While a majority of horror films receive sequels as soon as they gain massive success, some genre flicks regarded as classics have never produced a follow-up.
This list explores several films that were lauded by critics and grossed impressive numbers at the box office but have still failed to spawn any additional movies. Some of these films are modern-day classics, while others are old-school flicks that attempted to push out another film but failed, yet all of them are deserving of a sequel.
Hereditary (2018)
Ari Aster‘s familial nightmare has solidified itself as one of the best horror films of the modern day. The film stars Toni Collette as Annie, an artist who falls prey to a wicked demonic plot orchestrated by her recently deceased mother. Hereditary is a critical darling and grossed over $82 million against a $10 million budget, so it seems like a sequel would be imminent.
Aster has been hard at work on different projects like Midsommar and Beau Is Afraid, so it doesn’t seem likely that the filmmaker would be building onto the world of his debut feature anytime soon. However, Hereditary leaves off with plenty of material for a sequel, with Charlie’s spirit now in the body of her brother Peter. A sequel could pick up right where the first film left off, with the cult setting up their god with a life. Because of the success of the first film, it seems possible that A24 could resurrect Hereditary for a sequel without Aster, although the company has not been big on sequels as of late.
The Cabin in the Woods (2012)
Written by Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard, The Cabin in the Woods is a meta-delight, featuring more classic horror creatures than many genre fans could dream of. The film deconstructs the horror genre as a whole, depicting horror films as a ritual practiced by office workers. The earth is technically crushed at the end of the first film, but that’s nothing some reworking in the writers’ room can’t fix.
Released theatrically in 2012, The Cabin in the Woods was a sleeper hit and has certainly acquired a cult status. While fans would be delighted, a second film doesn’t seem likely at this time since Goddard said in an interview that he did not have a good enough idea to warrant a sequel to the beloved horror flick. However, if there were to be a follow-up to Cabin in the Woods, word on the street is that it would be a prequel.
Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)
Killer Klowns from Outer Space is an 80s horror comedy classic. The title characters’ zany antics, whether it be consuming people with a shadow puppet come to life or literally knocking someone’s block off, are absolutely unforgettable. This film ends on a note that would make one assume that a sequel would be greenlit as soon as possible, and that was the plan for director Stephen Chiodo originally until setbacks pushed all sequels for the film into development hell.
In 2012, Chiodo planned to create a sequel titled Return of the Killer Klowns from Outer Space in 3D, which would find Mike Tobacco (Grant Cramer) as the town drunk who must save his fellow residents from the alien clowns that he has become familiar with. Return of the Killer Klowns kept getting delayed before it was shelved indefinitely, yet in 2018, Syfy was reportedly discussing buying the rights to Killer Klowns from Outer Space, but Fox already beat them to it. Since Fox merged with Disney, it’s not clear if a sequel will ever see the light of day, but Killer Klowns is a film that has major potential as a franchise, and if the fans demand it hard enough, a sequel may finally be made one day.
The Burning (1981)
At the time of its release in 1981, The Burning was discarded as another cheap slasher, but in the present, this grisly shocker set at a summer camp has been reevaluated as a misunderstood horror classic. There has never been much buzz regarding a sequel to The Burning, but a slasher as iconic as this definitely deserves a follow-up.
There are plenty of places to take The Burning, like making the killer Cropsey more of a supernatural entity, much like Jason Vorhees and Michael Myers ended up becoming as their respective franchises went on. One thing that’s for certain is the fact that any sequel to The Burning would have to include a murder sequence as epic as the raft massacre scene.
Black Christmas (1974)
Bob Clark’s acclaimed holiday slasher may have garnered two remakes, but an official sequel has never been attempted, aside from a few fan films. The original Black Christmas, which tells the story of a group of sorority sisters who are terrorized by a killer during Christmastime, ends on a rather vague note, causing major potential for a sequel.
In the original film, Billy is mysterious, and a direct sequel would create the opportunity to build upon Billy a bit more and bring him back to his roots. In the 2006 remake, Billy is given an over-the-top backstory, but a direct sequel to the original movie would allow the filmmakers to change the direction in which the iconic slasher villain was taken.
Get Out (2017)
Jordan Peele’s debut feature film, Get Out, was a massive success among critics and audiences alike. Peele has helmed several other horror films since Get Out’s release, including Nope and Us, but many fans have been asking for a sequel to the film that turned Peele into a horror maestro.
A sequel to Get Out is completely plausible since there are sure to be more devious psychopaths performing body-switches aside from the Armitage family. Jordan Peele also recently told The Associated Press, “Never say never,” regarding a potential follow-up to Get Out, which should give fans hope that they will be back in the nightmarish world of the first film at some point.