Sometimes, the people who made the first film didn’t want to get into what can be seen as a bit of a rat race when it comes to making a franchise. Some directors and producers didn’t want the films to become franchises. They felt it was better if they were just one. Of course, times and minds can change and there are still some really good movies out there that should be getting sequels at the very least. There are some that it feels like could be even bigger than that if they were done right. Most of these science fiction movies have stories that don’t quite feel finished. Sometimes, movies that seemed like they could stand alone, end up birthing massive franchises like what’s happened with Terminator and the many directions those films have gone. Certainly, there are others out there that deserve the chance.
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Updated May 23, 2022, by Oliver VanDervoort: It turns out that after further reflection there are just an absolute ton of really good science fiction movies that are being short-changed by not getting series of their own. Considering how trilogies and sequels seem more popular than ever before, there are quite a few more sci-fi films that could definitely benefit if they were able to get a second or third film. These flicks would benefit greatly if audiences could see their original stories continue on or maybe even just take on the same idea with a brand new cast of characters.
Upgrade
Most of the best science fiction movies around are as good as they are because they bring some kind of warning with them. Upgrade brings a couple of different warnings about where technology could eventually take humankind. The story centers around a man who loses his wife after a bunk of attackers kill her. In order to get his revenge on those attackers, he makes a deal with the devil of sorts. He manages to upgrade his body using technology that comes along with Artificial Intelligence. While he’s eventually able to get revenge on the people that ruined his life, he soon finds out that the AI that helps to control his upgrades isn’t always totally on his side.
Upgrade was popular enough when it was released that there have long been calls for a sequel. However, it appears this is one of those really good science fiction films that are just going to stand on their own. It doesn’t appear there’s much interest in continuing the story or even spinning it off and focusing on someone else. It seems like part of the reason that Upgrade isn’t getting a sequel is because it just wasn’t popular enough with audiences. Maybe that could change if it eventually becomes a cult hit.
Inception
Yes, the argument could absolutely be made that the way that Inception ended was the perfect way for that film to come to a conclusion. On the other hand, an Inception 2 could answer the question once and for all as to whether or not the top ever really stopped spinning. Of course, that doesn’t need to be the only reason for there to be a second movie in this franchise.
There’s also the fact that Inception’s world was incredibly interesting and it’s a safe bet there is a fan base that would like to see it one more time. This doesn’t even have to be a situation where they have to “get the band back together” considering how long it came out. Perhaps Inception 2 could feature a new group pulling off a new heist with just some mentions about Leo’s crew.
Hancock
When Hancock was first released, it was a relatively new take on the superhero genre. It turns out that Will Smith’s Hancock was a down-and-out supe who didn’t really know what to do with his powers and usually just caused a ton of damage whenever he showed off what he could do.
Nowadays, this feels an awful lot like the plot of a show like The Boys, though it could be cleaned up and make Hancock 2 continue in the general vein of wanting to be a good guy. Or it could feature yet another god-turned-supe needing to find out why they have powers.
Watchmen
This movie being included as one that needs a sequel or a prequel might be a bit controversial for some who believe that Alan Moore’s work needs to just be left alone in this particular genre. However, it’s hard to argue against the idea that going back into the world of Watchmen and perhaps even in the world of these characters could be very interesting.
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Yes, there was a Watchmen television show that did that to some degree, but a movie that picks up where the first film left off could be quite interesting.
Vivarium
This might be one of the most obscure titles on this list, but Vivarium would definitely be an interesting story to continue on. The movie feels like an episode of The Twilight Zone, where a young couple gets trapped in a neighborhood. While the situation starts out as one heck of a mystery, including a puzzle as to who keeps dropping off food and supplies to the young lovers who slowly lose their minds, it’s eventually shown to be some sort of alien science experiment.
Showing a continuation of what the aliens are doing, or even a deeper dive into what’s going on in the world while this “neighborhood” is being used to test people would be quite interesting for a Vivarium 2.
Ex Machina
Maybe the movie that most needed to at least get a sequel on this list. Ex Machina was one of those films that really put Oscar Isaac on the map because it showed that he can be more than just a wise-cracking rebel fighter pilot in Star Wars. It also better introduced Alicia Vikander to science fiction movie fans as the very alluring android that eventually shows that machines with artificial intelligence might at first be naive, but they can learn and grow and become some impressive villains on their own. That’s one of the reasons why it would be quite interesting to continue the story that unfolds in Ex Machina.
The very pretty android ends up killing one and leaving another to die and then escapes into the real world at the end of the movie. Quite frankly, it seems as if the next film could have almost have had a very strong Westworld vibe, without the theme park. It would have been interesting to see just what happened once something that looked like a human but absolutely wasn’t, got out into the world. Would she have just tried to live her life as though she was a person? It seems unlikely considering how few qualms she had to do whatever was needed to get what she wanted.
Chronicle
Chronicle is one of those sci-fi movies that feels very much like it’s actually got things figured out, as far as how its less realistic elements would actually work. One of those found-footage flicks that have some ultra-realism that comes along with it. There is a bit of a cliffhanger at the end of the first one that seems to hint that a franchise could be on the way. So far, however, that appears to be something that’s being kicked around but hasn’t been made just yet.
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If a Chronicle sequel does come along, it means that it’s likely going to be more than a decade since the original. One has to wonder if that does come to pass if some of these other films might eventually get a long-awaited sequel and franchise as well.
Edge of Tomorrow
Yes, the end of Edge of Tomorrow saw the human race apparently get saved from the time-reversing aliens, it sure seems like there are plenty of stories to still plumb there. That includes where they came from and why they were able to do what they do. It seems like it wouldn’t be hard to make a sequel and then a franchise where they invade again years later, or even when people go and find them on their home planet and take the fight to them.
There are a couple of other interesting characters that could also make a reappearance in another film. Yes, one of the stars of the original said that it’s unlikely that an Edge of Tomorrow 2 is coming, but never say never when it comes to Hollywood.
Serenity
Of all the films on this list, the science fiction film that stands the least amount of chance of ever getting a sequel is likely Serenity. That’s because this film was a way to bring a conclusion to the Firefly Fox series that was incredibly popular among fans but got canceled anyway.
This movie had the crew of the Firefly traveling to the edge of the universe where they discover that the totalitarian government of the future experimented on people and turned them into insane cannibals. The film killed off several of the most beloved characters, which makes it even harder to believe a sequel could ever be in the works, but this movie deserved a franchise.
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