Sometimes great ideas deserve to be revisited, and fans who have invested in characters love to catch up with them years (and sometimes decades) after they first fell for them. Some movie and TV sequels are delightful, well-done, fascinating, or just plain fun to watch. Consider the best sequels audiences never asked for, and you may find yourself wondering why Hollywood doesn’t make more of them.
The Dark Knight
Heath Ledger’s haunting portrayal of the Joker is what many people remember most aboutThe Dark Knight. Memorable performances fromMichael Caine,Christian Bale,Maggie Gyllenhaal, andMorgan Freemanalso make the film powerful. The 2008 movie is a sequel toChristopher Nolan’s 2005 filmBatman Begins.
The Dark Knighthit theaters across the country on July 31, 2025. Star Heath Ledger had passed away in January of 2008, and it was rumored that he had a hard time shaking the dark role of the Joker in the months before he died. He put his all into the film, and it is an undeniably great sequel.The Dark Knightwas nominated for eight Academy Awards and won two.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Several years before she became a star inCheers,Kirstie Alleymade her film debut inStar Trek II: The Wrath of Khanin 1982. As the sequel toStar Trek: The Motion Picture,Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khanwas credited with renewing public interest in theStar Trekuniverse, and it’s often considered to the best sequel film in the series.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khanis set in the year 2285. Near the start of the film, the Starship USS Enterprise embarks on a rescue mission to save the crew of a ship that’s been destroyed. Unfortunately, it is then attacked and significantly damaged. The story spirals from there, and the deep story is part of what earned it critical praise and commercial success.
Before Sunset
If you like quiet, reflective films, you will probably enjoyBefore Sunset. Like its predecessorBefore Sunrise, which was considered by many to be groundbreaking,Before Sunsettakes place in real time as an American man and a French woman sincerely connect with each other over the course of a single afternoon.
In this 2004 sequel film,Ethan HawkeandJulie Delpyportray characters who reconnect in Paris eight years after they spent a meaningful night together in Vienna. That night was captured in the original filmBefore Sunrise. Hawke and Delpy improvised so much of the dialogue that they were given a screenwriting credit alongside screenwriter and directorRichard Linklater.
The Brady Girls Get Married
The Brady Bunchis a cultural phenomenon and one of the most recognized television shows in pop culture history. Six years after the beloved series came to an end, production started onThe Brady Girls Get Married, a made-for-TV sequel movie that was also the first episode of a sequel series calledThe Brady Brides.
The Brady Girls Get Marriedis truly hilarious. With incredible performances fromJerry Houseras Wally Logan, the husband of Marcia, andRon Kuhlmanas Phillip Covington III, the husband of Jan, the entire cast shines in this 1981 made-for-TV sequel. It follows sisters Marcia and Jan as they plan their double wedding, and shenanigans ensue. It’s the last time the entire cast was together on film. In all future reunions, at least one cast member didn’t participate.
The Crow: City of Angels
Released in 1996,The Crow: City of Angelsis a sequel film to the 1994 movieThe Crow. Tragically, during the making of the original film, an on-set accident with a gun left the movie’s starBrandon Leedead. Perhaps that is one reason why there is a sadness to the already dark film’s sequel.
The Crow: City of Angelsfollows the story of Sarah from the first film. She is now an adult who is portrayed byMia Kirshner. There are many references to the original movie with Sarah seen looking at a ring that Eric Draven, Brandon Lee’s character, gave her several years earlier. The strength of Mia Kirshner’s performance helps the film stand out as a fascinating sequel.
The Evening Star
Tearjerkers aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s hard to not like the authentic, genuinely funny, and yet melancholic filmTerms of Endearment. It even won the Academy Award for Best Picture. Its sequelThe Evening Starunderstandably had a lot to live up to, and it is a good film on its own merits.
WhileThe Evening Starmay not be as charming asTerms of Endearment, it is a good sequel.Shirley MacLainememorably reprises her role as Aurora Greenway in this 1996 film that’s based on the novel byRobert Harling. Just as Aurora was far from a perfect mother in the first film, she struggles as the grandmother who raised her three grandkids after her daughter’s death.
The Empire Strikes Back
Star Warsis such a pop culture phenomenon 42 years after the first film was released that there is an upcoming theme park and an ongoing Disney cruise calledStar WarsDay at Sea for fans.The Empire Strikes Back, which was the first sequel to the original flick, is a very strong sequel starringCarrie Fisher,Mark Hamill, andHarrison Ford.
The Empire Strikes Backwas released to much fanfare when it hit theaters in 1980. It is set three years afterStar Wars, and it stands the test of time as the most critically acclaimed movie of all theStar Warsfilms. It was the highest grossing movie of 1980, and it was honored by the Library of Congress by being selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.
Fuller House
Full Housewas a beloved series of the late 1980s and early 1990s, and it helped launch the very successful careers of child starsMary Kate OlsenandAshley Olsen. When its sequel seriesFuller Housedebuted on Netflix in 2016, fans were extremely enthusiastic in their support.John Stamos, who originally portrayed Uncle Jesse, was a producer of the sequel show.
Although the original show never received an Emmy nomination,Fuller Housewas nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Children’s Program in 2018. This new show followed the adventures of recently widowed D.J. Tanner, her sister Stephanie, and her best friend Kimmy. The other members of the original cast appeared in several episodes. The only cast members who didn’t appear in any episode were Mary Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen, but this became an ongoing joke on the show.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
StarringArnold SchwarzeneggerandLinda Hamilton,Terminator 2: Judgment Dayis more memorable to many fans than the original film. This science fiction action movie follows the ongoing story of Sarah Connor and her ten-year-old son. They live in fear of a new Terminator that is now more advanced and scarier than ever.
This popular sequel movie was a box office smash hit, and it was also critically acclaimed.Terminator 2: Judgment Dayespecially received a lot of praise for its visual effects. It was nominated for six Oscars at the 64th Academy Awards, and it won four of those awards.
Toy Story 3
The characters of Disney’sToy Storyare likely familiar to you even if you’ve never seen the films. That’s how integral Disney films are to pop culture. Even if you’ve never seen the first two films in the series,Toy Story 3is likely to make you fall in love with those original characters who all make touching appearances in this animated tearjerker sequel movie.
InToy Story 3, Andy’s mother accidentally donates his beloved toys to a day care center. Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, Lotso, and their buddies have to learn how to survive in this scary new environment. Don’t doubt that Andy still loves his toys, though, and you’re not likely to get through this 2010 movie without shedding at least a few tears. It’s worth it, though.
