it specifically lends itself well to sequels and follow-ups. The box office component of cinema makes sequels desirable, and the chance to make more money is the perfect motivator.

Legendary film franchises like Star Wars, have remained popular for more than four decades, and the potential for blockbuster success keeps additional sequels coming every few years. However, some long-running movie series aren’t as obvious, and there are plenty of hit films that received copious sequels that are not nearly as popular.

Whether they get released theatrically or straight-to-video, some film franchises are far bigger than most realize. Some stick closely to their roots, while others diverge in wild off-shoots that have almost nothing to do with their original films. Either way, there are a ton of huge franchises that have flown under the radar.

Starship Troopers

Paul Verhoeven’s 1997 adaptation of Starship Troopers was woefully misunderstood when it first released, but has since become a 1990s gem. The sci-fi action film’s box office disappointment should have spelled the end of the Starship Troopers franchise, but it actually had the opposite effect. The cult classic received two straight-to-video sequels, and two animated features as well.

Sadly, both of the live-action sequels to Starship Troopers got bad reviews, and were generally hampered by their low budgets. The biggest change from the original was the absence of satire, with the rest of the Starship Troopers franchise lacking the same bite and cynicism as Paul Verhoeven’s underrated classic.

Psycho

When slasher movies became all the rage in the 1980s, every iconic villain returned for sequel after sequel. One of the most shocking returns was that of Norman Bates, who made his debut all the way back in 1960’s all-time classic, Psycho. 23 years later, Psycho II arrived, and was followed by a third and fourth film as well.

When looking past how absolutely unnecessary a Psycho sequel was, Psycho II actually managed to be a compelling mystery thriller. The franchise made Norman Bates the hero, and though each sequel got progressively worse, the series at least tried to do something interesting with the character’s evolution. Naturally, the sequels were always overshadowed by the original film.

The Crow

With its gritty, goth-inspired tone, The Crow was the quintessential superhero movie for the 1990s. The original film was a decent financial success, but was hampered by the tragic pᴀssing of its original star, Brandon Lee. That didn’t stop Hollywood from rushing out a sequel, and The Crow: City of Angels came in 1996.

The first sequel got poor reviews and was not a financial success, but The Crow would still return in two more sequels that went straight-to-video. The sequels all suffered from the same problems, and failed to capture the edgy tone of the original film. Sadly, The Crow‘s sequels mostly felt like cheap imitations of director Alex Proyas’ vision.

Highlander

Despite the fact that the movie’s most famous line, “There can be only one“, was pretty clear, the Highlander franchise didn’t stop after only one film. The 1986 hit blended fantasy, action, and touches of sci-fi to deliver an experience that was wholly unique. Its sequel, Highlander II: The Quickening, was a notorious stinker, but the series still lumbered on.

The third and fourth Highlander movies got theatrical releases, but underperformed at the box office and were met with abysmal reviews. The Sci-Fi Channel got in on the action with 2005’s Highlander: The Source, which effectively stopped the original franchise ᴅᴇᴀᴅ in its tracks. A remake starring Henry Cavill is currently in the works.

Tremors

With its classic monster movie plot and memorable creatures, Tremors was one of the greatest horror films of the 1990s. Sequels seemed inevitable, and the Graboids were the perfect villains to return again and again. However, it took a while for Tremors 2: Aftershocks to arrive, and the sequel was unable to capture the momentum of its predecessor’s success.

So far, six Tremors sequels have been produced between 1996 and 2020, with all of them starring Michael Gross as survivalist Burt Gummer (or one of his ancestors). None of the sequels were released theatrically, which is likely why the Tremors franchise has remained so niche. Nevertheless, some are actually worth watching, and capture the fun of the 1990 classic.

The Amityville Horror

Based on the dubious claims of a supernatural event in the тιтular town, The Amityville Horror was a smash-hit in 1979. Though self-contained, there were a lot of details from the case left to exploit, thus a sequel followed a few years later. Amityville II: The Possession was actually a prequel, and has grown in reputation since its release.

Unfortunately, things quickly went off the rails as six more sequels followed between 1983 and 1996. After the third film, all Amityville Horror sequels were direct-to-video or TV movies, and their quality reflected the change. As the story got further and further away from the original source material, the link between the films also deteriorated.

George Romero’s Living ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Franchise

George Romero completely revolutionized the zombie genre with the release of Night of the Living ᴅᴇᴀᴅ in 1968, and he struck gold again with the immediate sequels. Dawn of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ and Day of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ are established classics of horror, and each reflected Romero’s unique vision of mankind’s downfall. However, the visionary filmmaker didn’t stop there.

2005’s Land of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ jumped forward in the timeline, and continued Romero’s biting and cynical commentary. What’s less known is that he actually made two more films, including the found footage flick, Diary of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ. The aforementioned film and Survival of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ were pale imitations of the first four, which is likely why they’ve been completely forgotten.

The Mummy

Universal’s Mummy franchise is actually split into two separate series, with the classic movies from the ’30s and ’40s completely divorced from the modern outings. The contemporary Mummy films start with the beloved 1999 action horror movie starring Brendan Fraser, but they quickly branched off from there. The Mummy had two sequels of its own, as well as a spinoff.

The Scorpion King is a 2002 film starring Dwayne Johnson, and is a distant prequel to The Mummy Returns. Most of the movies in the Mummy franchise are known, but The Scorpion King actually continued with four obscure sequels between 2008 and 2018. The straight-to-video movies tanked in quality, and none of the recognizable stars from the larger franchise returned.

The Land Before Time

Despite the fact that 1988’s The Land Before Time was a bona fide hit with a lot of big names behind the project, the franchise quickly dropped into obscurity. Animated by Don Bluth, the dinosaur adventure story was destined to have sequels, and that destiny was fulfilled when Littlefoot and his friends returned in 13 follow-ups across three decades.

Oddly, none of the sequels were released theatrically. Though the franchise grew a dedicated fanbase, The Land Before Time missed its opportunity to be one of the great animated series, largely because its sequels became more and more niche. The franchise has long stopped its almost yearly pace, but there’s no reason to think a 15th movie won’t come soon.

The Pink Panther

A great character is a sure-fire recipe for a franchise, and few comedy icons are as beloved as Inspector Clouseau. Originated by Peter Sellers in The Pink Panther, Clouseau was back on the case in a sequel only a year later, and would continue to return for decades. What’s more, the death of Peter Sellers didn’t stop more sequels.

There are a couple of reasons why The Pink Panther series has faded into the background, but the biggest is the general decline in quality. Even the later Peter Sellers installments were lackluster, and recasts made it even worse. Also, the movie sequels that don’t include the name Pink Panther in the тιтle, are more likely to be forgotten.