Bizarre movie sequels that nearly got made

Some movies are so successful that we are eager for a sequel. Sure, sometimes fans do have to wait a long time for these to come out, and sometimes these are disappointingly poorer than the original movie. Either way, they are made, and we get to watch them. Other times, though, these much-awaited sequels never get made, despite plans to the contrary.

In this gallery, we remember some of the movie sequels that nearly got made, but for one reason or another never did. Click on to get to know them!

'E.T. 2: Nocturnal Fears'

A sequel to Steven Spielberg's 1982 classic 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial' nearly got made. This time, though, the plot would be a lot darker, involving evil aliens abducting kids. But the horror twist proved too much for a sequel to the family-friendly blockbuster, and was eventually dropped.

'Ei8ht'

David Fincher's 1995 neo-noir crime thriller 'Seven' (aka 'Se7en') nearly got a sequel. 'Ei8ht' would be based on a script involving a detective with psychic abilities, which ended up being used in the 2015 movie 'Solace.'

'Double V Vega'

Quentin Tarantino talked about making a spin-off of 'Reservoir Dogs' (1992) and 'Pulp Fiction' (1994) called 'Double V Vega.' The protagonists would be brothers Vic (Michael Madsen) and Vincent Vega (John Travolta). Sadly, the director didn't find a way to make the story work.

'Ferris Bueller 2: Another Day Off'

The 1986 teen comedy 'Ferris Bueller’s Day Off' was about a teen who takes a day off from school. The sequel would follow Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) as an adult, trying to take a day off work. The death of director John Hughes in 2009 dictated the end of the project for good.

'Con Airport'

The movie title may sound like a joke, but the idea was pretty serious. Thus far, however, it hasn't happened.

'World War Z 2'

David Fincher was supposed to direct the sequel to the zombie movie starring Brad Pitt. Unfortunately, he dropped the project due to other commitments, and the movie was put on hold following the Chinese ban on zombie movies.

'Casablanca 2: Return to Casablanca'

A sequel to this Hollywood classic nearly got made in the '80s. Howard Koch's story followed Richard, the illegitimate child of Rick (Humphrey Bogart) and Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), on a journey to locate his biological father. In 2012 the script resurfaced again, and, again, the studios didn't make the movie.

'L.A. Confidential 2'

The original movie was a big hit, and the sequel would be set in the '70s and revolve around the theme of police corruption. Unfortunately, screenwriter Brian Helgeland saw the project be rejected by Warner Bros.

'Catwoman'

After 1992s' 'Batman Returns,' Tim Burton teamed up with screenwriter Daniel Waters to bring Michelle Pfeiffer's character back to life as the protagonist. But Warner Bros. weren't on board with the idea of a female lead. A not-so-successful version starring Halle Berry was eventually made in 2004.

'The Mummy: Rise of the Aztec'

This was supposed to be the fourth installment of the franchise. The story would follow Rick O'Connell (Brendan Fraser) on a mission to find an Aztec mummy (Antonio Banderas).

'Rambo 5'

There was another sequel planned before 'Rambo: Last Blood' came out in 2019. Back in 2009, Stallone revealed that the sequel's plot saw Rambo tracking down a super soldier. This was too much of a departure from the other movies though, so it was scrapped.

'Ghostbusters III: Hellbent'

A third installment of the franchise would have seen the crew crossing to another dimension through a portal into ManHellton, where they would fight an evil businessman. But Bill Murray wasn't convinced, so the movie was scrapped.

'Airplane III'

The first 'Airplane' movie was a hit, but 1982's 'Airplane II: The Sequel' not so much. There were plans for a third movie, but the studios pulled the plug. We can only imagine how hilarious it would have been!

'Superman Lives'

Tim Burton was supposed to direct this movie starring Nicolas Cage as Superman, but it was just too expensive and Warner Bros. pulled the plug. Cage still got paid for it, though.

'The Bodyguard 2'

Believe it or not, the sequel to the 1992 blockbuster was supposed to star Diana, Princess of Wales. Lady Di would play a fictional version of herself, and Kevin Costner's character would be protecting her from stalkers and paparazzi (sounds familiar, right?). Sadly, Diana died in 1997, before the movie could be made.

'Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash'

In 2003, we saw 'Freddy vs. Jason' hit the big screen, so why not add another horror movie character for a sequel? Ash of 'Evil Dead' (1981) fame would fit right in. Sadly, the 'Evil Dead' producers refused to sign off the rights to use the character.