Universal
Sequels are awesome, plain and simple. Returning to familiar characters and worlds we love is like covering yourself with a warm blanket, although when a sequel is bad it can be like a blanket covered in potato bugs and lice. Studios love sequels because seven times out of ten they open huge, no matter how good they are.
With that in mind, here's 50 of your favorite titles all preparing to get new installments. Some of them are deep into pre-production while others have barely gotten out of the pitch stages, but you'll be salivating at the thought of some of these sweet babies finally making their way to the screen.
'Paranormal Activity 5'
Paramount
Attached: Unknown
Status: The law of diminishing returns seems to have caught up to Paramount's annual license to print money, and even though the last "Paranormal" grossed half its predecessor, producer Jason Blum is gonna keep pumping out a new scarifying unit. While Katie Featherston will no doubt make an appearance in possessed form, the true comeback kid is original writer/director Oren Peli, who will craft the script for the first time since "PA1," but only time will tell if he'll come back to direct as well. His follow-up directing effort, "Area 51," has yet to see the light of day, either for blowing the lid off Roswell or (more likely) 'cause it stinks. | Read More
Release Date/Year: October 25, 2013
'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes'
Attached: Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Jason Clarke, Andy Serkis
Status: Director Rupert Wyatt pulled off the hat trick of making "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" a solid hit despite Tim Burton poisoning the well a decade prior. His original vision for the sequel involved "Full Metal Jacket"-style combat between humans and the ape uprising, but this cool-sounding idea didn't gel with Fox brass, who hired "Cloverfield" helmer Matt Reeves to take over. Pre-production is moving along steadily, with a healthy James Franco-less cast crowed by MVP Andy Serkis as the Che Guevara-esque monkey revolutionary Caesar. | Read More
Release Date/Year: May 23, 2014
'Jurassic Park IV'
Attached: Colin Trevorrow
Status: Here's a project with a history. Since the early 2000s a fourth entry in the JP franchise has been in steady development, with an early script by William Monahan and John Sayles that featured (we s**t you not) hyper-intelligent talking dinosaur commandos with guns. Yeah. That idea went to the dirt farm, and recently Mark Protosevich ("Thor") and husband/wife team Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver ("Rise of the Planet of the Apes") produced a concept that clicked with the studio. Manning the production is Trevorrow, whose "Safety Not Guaranteed" showed an assured grasp of sci-fi and comedy. With "Jurassic Park 3D" wetting people's appetites, now all that's left is to reunite the original trio of Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum and we'll be all set for nostalgia overload. | Read More
Release Date/Year: June 13, 2014
'Transformers 4'
Attached: Mark Wahlberg, Jack Reynor
Status: At first he thought he was out, and then they pulled him back in. Michael Bay seemed like he was through with this series after he essentially leveled Chicago in "Dark of the Moon," but clearly he still has feelings for Optimus Prime and company. Sans Shia, the franchise will move forward in a not-quite reboot/not-quite sequel fashion, with Bay's "Pain & Gain" star Wahlberg leading the charge of the Autobots for this go-round. This fourquel will shoot in Detroit, which luckily comes pre-destroyed, and supposedly involves humans building their own Transformers and having to deal with the repercussions of that, ala "The Terminator." YAWN. | Read More
Release Date/Year: June 27, 2014
'Dumb and Dumber To'
Attached: Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels
Status: Peter and Bobby Farrelly haven't hit a home run in a while, and their "Three Stooges" movie was tepidly received at best. Carrey's star seems to be waning these days as well, which is why it makes sense that the old gang get back together to track Harry and Lloyd in their older-but-not-wiser years. Part of the story is rumored to involve one of them having fathered a child in the past, and having to find said child in order to get a much-needed kidney transplant. Unfortunately Daniels' run on "The Newsroom" and Warner Bros. reluctance to give it the green light may keep it from reaching screens despite a finished script. | Read More
Release Date/Year: 2014
'The Expendables 3'
Lionsgate
Attached: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jackie Chan
Status: Sly Stallone's love letter to his generation of bare-knuckled cinematic badassery continues to thrive, hence a third entry appears to be in the cards. Besides nabbing Chan's chop socky for an extended role, Nicolas Cage is also in the running to bring his brand of crazy. Steven Seagal was approached but will not be in the film, and Stallone has stated his script will revolve around younger recruits to the mercenary game. Supposedly Stallone's wishlist also includes Harrison Ford, Clint Eastwood, Wesley Snipes and Sigourney Weaver.| Read More Release Date/Year: 2014
'Vacation'
Attached: Ed Helms, Christina Applegate
Status: In a series that has already survived three sequels and some direct-to-DVD atrocities, doing a soft reboot in the spirit of the original doesn't seem like such a bad thing. Hot writers John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein ("Horrible Bosses") were brought on to write and later asked by New Line to direct it as well, with "Hangover" star Helms as an all-grown-up Rusty Griswold leading his own clan across country. Fans are hopeful for an Anthony Michael Hall cameo, but with Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo doing "Vacation" Super Bowl commercials as the Griswolds it doesn't seem like a stretch to have them in on it too, perhaps dying en route like poor Aunt Edna. | Read more
Release Date/Year: 2014
'Zoolander 2'
Attached: Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Jonah Hill
Status: While Stiller has reprised really really really good-looking model Derek Zoolander on SNL numerous times since 2001, a bona fide sequel has sparked to life in the last few years. A script was written by Justin Theroux ("Tropic Thunder") featuring Derek and Hansel (Wilson) feeling old and irrelevant in Europe. Will Ferrell's villainous Mugatu will have a prominent role if it gets made, but right now Stiller seems to be occupied with his "Walter Mitty" remake. | Read More
Release Date/Year: 2014
'Marvel's The Avengers 2'
Attached: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Samuel L. Jackson
Status: Phase 2 of the Marvel movieverse will begin this summer with "Iron Man 3" and culminate in another nerdgasm team-up likely to surpass the staggering grosses of the first "Avengers." Master of arms Joss Whedon will return to the director's chair and offer quips aplenty, but as for who will enhance the already considerable group dynamic is unclear. Edgar Wright's "Ant-Man" is scheduled for 2015 as well, so that character may be involved, but persistent rumor has mysterioso android The Vision in the frame to do some avenging. With scripting nearly complete, it's only a matter of time before we know if Downey Jr. can be wooed back into the fold for one last go-round as ol' shellhead. | Read More
Release Date/Year: May 1, 2015
'Star Wars: Episode VII'
Attached: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
Status: Perhaps the most long-awaited sequel in history, and one we were told over and over would never happen, Lucasfilm was sold to Disney late last year to the tune of $4 billion with the promise of strip-mining the "Star Wars" legacy, a key selling point for the studio. Indeed, the plan is to churn out a new trilogy and at least three solo films (literally: one will be about Han Solo) over the course of six years. Considering fans have had decade-long breaks between trilogies, that's a serious feast or famine scenario. Michael Arndt ("Toy Story 3") is scripting this follow-up to "Return of the Jedi" with the aid of OT script vet Lawrence Kasdan, and director J.J. Abrams will boldly go where he's already gone before in that other "Star" franchise. Make no mistake — this is the big one, folks. | Read More
Release Date/Year: Summer 2015
'Pirates of the Caribbean 5'
Disney
Attached: Johnny Depp
Status: Depp has one of the fullest dance cards in Hollywood, but that doesn't mean he's adverse to earning a nine-figure payday, which he's rumored to get up front for his participation in the next installment of Disney's flagship franchise, pun very intended. "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" scribe Jeff Nathanson will again bring nothing to the table for a long-running adventure series that sunk its potential long ago.
Release Date/Year: July 2015
'James Bond 24'
Attached: Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris
Status: With the biggest-grossing Bond ever under his belt, "Skyfall" director Sam Mendes has moved on to greener pastures, leaving a vacated director's seat for some new lucky so-and-so to make their mark. Who could add new life to what has become, at least by "Skyfall," an almost self-reflexively meta-franchise? Not Danny Boyle (ain't interested), not Chris Nolan (busy with "Interstellar"), maybe Ang Lee, perhaps Tom Hooper, but we'd really love to see Martin Campbell come back after crafting the greatest Bond movie ever, "Casino Royale." | Read More
Release Date/Year: Fall 2015
'The Adventures of Tintin: Prisoners of the Sun'
Attached: Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost
Status: We loved the hell out of Steven Spielberg's first "Tintin" flick, which played like the "Indiana Jones" sequel we always wanted. The plan was always to have Spielberg's producing partner (and unofficial co-director) Peter Jackson take the reigns on Part 2, but given the Kiwi's ever-expanding commitments to two (then three) "Hobbit" movies the date for motion capturing keeps getting pushed. Scripting is being done by British TV vet Anthony Horowitz and rumored to be based on Herge's twin stories "The Seven Crystal Balls" and "Prisoners of the Sun," with the inventive Professor Calculus at the center of things and an expanded role for bumbling detectives Thomson and Thompson. | Read More
Release Date/Year: Christmas 2015
'Avatar 2 & 3'
Attached: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver
Status: Yeah, did you know the most successful movie of all time was gonna get a sequel? Huh. James Cameron made enough money off the first one to build his own space fleet but is currently deep into scripting the return to Pandora, which will reportedly explore the oceanographic wonders of the planet as well as neighboring planets in that system. We likely haven't seen the last of the big bad mining corporation or Sigourney Weaver's Grace Augustine. Reportedly each of the two back-to-back sequels will tell a self-contained story free of cliffhangers but will form an overarching trilogy. No story specifics yet, but expect exponentially larger battles and perhaps some cute Na'vi babies. | Read More
Release Date/Year: 2015/2016
'Mission: Impossible 5'
Attached: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton
Status: "Ghost Protocol" was the most successful entry in the series, with the Burj Khalifa-climbing antics taking it to new heights. Christopher McQuarrie has become Cruise's go-to guy in recent years, penning "Valkyrie" and the aborted "Top Gun 2," not to mention directing him in the modestly successful "Jack Reacher." Now Paramount is courting him to write the script for a fifth "M:I" with an eye to direct. Also returning to the fold is J.J. Abrams, who will continue to oversee the series as producer despite commitments to a galaxy far, far away.
Release Date/Year: 2015
'Finding Nemo 2'
Pixar
Attached: Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres
Status: Soon after Andrew Stanton's "John Carter" face-planted at the box office, the Pixar great went immediately back to his comfort zone with a sure-to-please sequel in order to keep his dark masters at Disney happy. The news was great for Brooks as well, who reportedly signed a very lucrative deal to revive the voice of Marlin, and we suspect another celebrity will be brought in to voice a more grown-up Nemo. This is exactly the kind of get-out-of-jail-free card Stanton needs in the wake of a massive bomb, and his deal stipulates he'll get another shot at live action afterwards. | Read More
Release Date/Year: 2016
'Kung Fu Panda 3'
Attached: Jack Black
Status: With Pixar cashing in on sequel after sequel, it's starting to make rival DreamWorks look a little less mercenary in their creative endeavors. It helps that, under the helpful guidance of Guillermo del Toro, the studio has been having a creative renaissance in recent years, enough to rival Pixar. The last two "Kung Fu Panda" films were dynamite, and this threequel brings director Jennifer Yuh Nelson back to the fold. Most interestingly, this will be the first American animated feature co-produced in China, with roughly one-third of the animation being done over there ... under the watchful eye of Chinese censors, of course. |Read More
Release Date/Year: March 18, 2016
'Ghostbusters III'
Attached: Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis
Status: After "Ghostbusters II" was supposedly an unhappy experience for all involved (including the audience), a third film has remained elusive. Aykroyd wrote a script set in Hell in the mid-'90s with Ben Stiller in mind for the lead, but Bill Murray's lack of interest kept the proton packs uncharged. In recent years Sony has attempted to reignite the project, throwing writers Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg at it to no avail. Recently scribe Etan Cohen, who crafted a not-too-shabby "MIB 3," was brought in to do damage control on the script, although word is Bill Murray will have none of it, despite occasionally suggesting he might. If it does happen, Ivan Reitman would direct again, and the baton would be passed to a new generation of spirit chasers a la Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, et al. | Read more
Release Date/Year: Unknown
'Army of Darkness 2'
Attached: Sam Raimi
Status: A fourth "Evil Dead" always seemed destined for the land of "never gonna happen," and it turns out that feeling was correct. An "Evil Dead 4" isn't going to happen … it's going to be called "Army of Darkness 2!" The 1992 cult classic brought a new level of silly to the Deadite universe, with Bruce Campbell's Ash giving us plenty of sugar while fighting off the medieval dead. Recently Raimi confirmed that he and brother Ted Raimi have begun writing a preliminary script, and with the announcement that Sam is stepping away from the "Oz" property it could very well wind up being his next picture. Perhaps fans need only read the words of the Necronomicon in order to summon it … | Read More
Release Date/Year: Unknown
'Bill and Ted 3'
Attached: Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter
Status: It's one thing when fans berate filmmakers into begrudgingly making a sequel, but it's a whole other joy to see the actors and creators themselves take the initiative to will a sequel to life. That's what seems to be happening with "Bill and Ted," as Reeves and Winter have been beating the drum to make it happen for several years. The writers of "Excellent Adventure" and "Bogus Journey," Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon, have written the script and Dean Parisot ("Galaxy Quest") is on board to direct. The story has the now middle-aged duo still trying to write a song to change the world and will see them hop back in the phone booth traveling to the Stone Age. Respectfully, the late George Carlin's Rufus will not be recast. Release Date/Year: Unknown
'Chronicle 2'
Fox
Attached: Unknown
Status: The idea of a found footage superhero movie turned out to be a highly lucrative one, hence FOX commissioned original writer Max Landis to pen a sequel. Unfortunately, Max's papa John Landis let it slip that FOX wasn't keen on the new evolution Max wanted to take the story in. He has stated that, in an interesting twist, the actual found footage content of the first movie will play a significant role in the second, possibly involving people using the film to look for clues about the mysterious meteor or to track the whereabouts of lone survivor Matt Garetty (Alex Russell). | Read More
Release Date/Year: Unknown
'Who Framed Roger Rabbit 2'
Attached: Robert Zemeckis
Status: Here's another one that's been a long time coming, originally discussed as a prequel called "Roger Rabbit: The Toon Platoon" until Spielberg became antsy about satirizing Nazis. Disney changed it into a "Star is Born"-type story about Roger's ascent in show business, but a really crappy CGI test and ballooning budget forced them to cancel the project altogether. Director Robert Zemeckis recently tried to revive it as a direct sequel with original writers Jeffrey Price & Peter S. Seaman, although Bob Hoskins' retirement from acting threw another banana peel under the film. P-P-P-P-P-PLEASE!
Release Date/Year: Unknown
'Beetlejuice 2'
Attached: Tim Burton
Status: In development since the early '90s when it was originally titled "Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian," the sequel has been dead and buried in development hell for ages until screenwriter Seth Grahame-Smith was brought in to resurrect the ghost with the most. Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder both seem game to reprise their roles as Beetlejuice and goth chick Lydia, although neither Geena Davis nor Alec Baldwin have been confirmed to continue their haunting as the Maitlands. Supposedly the story will be set in the present, over 25 years after the original took place.
Release Date/Year: Unknown
'The Legend of Conan'
Attached: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Status: Arnold starred in two outings as the willful Cimmerian warrior, where he taught us what is best in life ... but what about what is best in death? In the early '00s original director John Milius (with the help of the Wachowski Brothers) wanted to capture the later period of Robert E. Howard's Barbarian when he was "destined to wear the jeweled crown of Aquilonia upon a troubled brow." The resulting script, "King Conan: Crown of Iron," was scuttled after Ahnuld went off to governate California, but now that he's back in the movie game he wants to cap his career with a last hurrah as Conan. Paul Verhoeven of "Total Recall" has expressed an interest in making it, but a director will not be chosen until after writer/producer Chris Morgan ("Fast Five") completes his draft. | Read More
Release Date/Year: Unknown
'Untitled Pee-wee Herman Project'
Attached: Paul Reubens
Status: Back in the '90s Reubens was desperate to escape his Pee-wee persona, but over the last few years he's been more than happy to clip on the bow tie and get back to his most iconic character. Although several scripts were written, including one set in The Playhouse aimed at kids and another one aimed at adults, it took comedy powerhouse Judd Apatow to get Reubens back to "Big Adventure" basics: a road movie. Paul Rust, a.k.a. the dude from "I Love You Beth Cooper," is penning the script with Reubens and filming is expected to happen imminently. An ideal director would be someone like Michel Gondry, who has been approached in the past.
Release Date/Year: Unknown
'Prometheus 2'
Fox
Attached: Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace
Status: Okay, so "Prometheus" was not the be-all, end-all of "Alien" prequels, and there's some pretty dumb stuff in it, like that scientist who just LOVES the penis snake vagina worm thing that winds up eating his face. It also was STUNNINGLY gorgeous to look at in 3-D and had the showstopping C-section scene. In other words it was a mixed bag, but a mixed bag that made money, so FOX and Ridley Scott are pursuing a sequel that will take Dr. Shaw (Rapace) and the head of android David (Fassbender) to "Paradise," the mere name of which sounds frightening as all get-out. Thankfully, writer Damon Lindelof, responsible for much of the lamer stuff in the first one, will not be back. | Read More
Release Date/Year: Unknown
'Smiley's People'
Attached: Gary Oldman
Status: Tomas Alfredson's "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" was a brilliant character study of how a life of espionage is really no life at all. Oldman completely disappeared into the part of the cunning, taciturn British intelligence officer George Smiley, earning some of the best accolades of his career, so it's no wonder there was immediate talk of following it up with John le Carre's sequel novel "Smiley's People." Alfredson and screenwriter Peter Straughan are expected to be back, as is most of the stellar cast that didn't bite the dust in the first one.
Release Date/Year: Unknown
'Oz the Great and Powerful 2'
Attached: James Franco, Mila Kunis
Status: Sam Raimi's trippy trip into L. Frank Baum territory has become this year's first smash hit, with Disney already starting development on a sequel. Writer Mitchel Kapner is already figuring out what to do next with Franco's huckster wizard, with dozens of books by Baum and others to pilfer from. Unfortunately Raimi, who balanced the tongue-in-cheek spectacle so expertly, will not be back. | Read More
Release Date/Year: Unknown
'21 Jump Street 2'
Attached: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum
Status: Hill and Tatum's surprising chemistry led to "21 Jump Street" being 2012's first tried-and-true sleeper hit. Luckily this irreverent take on the old FOX TV show about high school narcs left things open for an obvious sequel where the boys do some damage in college. Unfortunately, Johnny Depp probably won't return for another cameo, seeing as how his Tom Hanson hilariously ate a bullet. Hill confirmed that he and original screenwriter Michael Bacall were writing it last summer, but directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller have yet to commit. | Read More
Release Date/Year: Unknown
'Indiana Jones 5'
Attached: Harrison Ford
Status: Steven Spielberg and George Lucas really s**t the bed on that last one, but they want to make it up to us. Strangely, another punch to the gut doesn't sound like proper recompense, but George Lucas seems determined to make it happen. Last time he spoke of it Lucas mentioned that they were still in the process of looking for a good maguffin for Indy to go after, and that even though he was retired from making blockbusters he might make an exception for "Indy 5." Thing is, Disney now technically owns the property, and have stated that "Star Wars," not Indy, is their big priority.
Release Date/Year: Unknown
'Bubba Nosferatu: Curse of the She-Vampires'
Fox
Attached: Ron Perlman, Paul Giamatti
Status: "Bubba Ho-Tep" has slowly become of the last decade's most prominent cult titles, and Don Coscarelli's joke title at the end credits has slowly been inching towards reality … but not without some serious snags. First, original star Bruce Campbell dropped out for ambiguous "creative differences." Then, when Ron Perlman took over the role of Elvis the funding dried up, despite a very enthusiastic Paul Giamatti keen to play Colonel Parker. Hopefully The King can get back on his feet and kill him some vampires.
Release Date/Year: Unknown
'TRON 3'
Attached: Olivia Wilde, Cillian Murphy, Garrett Hedlund
Status: Yes, "TRON: Legacy" didn't exactly set the world on fire, but it did okay enough that Disney is seriously considering going back to finally get one of these damn "TRON" movies right. Joseph Kosinski has "Oblivion" on the way, and we imagine the success or failure of that Tom Cruise vehicle will have a big hand in whether or not the helmer will return to the gaming grid for more light cycle chases and Bruce Boxleitner cameos. | Read More
Release Date/Year: Unknown
'Hot Tub Time Machine 2'
Attached: Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, Clark Duke
Status: What many people were figuring would be the next "Hangover"-size comedy smash became just a moderate hit at the box office but made enough of a profit on DVD for MGM to consider greenlighting a sequel. Thing is, John Cusack apparently wants nothing to do with it, or they want nothing to do with him. Something like that. Steve Pink will again direct a script by himself and Corddry … now all they need is a big star from the '80s to anchor it all. Paging Matthew Broderick? | Read More
Release Date/Year: Unknown
'Independence Day 2 & 3'
Attached: Will Smith, Bill Pullman
Status: You'd have thought that a sequel to one of the biggest sci-fi hits in history would be a no-brainer, but somehow Will Smith and director Roland Emmerich just lost track of the time, and now here we are 17 years later and still nothing to show for it. Smith's full dance card has been the big issue, as well as his asking price of $50 million for the two films — tentatively titled "Independence Day Forever" — but producer/writer Dean Devlin may also be developing a version without Smith. Somehow betting the farm on Bill Pullman coming back doesn't seem the best strategy. Some have surmised that Smith's character may now be the President in the timeline of the film, which would be an interesting switch.
Release Date/Year: Unknown
'Super Troopers 2'
Attached: Broken Lizard, Brian Cox
Status: Who wants a mustache ride? One of the early '00s' brightest indie comedies had many pegging comedy troupe Broken Lizard as the second coming of Monty Python, but duds like "Club Dread" and "The Slammin' Salmon" kept that from actually happening. Jay Chandrasekhar and the rest of the gang hope to jumpstart things with a sequel, which finds the boys getting into trouble while patrolling the Canadian border.
Release Date/Year: Unknown
'The Girl Who Played With Fire'
Sony
Attached: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara
Status: David Fincher barely left his stamp on 2011's "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" remake, and if you've seen the Noomi Rapace original you know there's not much different except the ending and the amount of money they blew. Contract negotiations with Daniel Craig have apparently soured to the point where Sony has discussed with writer Steven Zaillian the possibility of making it without his Mikael Blomkvist character. It also seems that interest in Stieg Larsson's books has waned, but Fincher remains somewhat committed, exclaiming that "We've got to make it our own thing." | Read More
Release Date/Year: Unknown
'Venom'
Attached: Josh Trank
Status: Although this would be less of a sequel to "Spider-Man 3," where Venom slithered into his first big screen iteration, it may not be entirely a reboot either. "Hunger Games" director Gary Ross was originally signed to direct a script by Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese but has since been nudged out/replaced by "Chronicle" helmer Josh Trank, who will have to wait until his duties on the "Fantastic Four" reboot have been fulfilled. | Read More
Release Date/Year: Unknown
'Bridget Jones's Baby'
Attached: Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant
Status: Hot "Bridesmaids" director Paul Feig was originally brought in to revive the nearly decade-absent Bridget but ultimately decided that a Brit would do greater justice to Helen Fielding's romantically flustered heroine. Peter Cattaneo, who made "The Full Monty," was brought in, but so far the greenlight from Universal has been less than forthcoming. | Read More
Release Date/Year: Unknown
'Triplets'
Attached: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Danny DeVito, Eddie Murphy
Status: So here's the deal: The first time Arnold had a short brother; now he has a black one. Hilarity! Eddie Murphy has been put forward as the likely co-star for this over-25-years-later follow-up on Julius and Vincent where they discover yet another genetically mismatched sibling. Ryan Dixon and Josh Gad will script, the latter presumably writing in his trailer between setups on sitcom "1600 Penn." | Read More
Release Date/Year: Unknown
'Clerks III'
Attached: Kevin Smith
Status: After threatening us with a book or a possible Broadway musical, wake-n'-baker Smith finally put his nose to the grindstone and began typing away on a modestly-awaited third installment on March 8 of this year. The publicity-happy Twitterer even posted a photo of the cover of the first draft. "I jumped out of bed at 4:20 this morning and started writing CLERKS III," he wrote. "It's been like hanging out with old friends. And after 2 hours of tapping the keys and giggling, I have come to a conclusion ... CLERKS III will be the best film I'll ever make." Well aren't we pleased with ourselves? | Read More
Release Date/Year: Unknown
'Snow White and the Huntsman 2'
Universal
Attached: Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth
Status: Trampire antics aside, the first "Snow White" was a solid four-quadrant hit for Universal, who's aching for a franchise that doesn't involve Vin Diesel and cars. In a bit of posturing swagger the studio hired big gun writer David Koepp ("Jurassic Park," "Spider-Man") to begin drafting a sequel before the first came out, but there was always question about whether or not Stewart would headline again. With her return now confirmed, its clear Universal knows where their bread is buttered and left cheatin' director Rupert Sanders with only his divorce to occupy him. | Read More
Release Date/Year: Unknown
'Blade Runner 2'
Attached: Ridley Scott, Hampton Fancher
Status: Dear sweet lord, please don't let this actually happen. "Prometheus" proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that, while still a visual master, story-wise the 75-year-old Ridley Scott is completely off his rocker. More than any other film on this list, "Blade Runner" has the most geek cache ... and would also be the most harmed by a sequel, good or bad. Let's hope that this is nothing more than Scott's make-work project for original screenwriter Fancher. Harrison Ford has been mooted as a possibility to return as either Rick Deckard or another, older Replicant.
Release Date/Year: Unknown
'Bad Santa 2'
Attached: Billy Bob Thornton
Status: Terry Zwigoff's misanthropic 2003 comedy was a surprise smash that never needed a follow-up, and given Billy Bob's spotty track record since then we're not itching to see a cheap, potentially direct-to-DVD cash grab. In a move that shows just how artistically inclined they are, Dimension Films hired two writers (Johnny Rosenthal and John Phillips) to draft competing scripts, with the winner going into production. Classy. Thornton keeps saying this is a go-project, but we'll ask Santa to put a stop to it if he can. We've been really good, honest. | Read More
Release Date/Year: Unknown
'Terminator 5'
Attached: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Status: We don't know if the mercenary strip-mining of this franchise will continue unabated, but there is definitely interest in making another one of these, even after the last "Terminator" proved to be anything but a "Salvation." What we do know is that John Connor has become the Rusty Griswald (i.e. played by a different actor each time) of the series, so expect Ashton Kutcher or someone of his ilk to step into Christian Bale's shoes. The screenplay is being penned by James Cameron's right-hand lady Laeta Kalogridis along with "Drive Angry" helmer Patrick Lussier, and the Governator seems prepared to come back in some capacity, most likely in a home for retired T-800s. | Read More
Release Date/Year: Unknown
'The Lost Symbol'
Attached: Tom Hanks
Status: Hopefully visionary helmer Mark Romanek ("Never Let Me Go") can inject some much-needed pizazz into what has become a lurching, fatigued series under Ron Howard's guidance. The original "Da Vinci Code" got by on the popularity of the book, but by "Angels and Demons" people had gotten tired of Catholic conspiracies and Hanks' weird hairdo, hence it only made about half the original's haul. If Hanks can get away from his Broadway turn in "Lucky Guy" long enough to reprise Robert Langdon once again, it could pave the way for Dan Brown's forth book "Inferno" as well.|Read More
Release Date/Year: Unknown
'Sherlock Holmes 3'
Warner Bros.
Attached: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law
Status: Downey's trusty "Iron Man 3" writer Drew Pearce is on the case, but director Guy Ritchie could return only after he takes on the TV adaptation "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." (possibly starring Tom Cruise). With arch-villain Moriarty vanquished at Reichenbach Falls in "Game of Shadows" there's really no big baddie left to fight … except Holmes' addiction to cocaine. Release Date/Year: Unknown
'The Thomas Crown Affair 2'
Attached: Pierce Brosnan
Status: While the 1999 "Thomas Crown" was a straight-up remake, the sequel aims to remake another classic '60s caper flick, "Topkapi," and at one time was known as "The Topkapi Affair." This double remake attached mad Dutchman Paul Verhoeven ("Robocop," "Basic Instinct," "Showgirls") as the new director, likely to enhance the glitzy middle-aged sensuality quotient. Now with Verhoeven out of the picture and original helmer John McTiernan facing a jail sentence, it's gonna take some new blood and a helluva lot more star power than the former Bond to bring this project back to life.
Release Date/Year: Unknown
'Horrible Bosses 2'
Attached: Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Jamie Foxx
Status: The zany comedy about three schmucky guys getting back at their bosses played like "Nine to Five" with dudes and did boffo business. The tricksy trio are gonna be back to even more scores with perhaps even higher-grade celeb bosses than last time. Seth Gordon will return to direct and John Francis Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein will again write, but at what point do these guys stop being oppressed workers and start being just straight-up bullies? | Read More
Release Date/Year: Unknown
'Austin Powers 4'
Attached: Mike Myers
Status: This one scares us a lot. Granted, just about any time the number "4" is next to a title we start to worry, but considering the shagadelic British spy became annoying somewhere around the middle of the first movie, we're not looking forward to it. Mike Myers running the spy spoof ever further into the ground might be his only option after "The Love Guru," but we'd much rather see Wayne and Garth in their 50s. Thankfully this is still only a germ of an idea being noodled with/pitched in Myers' head.
Release Date/Year: Unknown
'xXx: The Return of Xander Cage'
Attached: Vin Diesel, Samuel L. Jackson
Status: An attempt was made to supplant Vin Diesel's extreme sports spy Xander Cage with a doughy Ice Cube for the first sequel "State of the Union," but the idea of a new xXx for each installment went the way of the dodo when it tanked. Well if it ain't broke don't fix it, so the plan is to bring back Diesel and original helmer Rob Cohen, with recent masterminds of the "Terminator" franchise John Brancato and Michael Ferris providing the screenplay … that is, if anybody still cares.
Release Date/Year: Unknown
