The Rise and Fall of Movie Franchises: When Sequels Fail to Deliver

The Pitfalls of Sequel Over-Saturation

Establishing a movie franchise is an incredibly difficult feat to pull off, and many, if not most, of the sequels to Hollywood's most lauded films quickly ruined their prospective franchises before they could even begin. Blockbuster movies are expensive gambles that often have to make back up to three times the cost of their budgets, meaning any well-received hit can expect to see sequels pumped out in the name of a safely-secured audience. Unfortunately, studios often lose sight of what made the original film work so well in their haste to capitalize on its popularity, resulting in some franchises that were quick to denigrate after the first installment.

Four and Tris in Divergent

There are many reasons a sequel can fail to adequately establish a strong franchise. Sometimes, narrative or behind-the-scenes issues prevent old cast members who may have carried the original from returning, resulting in a hollow experience that doesn't recapture the same magic. Other times, the premise of a film simply doesn't have the depth needed to warrant a sequel worth exploring. Whatever the case, an astounding number of franchises have repeatedly failed to live up to their original film's quality, rapidly fading into oblivion after a handful of movies.

The Divergent Series: A Promising Start, a Disappointing Decline

Based on the science fiction novels by Veronica Roth, the Divergent trilogy came with the wave of young adult book adaptations that flooded theaters in the early 2000s and 2010s following the success of Harry Potter. While the first Divergent film certainly wasn't the best movie to come out of this era, it was a serviceable and thought-provoking coming of age story that initiated audiences into the world of the series. Unfortunately, the second film, Insurgent, would quickly dash the hopes of the franchise's promising start with clumsy worldbuilding and dialogue that dismantled any lingering interest in general audiences to see the series continue.

Shailene Woodley as Tris training with Theo James as Four in Divergent

The Divergent Series stands as a cautionary tale of how a promising start can quickly lead to a disappointing decline. With a lackluster sequel that failed to capture the essence of the original, the franchise struggled to regain its footing and ultimately faded into obscurity.

Insurgent- Four and Tris

The Jaws Series: From Thrilling to Laughable

Jaws is one of Stephen Spielberg's most important films, expertly weaponizing the fear of the unknown against audiences with daring cinematic techniques, expertly-directed actors, and a life-like animatronic shark with the cold, dead eyes of a killer. Despite being the film that spawned the Blockbuster movie, Jaws' own follow-ups proved to be shallow endeavors that failed to capture the same thrills of the original. By the time of Jaws 3, the series had sunk to the depths of laughably over-the-top 3D effects and sharks capable of roaring and plotting revenge, clearly rudderless without Spielberg's guidance.

Shark eating a boat in Jaws

The Jaws Series serves as a cautionary example of how a groundbreaking film can lead to a series of lackluster sequels. Without the guiding hand of Spielberg, the franchise quickly lost its appeal and descended into laughable over-the-top effects and absurd plotlines.