There are a few films that we watch that are so fantastic that we immediately desire more sequels. Unfortunately for us, such films are usually one-time wonders with no intentions for any further installments. Some films, on the other hand, are doomed from the start. Such films fare so poorly at the box office and among critics that any hopes of a sequel are quickly shattered. Here are the top 5 movies that flopped so badly that their sequel plans had to be canceled:
1. The makers had high expectations for Battleship
Universal Pictures poured heavily on many Hasbro Games titles like Clue and Candyland in order to establish themselves as the mandated board-game-to-cinema distributor for Battleship. The movie, on the other hand, was a $220 million washout for the studio, as both reviewers and moviegoers trashed the film. Director Peter Berg blamed the film’s failure on fierce competition, citing Marvel’s The Avengers as an example. Battleship was supposed to be a studio huge blockbuster, but after it was sunk by poor reviews and low ticket sales, Universal quietly shelved sequel plans for the same.
2. The Last Airbender was supposed to be a trilogy series
The Last Airbender 2 was a planned sequel to the 2010 film The Last Airbender, with a 2011 release date being considered. The first movie, on the other hand, performed terribly in theatres and was highly derided by fans and critics. While the film’s box office performance was disappointing, the destiny of the sequel to the film was perhaps decided long before it was released. As casting announcements for The Last Airbender became public and the trailer was aired, the film received criticism for using white actors in characters based on Inuit, Chinese, Japanese, Tibetan, and other diverse cultures. It even prompted Racebending.com to start a protest, which was encouraged by the Asian American Media Action Network.
3. Cult-favourite You’re Next would have had a sequel, if not for poor box office performance
Sharni Vinson plays Erin, a young woman with remarkable survival techniques who finds herself stuck at a hellish dinner party. In a string of scenarios that play like a gothic version of “Home Alone,” Erin outwits and fights the attackers. In the planned sequel, Erin was supposed to be detained as a suspect in the countless killings, only to have her transfer van ambushed by the person in the lamb mask who had fled her attack during the first film. However, mediocre box office returns and certain studio changes put a halt to this prospective sequel. The film “You’re Next” grossed $26 million, covering its production expenditure but not nearly enough to support a sequel.
4. The three-part series that could never be: Green Lantern
When the 2011 live-action film Green Lantern was initially proposed, it had a lot of stuff going in its favor. The film was scheduled to be directed by Martin Campbell, the filmmaker of GoldenEye and Casino Royale, with Ryan Reynolds playing the lead role. Unfortunately, even an A-list ensemble couldn’t save the film’s truly terrible tempo and plot. Campbell had previously hinted that a trilogy of Green Lantern films was in the works. Sinestro even joined the nefarious Yellow Lantern Corp in a post-credit clip, building him up to be the antagonist. However, because the weak superhero film underperformed at the box office and garnered terrible reviews, Warner Brothers decided against making a sequel.
5. The most popular canceled franchise: The Lone Ranger
Johnny Depp may be a cinematic marvel for all of us, but his portrayal of Tonto, a Native American in Disney’s The Lone Ranger, did not go over well with audiences. According to Armie Hammer, the movie supposedly had sequel plans, but it was blasted as racially inappropriate, among other criticisms. Due to this, the movie was a huge box office disappointment. So much so that Depp blamed reviewers for the movie’s collapse, claiming that their assumptions were unrealistic from the beginning.
