20 cinema classics that got sequels much later

Harrison Ford delivered a remarkable trio of performances in the three Indiana Jones  movies, and in the third, he was joined by none other than Sean Connery, who played his father. Their on-screen pairing made for the perfect ending to this film trilogy, and it would take several decades for Indy to once again grace the big screen. Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is one of the lesser entries in the franchise, but there’s no question that it’s always a pleasure to see Harrison Ford stepping back into one of the two roles that made him a bona fide star. The fact that it brings Karen Allen back as Marion Ravenwood is icing on the cake.

Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho remains a truly terrifying piece of filmmaking, and Anthony Perkins gives the best performance of his career as the deranged killer Norman Bates. The film is a canonical piece of horror and thriller filmmaking, and Perkins ended up returning for the 1983 sequel, over twenty years after he’d originated the role. The sequel never comes close to replicating the power of its predecessor, but Perkins certainly gives his all to the role, and it brings more attention to the tragedy that has always lurked beneath the Norman Bates story, particularly since his efforts to re-enter society are thwarted by society’s expectations of him.

The original Hocus Pocus  was far from a success when it was originally released in 1993, but thanks to showings on various channels, it became a classic among various audiences. It’s easy to see why since its central trio of actresses — Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy — are all at the top of their game, and the film never takes itself too seriously. Its post-release success helps to explain why it finally got the sequel treatment in 2022, with the main three actresses returning. Though it isn’t quite as sharp or as fun as the original, it still has more than enough to enjoy, and the presence of the same three Sanderson sisters is more than enough to make it worth the price of admission.

Amy Adams is truly enchanting in the aptly-titled Disney film Enchanted,  which manages to be a fun riff on the classic Disney princess formula and a very enjoyable romantic comedy. It’s a blast from beginning to end, and there’s no denying the on-screen chemistry between Amy Adams’ Giselle and Patrick Dempsey’s Robert Philip. The long-awaited 2022 sequel, Disenchanted, rarely achieves the first film's success. However, the fact that Adams returns makes it entertaining enough, and the presence of Maya Rudolph as the villainous Malvina Monroe is an added treat.

With Gladiator,  Ridley Scott proved to the world that the ancient world epic still had life and relevance. It certainly helped that Russell Crowe was born to play an epic hero like Maximus, who goes from being a general to a gladiator to a revolutionary. Though Maximus dies at the film's end, a sequel has already been announced and will be released in 2024. Even though it’s going to feature a largely different set of characters, fans of the original can take some comfort in knowing that several stars from the first film will appear, including Connie Nielsen and Derek Jacobi.

Wes Craven’s Scream is a true masterpiece of horror filmmaking, managing to be chilling and remarkably self-reflexive about the genre itself. It has also proven to be remarkably enduring. The 2022 iteration wisely decided not to begin with a whole new cast of characters but instead gave viewers more of the central trio they’d learned to love way back in 1996, and the death of one of their number made this particular sequel even more poignant. This type of sequel is designed to appeal to the Gen Xers and millennials who made the original trilogy so popular. 

Undoubtedly, the original Star Wars trilogy remains one of the most influential space operas ever made. It all reached a triumphant conclusion in Return of the Jedi, and while the prequel series emerged at the end of the 20th century, it would take a further decade for Jedi to receive its sequel. In some ways, The Force Awakens is a retelling of A New Hope, and while this might feel like a betrayal for some, it nevertheless does remind the viewer that evil is never fully destroyed, that it will always find a way to come back and wreak havoc. 

Dumb and Dumber is peak 1990s comedy, starring Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels. It's the perfect blend of buddy movie and slapstick, and the leads are ideal complements to one another's tremendous talents. The film had a prequel in the early 2000s, but it took until 2014 for it to get an actual sequel. The sequel is a bit of a strange outing, particularly since what seemed so remarkable in the early '90s doesn't feel fresh any longer. Nevertheless, there's no denying that it's always a pleasure to see Carrey and Daniels together again.

Julie Andrews is at her very best in Disney’s Mary Poppins, a film that retains its ability to enchant even so many decades after its initial release. While a recasting of a central character can often go awry, this isn’t the case with Mary Poppins Returns,  in which Emily Blunt takes over the role Andrews made famous. It may not achieve quite the greatness of its predecessor, but it still knows how to cast its own spell, and Emily Blunt manages to put her own spin on the character. Moreover, this version even has a number of appearances from Disney stalwarts such as Dıck Van Dyke (who appeared in the original) and Angela Lansbury (who appeared in the Disney film Bedknobs and Broomsticks and Beauty and the Beast).

Francis Ford Coppola’s Godfather trilogy reigns as a true triumph of Hollywood cinema. The second installment was released in 1974, and it fortunately brought back many of the cast from the first film. It would take a decade and a half for this film to receive its sequel, which it did in 1990 with the release of The Godfather Part III,  which Coppola also directed. It can be a bit convoluted at times, but the film is still a testament to Coppola’s vision, to say nothing of Al Pacino’s commitment to the character of Michael Corleone through several decades. 

George Miller is widely praised for his various Mad Max features, and he deserves all the praise for his ability to bring a keen eye to a world rocked by apocalypse. Though the first film was released in 1979, the franchise would have a long afterlife, and in 2015, it returned with a blast in Mad Max: Fury Road. Even though several decades had elapsed since the last film in the original series (Beyond Thunderdome was released in 1985), Miller had lost none of his skills as a director. Fury Road would receive the prequel treatment with the release of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga in 2024. 

The original Tron remains a remarkable piece of filmmaking due in no small part to its prominent use of computer-generated imagery. Though it was a moderate success on its initial release, it ended up becoming something of a cult classic, which perhaps helps to explain why it took so long for it to finally get a sequel. In 2010, fans of the original film were rewarded with Tron: Legacy, which, in addition to its vibrant visuals, also featured songs from the music sensation Daft Punk. The franchise is set to continue with Tron: Ares, which will hit theaters in 2025.

The film Wall Street  was the perfect distillation of the 1980s, focusing on corporate greed (to say nothing of the fact that it stars Michael Douglas). It took several decades, but in 2010, director Oliver Stone and Douglas came together for the sequel, aptly titled Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. It might not have been quite as successful among critics as its predecessor, but it is still a fascinating look at the Great Recession. Furthermore, it demonstrates Oliver Stone’s enduring success as a director and Douglas’ remarkable ability to recapture what made Gordon Gekko such an iconic 1980s character. 

Though Renée Zellweger has been in many remarkable films throughout her career, Bridget Jones will undoubtedly be one of her most beloved performances. In the early 2000s, she starred in two films about Bridget Jones and her love triangle with Hugh Grant’s Daniel Cleaver and Colin Firth’s Mark Darcy, but it would be several years before she would return. In 2016, however, Zellweger would once again step into Bridget’s shoes, and the results are as enchanting as they were in the early part of the millennium, particularly since she finally gets her happily ever after with Mark. And, as with so many things in Hollywood, another long-delayed sequel is currently slated for 2025.

In its heyday, Pixar was a true powerhouse, able to deliver visually stunning films filled with heart. Finding Nemo was one of the studio’s best, capturing the beauty of nature and the heartwarming nature of the father/son bond of Marlin and his son, Nemo. Given how much of a fan favorite Dory became, it’s unsurprising that she got her own sequel, Finding Dory, released a decade and a half after its predecessor. Finding Dory manages to be a strong movie and a worthy successor to its predecessor. Pixar deserves credit for being a studio that can produce a sequel that doesn’t feel like nothing more than a shallow cash grab. 

Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner  wasn’t a huge success when first released, but it has become one of the director’s most respected and acclaimed films. It’s not hard to see why since it has a bit of everything: thoughtful sci-fi, a neo-noir vibe, and, of course, Harrison Ford. Though it took several decades, in 2017, it finally got the sequel it deserved, though this time directed by sci-fi maestro Denis Villeneuve. While the sequel might not be quite as gritty as its predecessor, it nevertheless showcases Villeneuve’s strengths as a director, and it’s anchored by yet another stellar performance by Ryan Gosling.

Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park remains a foundational piece of sci-fi cinema, making use of Michael Crichton’s original novel and using state-of-the-art CGI to bring dinosaurs to terrifying and awe-inspiring life. It spawned two sequels, though neither would scale quite the heights of the first film. On the other hand, Jurassic World burst onto the box office in 2015 and became a global success. Its story might be a bit of a retread of the original — with a group of humans who have to try to survive when the dinosaurs go rogue — but there’s no doubt that the CGI is stunning, and the film introduces some new terrifying beasts, including the chimerical Indominus rex.

Eddie Murphy went from strength to strength throughout the 1980s, and his 1988 film Coming to America remains a beloved piece of ‘80s comedy. The film is the perfect meeting of acting talent (Murphy and Arsenio Hall) and director (John Landis), and though the critics were lukewarm on it, it enjoyed quite an afterlife. In fact, it got a sequel in 2021, with Coming 2 America, which brought back most of the original cast. While the latter might not hit quite the heights of its predecessor, Eddie Murphy is as charming and funny as ever, which makes it all worthwhile. 

Not every director would be willing to return to one of his most beloved films after nearly three decades, but it can never be said that Tim Burton isn’t daring. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is the sequel to his beloved and quirky Beetlejuice  from 1988. Fortunately for fans of the original film, this one not only brings Burton back to the director’s chair but also reunites many original cast members, including Catherine O’Hara, Winona Ryder, and, of course, Michael Keaton himself. It will be a welcome return of one of the '80s' most unusual characters. 

The Rescuers tends to fall through the cracks when one thinks about notable Disney offerings. However, it is still an enchanting film, with the softer animation that was characteristic of the studio's output in the 1970s, as well as a story that is remarkably textured. It is also the only Disney animated feature to get a theatrical sequel, The Rescuers Down Under, which was the second film in the Disney Renaissance. Unlike so many of the studio's other, cheaper sequels, this one features some remarkable animated sequences, as well as some strong voice talent, including George C. Scott as the villainous hunter Percival C. McCleach.