There was a time not all that long ago when one went to see a movie and didn't just assume there would be a sequel to said movie in the future. However, things have changed. Hollywood has evolved. Franchises and king and there are more sequels now than ever before to movies both big and small. 2019 will be no different, as there are a ton of sequels coming our way to look forward to. Or, at the very least, to be aware of.
Many of the sequels heading our way over the course of the next 12 months are of the comic book movie variety. Marvel Studios isn't slowing down any, as they need to give fans some conclusion after what happened in Infinity War, and Tom Holland's Spider-Man is ready to take an international journey. But M. Night Shyamalan is also bringing us a very non-traditional comic book movie sequel, and let's not forget about the X-Men.
But there is far more coming our way in 2019 as well. Several major animated franchises are coming back to show us what our pets are up to when we're away, and Disney wants to see if they can possibly top a hit like Let It Go. Dragons will be trained and LEGO shenanigans will be plentiful. Woody and Buzz are back! We've also got horror galore, with Pennywise coming back for round two, a not so happy second day involving death and several more meters of shark violence, of the down variety coming down the pipeline.
That's not enough for you? Well, we've also got two different Johns, both Rambo and Wick, heading back to the big screen to add to their already impressive body counts. Godzilla is finally coming back to cement his place as the rightful king of the monsters and the Terminator, as has always been promised, will be back. To boot, we've got a new man and woman in black taking down aliens all over the world.
Point being, there are a ton of sequels of every sort, shape and size for every kind of movie lover coming out this year. From the biggest of the big to the smallest of the small and everything in between, we've got you covered. Without further adieu, here are 25 sequels coming our way in 2019.
25 Rambo: Last Blood - TBD
Sylvester Stallone will always first and foremost be associated with Rocky Balboa. That said, the character of John Rambo, whom we first met in the classic First Blood, is a close second. Stallone is now set to revisit that particular character for the first time in more than a decade in Rambo: Last Blood. This time around, John Rambo is taking on the Mexican cartel and, as the title implies, this is going to be a swan song for the character. At least as far as Stallone's time with the franchise is concerned. Adrian Grunberg directs.
24 Glass - January 18
It's all led to this. Movie buffs have been dying for a proper sequel to Unbreakable for years and now M. Night Shyamalan is finally giving it to us. Following the success of Split, which was a surprise sequel of sorts to Unbreakable, Shyamalan quickly got to work on Glass, which brings back Samuel L. Jackson and Bruce Willis as Elijah Price, aka Mr. Glass, and David Dunn respectively, to meet up with James McAvoy's The Beast. There are a lot of comic book movies coming out in 2019, but by some measures, this could be the most highly-anticipated and most unique of them all.
23 The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part - February 8
It's pretty fair to say that most of us thought the first LEGO movie was going to be a cute gimmick at best. What it wound up being was one of the most pleasantly surprising animated movies to come our way in a long time. Following a pair of spin-offs, The LEGO Batman Movie and The LEGO Ninjago Movie, we're finally getting a proper sequel with The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part, which is going all in with a Mad Max style, post-apocalyptic wasteland setting. We're also getting Chris Pratt in two different roles, with Emmet and his new character, Rex Dangervest, an amalgam of several of his other characters in other franchises. If this is as good as its predecessor, we should be in for a treat.
22 Happy Death Day 2U - February 14
The horror version of Groundhog Day wound up being far better than many of us might have expected and now, we're getting what looks to be an absolutely wild sequel in the form of Happy Death Day 2U. Horror sequels are very much a hit/miss game and, in this case, it seems like the creative team is just going for full-on crazy, which could pay off, as this franchise is already dealing with a pretty out there premise to begin with. Why not spend Valentine's Day with a loved one while watching a time loop murder fest? Christopher Landen is back in the director's chair for this one, with stars Jessica Rothe, and Israel Broussard returning as well.
21 How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World - February 22
Toothless and Hiccup are back for a third and final ride this year with How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. This has been an extremely successful franchise, both critically and commercially speaking for DreamWorks, but all good things must come to an end. However, this looks like it's going to be a truly epic conclusion to what has already been a pretty amazing journey. The entire core voice cast is back, save for T.J. Miller, with Dean DeBlois once again in the director's chair.
20 Avengers: Endgame - April 26
It doesn't get much bigger than this. Given what happened at the end of Infinity War, it's not a stretch to say that Avengers: Endgame is the most highly-anticipated sequel of 2019. The remaining heroes must band together to undo the damage caused by Thanos' deadly finger snap. Joe Russo and Anthony Russo are back at the helm to finish what they started in what will effectively end a very long arc that spans more than twenty movies, multiple franchises and more than a decade. Bring the tissues, Marvel fans. This one is going to be intense.
19 A Dog's Way Home - May 17
While not embraced by critics, and despite controversy in regards to how dogs were treated on set, A Dog's Purpose wound up being a huge hit, grossing more than $200 million worldwide in 2017. So, we're getting a follow-up in the form of A Dog's Journey in 2019. We will similarly find a dog who spends time with several different humans and finds meaning in his life. Gail Mancuso directs this time around with a cast that includes Dennis Quaid, Betty Gilpin, Abby Ryder Fortson and Josh Gad as the voice of the dog Bailey. If nothing else, it works as pretty strong counterprogramming for our next entry.
18 John Wick: Chapter 3 - May 17
The first John Wick came out of virtually nowhere to smack us all right in the face with one of the most intense action movies of the modern era. Now, Keanu Reeves is coming back for a third installment in John Wick: Chapter 3, which brings in several newcomers, including Halle Berry, for what we can only hope will be the conclusion to a great trilogy. Director Chad Stahelski, who co-directed the first installment with David Leitch and flew solo on Chapter 2, has promised an increase body count so, at the very least, we're going to see Reeves doing some serious damage again. Visually, these movies simply can't be a letdown.
17 Godzilla: King of the Monsters - May 31
It's been nearly five years since director Gareth Edwards brought us a new American version of Godzilla to the big screen. Those years haven't gone to waste, as Michael Dougherty (Krampus) has been busy resurrecting Rodan, King Ghidorah and Mothra for an epic showdown that we'll be able to witness in Godzilla: King of the Monsters. This isn't going to be another subverted take on the monster movie genre. This is going to be a straight-up, monster-filled, duke it out, destruction-heavy brawl. If there is one sequel that seems as though it may have an impossible time disappointing us in 2019, it's this.
16 The Secret Life of Pets 2 - June 7
Illumination has become a dominant force in the world of animated movies and the first Secret Life of Pets was an unexpectedly massive success, bringing in $875 million worldwide. As such, The Secret Life of Pets 2 is coming our way in 2019, with some familiar faces returning, but new voices also coming on board. Louis C.K. is being replaced by Patton Oswalt as Max, with Harrison Ford also joining the cast in his first ever voice role in an animated movie. Chris Renaud returns to the director's chair for this one, with Minions writer Brian Lynch penning the screenplay.
15 X-Men: Dark Phoenix - June 7
The X-Men franchise has been going strong (or at least going, sometimes maybe not so strong) since 2000 and is largely responsible for the modern era of comic book movies were living in. But all good things must end and, with the Disney purchase of Fox looming, it looks like Dark Phoenix will be the final movie in this particular version of the franchise. But we're going to see one of the most beloved Marvel Comics stories of all time adapted for the big screen, hopefully in a version that will make up for the sins of The Last Stand. Longtime series writer/producer Simon Kinberg makes his directorial debut here with the core, younger cast returning from Apocalypse.
14 Men in Black: International - June 14
The men (and in this case women) in black are back for another go at fighting aliens on Earth, unbeknownst to the planet's natural inhabitants. Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith have retired as agents J and K, but Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson, who reunite after a very memorable team-up in Thor: Ragnarok, are our new duo in Men in Black: International, which takes the action overseas and also features Liam Neeson in a lead role. F. Gary Gray, the man behind Straight Outta Compton and The Fate of the Furious is at the helm for this sequel/reboot.
13 Shaft - June 14
That whole idea that legends never die is just as true for Shaft as it is for anything else. This is a franchise that has endured now for more than four decades and, with any luck, this latest movie will bring the icon back for a new generation. This time around, Samuel L. Jackson returns to reprise his role from the 2000 movie, with Richard Roundtree once again back as the original Shaft. They're joined by Jessie T. Usher as Jackson's estranged son, who looks to pick up the family mantle. Tim Story directs, with X-Men: Apocalypse star Alexandra Shipp also set to star.
12 Toy Story 4 - June 21
For many, Toy Story 3 felt like the perfect way to wrap up Pixar's first franchise. But money talks and Disney loves money more than any other studio out there. So, we're getting Toy Story 4 whether we like it or not. This time around, Woody, Buzz and the gang will be making their way to a carnival, where we'll meet some new faces such as Forky and the duo of Ducky and Bunny, as voiced by comedy duo Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele. Josh Cooley takes over as director of the franchise, in place of John Lassetter who, in light of recent controversies, is no longer working with Pixar in any meaningful way. Hopefully, this movie will wind up being more than a cash grab and won't undo the excellence that was accomplished in the last outing.
11 47 Meters Down: Uncaged - June 28
There are some great shark movies out there, with Jaws and, in a very different way, Deep Blue Sea coming to mind. But there aren't so many great shark movie sequels out there. Can 47 Meters Down: Uncaged be the exception to the rule? The first movie wound up being a surprise hit at the box office and Johannes Roberts is back in the director's chair for the follow-up. This time around, he's bringing a pair of daughters from very famous stars along for the ride in the form of Corinne Foxx, daughter of Jamie Foxx, and Sistine Rose Stallone, daughter of Sylvester Stallone. That alone should make this pretty interesting.
10 Annabelle 3 - July 3
James Wan gave horror lovers one of the great modern movies in the genre with The Conjuring. He also birthed an entire cinematic universe that has become one of the most reliable properties at the box office over the last handful of years. Next up is Annabelle 3, which sees screenwriter Gary Dauberman making his directorial debut. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga return as Ed and Lorraine Warren in what is being described as a horror version of Night at the Museum. Given how good Annabelle: Creation was when compared to its predecessor, this should be one for horror fans to mark down on their calendars.
9 Spider-Man: Far from Home - July 5
After The Amazing Spider-Man reboot failed to do what Sony needed it to do, the path was carved out for everyone's favorite webslinging hero to finally make his way to the Marvel Cinematic Universe alongside the rest of the Avengers. Homecoming proved to be a satisfying start to this new Peter Parker's journey and Tom Holland will be back in Spider-Man: Far From Home. This time, Spidey is heading overseas for the first time in the history of the franchise and fan-favorite villain Mysterio, as portrayed by Jake Gyllenhaal, is finally making his way to the big screen. Jon Watts is back to direct the sequel, which has the dubious honor of being the first MCU movie to come out after Avengers: Endgame. No pressure.
8 The Angry Birds Movie 2 - August 16
Video game movies have always been a tricky thing in Hollywood. While many moviegoers may not have adored the first movie in this franchise, it did more than well enough to justify The Angry Birds Movie 2. And, when looked at as a kid's movie, the first entry was mostly harmless and not altogether terrible. Will the sequel be able to improve upon its predecessor and be able to deliver something a bit more universally enjoyable? Probably not, but it's happening anyway. Thurop Van Orman is in the director's chair for the sequel.
7 IT: Chapter 2 - September 6
IT not only defied expectations; it went on to become the highest-grossing horror movie of all time. So, to say that expectations are high for IT: Chapter 2 would be an understatement. The adult version of the Losers Club, which includes James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, Bill Hader, James Ransone, Jay Ryan, Andy Bean and Isaiah Mustafa, is heading back to Derry to finish what they started with Pennywise 27 years after the events of the first movie. Andy Muschietti returns to the director's chair to brings us what is probably the most highly-anticipated non-superhero-related sequel of the year.
6 Zombieland 2 - October 11
It's taken an entire decade to make it happen, but we're finally getting a sequel to one of the best horror comedies ever made with Zombieland 2. The entire original team is back, with Deadpool writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick penning the screenplay and Ruben Fleischer, hot off of Venom, back in the director's chair. On screen, Emma Stone, Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson and Abigail Breslin are all back as well to show us what the world looks like more than a decade into the zombie apocalypse. The real question is, can they possibly top that amazing Bill Murray cameo?