The overall industry of film and Hollywood is still thriving robustly. However, one significant aspect of it seems to have died out around 2016, which is the trend of sequels. Or, if we consider it not entirely dead, it’s already on the list of “endangered species” waiting for extinction. What is particularly disappointing is that the highest-grossing film in the U.S. up to this point is “Finding Dory,” the sequel to “Finding Nemo,” while the top-grossing film worldwide in 2016 is “Captain America: Civil War,” another sequel that belongs to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Other major hit films of the year include titles from franchises like the “DC Extended Universe,” “X-Men,” “MCU,” and “Kung Fu Panda.” Upcoming sequels from franchises such as “Harry Potter” and “Star Wars” are expected to continue to rake in profits. However, when looking at another sequel, “Inferno,” starring Tom Hanks and also the third film adapted from Dan Brown’s novels, it only grossed $211 million, a significant drop compared to “The Da Vinci Code,” which made $758 million, and “Angels & Demons,” which earned $458 million.
However, if we are to discuss failures and self-deprecation, we must mention “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” where the sequel “Out of the Shadows” only grossed $245 million against a production budget of $135 million. The two producers of this franchise, Andrew Form and Brad Fuller, even expressed their doubts about a third installment being made, or if Hollywood would continue to exploit this franchise (at least for the next few years for audiences to forget the current films).
Other “underperformers” in 2016 include franchises like “Bourne,” “Star Trek,” and “Ghostbusters.” Notably, “Jason Bourne” had the lowest revenue for a film in the U.S. in the series but still managed to contribute something from international revenues. “Star Trek Beyond” was the first film of the rebooted series to not earn $200 million domestically, and it did not fare much better overseas, although a fourth film is still reportedly in the works.
“Ghostbusters” might be considered a failure, despite not being a direct sequel, as it was the third installment in this franchise and effectively killed off all hope for its future when it turned the fan community into a frenzy. Another franchise that has showcased plans and even has a sequel in development is “Independence Day.” Its creator, Roland Emmerich, has openly stated that he does not hold much hope for a third film, even though it has not been officially confirmed.
Below, we will review a list of 15 film franchises that are considered to have “died” since 2016 (all domestic revenues have been subject to price adjustments):
Alice in Wonderland (2010–2016)
Alice in Wonderland (2010) — $126 million domestic / $362 million U.S. / $1.1 billion worldwide
Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016) — $27 million domestic / $77 million U.S. / $299 million worldwide
Barbershop (2002–2016)
Barbershop (2002) — $31 million domestic / $112 million U.S. / $113 million worldwide
Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004) — $34 million domestic / $90 million U.S. / $91 million worldwide
Beauty Shop (2005) — $17 million domestic / $49 million U.S. / $50 million worldwide
Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016) — $20 million domestic / $54 million U.S. / $55 million worldwide
Blair Witch (1999–2016)
The Blair Witch Project (1999) — $3 million domestic / $238 million U.S. / $346 million worldwide
Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000) — $21 million domestic / $42 million U.S. / $64 million worldwide
Blair Witch (2016) — $10 million domestic / $21 million U.S. / $43 million worldwide
Bridget Jones (2001–2016)
Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001) — $16 million domestic / $109 million U.S. / $319 million worldwide
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004) — $12 million domestic / $56 million U.S. / $278 million worldwide
Bridget Jones’s Baby (2016) — $9 million domestic / $24 million U.S. / $149 million worldwide
The Divergent Series (2014–2016)
Divergent (2014) — $59 million domestic / $159 million U.S. / $297 million worldwide
The Divergent Series: Insurgent (2015) — $55 million domestic / $134 million U.S. / $301 million worldwide
The Divergent Series: Allegiant (2016) — $29 million domestic / $66 million U.S. / $179 million worldwide
Ghostbusters (2016)
Ghostbusters (2016) — $46 million domestic / $128 million U.S. / $229 million worldwide
The Huntsman (2012–2016)
Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) — $60 million domestic / $165 million U.S. / $407 million worldwide
The Huntsman: Winter’s War (2016) — $19 million domestic / $48 million U.S. / $164 million worldwide
Ice Age (2002–2016)
Ice Age (2002) — $69 million domestic / $261 million U.S. / $468 million worldwide
Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006) — $89 million domestic / $257 million U.S. / $723 million worldwide
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009) — $48 million domestic / $227 million U.S. / $917 million worldwide
Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012) — $52 million domestic / $178 million U.S. / $894 million worldwide
Ice Age: Collision Course (2016) — $21 million domestic / $64 million U.S. / $407 million worldwide
Independence Day (1996–2016)
Independence Day (1996) — $97 million domestic / $596 million U.S. / $1.1 billion worldwide
Independence Day: Resurgence (2016) — $41 million domestic / $103 million U.S. / $390 million worldwide
Jack Reacher (2012–2016)
Jack Reacher (2012) — $16 million domestic / $86 million U.S. / $225 million worldwide
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016) — $23 million domestic / $40 million U.S. / $94 million worldwide
The Mechanic (2011–2016)
The Mechanic (2011) — $13 million domestic / $32 million U.S. / $79 million worldwide
Mechanic: Resurrection (2016) — $7 million domestic / $21 million U.S. / $90 million worldwide
My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002–2016)
My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) — $1 million domestic / $357 million U.S. / $484 million worldwide
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016) — $18 million domestic / $60 million U.S. / $89 million worldwide
Neighbors (2014–2016)
Neighbors (2014) — $51 million domestic / $155 million U.S. / $276 million worldwide
Neighbors: Sorority Rising (2016) — $22 million domestic / $55 million U.S. / $108 million worldwide
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014–2016)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) — $70 million domestic / $204 million U.S. / $506 million worldwide
TMNT: Out of the Shadows (2016) — $35 million domestic / $82 million U.S. / $246 million worldwide
Zoolander (2001–2016)
Zoolander (2001) — $24 million domestic / $69 million U.S. / $85 million worldwide
Zoolander 2 (2016) — $14 million domestic / $29 million U.S. / $56 million worldwide
Source: Business Insider
