Recently, it seems that every new movie is set up for a sequel or a franchise. Even commercial failures and fanbase flops get a second run at the box office, but it was not always that way on the mean streets of Hollywood. Once upon a time, cult movies and fan favorites had to do an awful lot to get a second outing.
From zany comedies to moody thrillers and children's classics, even beloved characters often only got once chance. Be it budget constraints, cast and crew egos, or just plain bad luck, many good movies just never got the sequel they deserve.
10 Spaceballs (1987)
With a cast overflowing '80s comedy royalty (Bill Pullman, John Candy, Rick Moranis, etc.) and a surefire formula of spoofing the biggest Sci-Fi franchise in history, how could Spaceballs not warrant a sequel? Director Mel Brooks even had the backing of George Lucas. The Star Wars mastermind loved the script so much that he even let his company Industrial Light and Magic provided Spaceball's special effects.
Is it time for Dark Helmet to rise from the ashes once more? Probably not. With Candy already having passed and Moranis keeping a low profile and only resurfacing recently, Spaceballs 2 just won't be the same. Brooks has hinted at a sequel, but it's hard to imagine it coming to fruition.
9 Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
Movies seldom get more 'cult' than Napoleon Dynamite. The story about a slightly awkward looking outsider who decides to snatch student presidency for his friend Pedro. It has a loose plot, even looser dialogue, and is extremely funny.
Napoleon Dynamite did warrant its own animated series, but it was canceled after one season. As well as being truly surreal, it also captures the essence of teenage life at the end of the '90s. A Napoleon Dynamite 2 has been rumored, but nothing has come off this rumors yet.
8 The Warriors (1979)
One way to achieve instant cult status is to get banned. That is exactly what Paramount Pictures did when they halted their advertising and allowed cinemas to cease showing The Warriors. Deemed to have been linked to violent outbursts from moviegoers, many theaters hired security when screening the movie.
With a plot that involved warring street gangs and civil unrest, it may have been too close to the bone for a '70s-era New York that was on the brink of collapse. Perhaps if a sequel were made now, the context may be too familiar, especially in today's political climate. The most The Warriors got was a PlayStation 2 game that expanded the story a bit, but only time will tell if they return to the big screne.
7 Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (2010)
Based on the graphic novel by Bryan Lee O'Malley, this tale is the unorthodox story of guitarist Scott. To win the love of his life and learn about self-respect, he has to duel her Seven Evil Exes. The mix of pop culture-derived visuals was too much for the average box office attendee but garnered fierce loyalty from a hardcore fanbase.
The most interesting aspect of the movie was the impact it would have on the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in the upcoming years. Director Edgar Wright would later work on Ant-Man for a period of time before leaving due to creative differences. Scott Pilgrim also starred Chris Evans and Brie Larson as Ramona's second Evil Ex (Lucas Lee) and Scott's own ex (Envy) respectively, before they became the faces of the MCU.
6 The Italian Job (1969)
This movie was written with a sequel in mind and ends on a literal cliffhanger. Michael Caine stars as Charlie Croker, leader of a criminal gang who travels to Rome. There, the group plans to steal gold bullion from the authorities and the mafia. The Italian Job features one of the most iconic car scenes in cinema history, as the gang escape with the loot in the back of their Mini Cooper cars.
Producer Michael Deeley had a sequel planned, but poor reception for the movie in the US meant funding was pulled. In 2003 a star-studded remake was released and a sequel for this was slated, titled The Brazilian Job. Fans are still waiting for it to arrive, though.
5 Kingpin (1996)
The Farrelly Brothers were riding a wave of success when Kingpin inexplicably failed. The movie stars Woody Harrelson as ex-bowler Roy Munson, who trains a talented Amish bowler (Randy Quaid) to victory against his old rival (Bill Murray). Filled with classic goofball comedy, the movie bombed at the box office but achieved cult status on its home video release.
The beauty of a follow up to Kingpin would be that Harrelson and Murray are both currently putting out some of the best performances of their lives. Fans have had a lackluster Dumb and Dumber sequel from the directors, so why would they not attempt to redeem themselves with a Kingpin follow up?
4 The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
Occasionally, a movie is so off the wall that it can only be described as cult from the get go. The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a mash of crossdressing, rock music, classic science fiction, and British eccentricity. In it, Tim Curry stars as Doctor Frank-N-Furter, who sings and glams his way to pop culture immortality.
Arriving a whole two years before the dawn of punk, the influence and aesthetic in the movie were an influence on fashion in the late '70s scene. The movie is so worshiped that a theater in Germany has actually been showing the movie once a week since its release in 1975. No sequel has been announced or planned, though there was a 2016 remake (The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let's Do the Time Warp Again) that failed to recapture the magic.
3 The Labyrinth (1986)
It is said that the failure of The Labyrinth heralded a difficult period in the life of legendary puppet maker Jim Henson, and it was the last movie he ever directed. It is hard to see why it did not work with audiences at the time, though. Here, Jennifer Connelly stars as a daydreaming teenage girl who wishes her younger brother away but soon finds out that wishes actually do come true. That's when she meets The Goblin King, who kidnaps her brother. Now, she must save her brother by entering the Goblin King's strange realm.
Even with a screenplay by Monty Python star Terry Jones, rock star David Bowie as the menacingly predatory Goblin King, and some of Henson's greatest creations, the movie bombed. Perhaps it was just too similar to his previous effort The Dark Crystal. With the latter getting its own series on Netflix, could the rumors be true about a return to The Labyrinth?
2 The Room (2003)
Often cited as the worst movie of all time, The Room is a plotless run of non-sequiturs that involve love triangles, breast cancer, and some of the worst acting imaginable. Reportedly shot with a budget of $6 million, the movie attained cult status purely for its sheer awfulness.
Written, directed, and funded by the enigmatic Tommy Wiseau, it is hard to understand how this vanity project even got made. James Franco even funded, directed, and starred in a biopic on its creation. It even had its own video game! But we are still waiting to hear from Mr. Wiseau on the news of a sequel.
1 Flash Gordon (1980)
Before Superman and Captain America, there was Flash Gordon. First appearing in comic form in 1934, Flash, a star player for the New York Jets,gets pulled into a conspiracy to destroy Earth. It is up to him to defeat the evil galactic warlord Ming the Merciless, save the planet and find his way home. In the movie, all this is done in a tongue-in-cheek, lighthearted style against the backdrop of a blistering soundtrack by Queen.
Its ambiguous ending left fans assuming a follow up was inevitable. Unfortunately, a lack of sales in the US and a rumored fall out between director and main star Sam J. Jones left Flash permanently stranded on the planet Mongo.