Hollywood is currently a big fan of making sequels and 2018 isn't going to see that trend slow down. Not in the slightest bit. Some of the biggest franchises on the planet are going to be getting new installments over the next year, with others entering into sequel territory for the first time. No matter what the case, there are plenty of sequels to look forward to over the next 12 months.
Just like in 2017, the sequels coming out in 2018 absolutely offer something for everyone. There are plenty of horror offerings, superhero showdowns and family-friendly affairs coming out throughout the entire year that makes it so you'll hardly have a weekend at the movies without a big sequel arriving. At one point in time, a sequel was something of a rare event, relatively speaking. That is no longer the case.
There are certainly plenty of very promising sequels coming in 2018, but we can't promise that they'll all be good. However, we can promise that all of these movies give moviegoers at least a reason or two to be excited. Or at the very least, make them worth having on your radar. With that, here are the 21 sequels you should be looking forward to in 2018.
21 Insidious: The Last Key (January 5)
The Insidious franchise started out with one of the most genuinely terrifying horror movies in recent memory from director James Wan. The series has lost its way a bit, but it looks to get back on track with some big scares in Insidious: The Last Key. The sequel sees franchise mainstay Lin Shaye back to fight the paranormal in The Further. Only this time, she's doing so in her own house to protect her own family. This sequel also features a new director for the franchise, with The Taking of Deborah Logan helmer Adam Robitel stepping in for this latest entry. Some new blood could be a very good thing, especially with Wan still on board as a producer. If you're looking to get scared early on in 2018, Insidious 4 may very well do the trick. Insidious: The Last Key is set for release on January 5.
20 Paddington 2 (January 12)
It may sound crazy to those who haven't seen the first Paddington, but Paddington 2 is definitely a movie you should have on your radar, if you don't already. The first movie flew very under-the-radar but wound up being a truly hidden treasure from 2015. Now, Paddington 2 looks to avoid the sequel curse with a really interesting cast that includes Sally Hawkins, Hugh Grant and Brendan Gleeson. The sequel finds the beloved bear, once again voiced by Ben Whishaw, on the wrong side of the law and doing his best to clear his name. It also doesn't hurt that director Paul King is back for this new movie. Don't believe the hype about a movie centered on a bear in a raincoat? Paddington 2, as of this writing, has a truly impressive 100 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. If you haven't already, now might be a good time to watch the first movie so you can prepare yourself for the sequel, which arrives in theaters on January 12.
19 Maze Runner: The Death Cure (January 26)
At the end of the day, we're probably not going to put Maze Runner on the pantheon of great trilogies, but these haven't been bad so far, as young adult adaptations go. Granted, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials was not a step in the right direction, but the third time's a charm, as they so. That brings us to Maze Runner: The Death Cure. This is going to serve as the conclusion to the Maze Runner saga and looks like an action-packed, emotional affair. The studio had a lot of trouble getting this movie made, as star Dylan O'Brien was injured badly while filming. But he made a full recovery and, based on the action set pieces we've seen in the trailers, it looks like he's doing just fine. Will this serve as a satisfying end to the trilogy? One can hope. This could well be one of the first blockbusters worth seeing in 2018. Maze Runner: The Death Cure arrives in theaters on January 26.
18 Strangers: Prey at Night (March 9)
As far as home invasion horror goes, The Strangers is pretty solid. Considering the fact that the movie did quite well at the box office in 2008, it's hard to imagine it's taken this long to get a sequel. But a sequel is finally on the way in the form of Strangers: Prey at Night. The movie brings in some new blood, in the form of Christina Hendricks and Bailee Madison, who lead the new cast. Though, the killers look very much the same and are up to no good, just as horror fans would expect. Speaking of new blood, Bryan Bertino is not returning to direct Strangers: Prey at Night, but he did co-write the screenplay. Instead, it's Johannes Roberts (47 Meters Down) who is going to try and make this long-awaited sequel worth the wait. The footage released so far is promising. Let's hope the movie is as good as the trailer. Strangers: Prey at Night hits theaters on March 9.
17 Pacific Rim: Uprising (March 23)
Who doesn't enjoy watching giant monsters fighting giant robots? Pacific Rim gave audiences just that in a big way in what is, quite arguably, one of Guillermo Del Toro's best movies when it was released in 2013. It's been a few years, but Pacific Rim 2, officially titled Pacific Rim: Uprising is finally happening. There's a largely new cast for this installment, led by John Boyega, who's playing the son of Idris Elba's character, Stacker Pentecost and Scott Eastwood, who plays a fellow Jaeger pilot. There's also a bunch of new Jaegers and some brand new giant aliens for them to fight. Unfortunately, Del Toro didn't return to the director's chair for this one, but Steven S. DeKnight (Daredevil) makes his blockbuster filmmaking debut with the long-awaited Pacific Rim sequel. If all goes well, this won't be the last movie in the franchise either. Pacific Rim: Uprising is set to arrive in theaters on March 23.
16 Super Troopers 2 (April 20)
Comedy sequels are a very tricky thing. Often times, all they do is managed to disappoint. Anchorman 2: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and Zoolander 2 feel like classic examples of long-awaited sequels that just couldn't come close to capturing the magic of the original. While magic of any kind may be a lofty word for Super Troopers, it's a beloved comedy by many that is finally getting a sequel. Thanks to an incredibly successful crowdfunding campaign, Super Troopers 2 is on the way and coming in 2018. The movie hit several snags during production, but the Broken Lizard gang got back together and this time, they're bringing Rob Lowe, as well as some surprise cameos with them. Could this be one of the rare, great comedy sequels? Meow all we can do is hope. Super Troopers 2, quite appropriately, arrives in theaters on April 20.
15 Avengers: Infinity War (May 4)
It's all been leading to this, Marvel fans. This is what you've been waiting for ever since that first post-credits scene arrived during The Avengers. Thanos is coming to Earth and he's bringing the Infinity Gauntlet with him. He wants those Infinity Stones and he's willing to kill a lot of beings, be it of the human variety or something else entirely to do it. That, among many other things, easily makes Avengers: Infinity War one of the most, if not the single most, anticipated movie of 2018. An entire decade of Marvel Cinematic Universe filmmaking will culminate in this massive event. Buckle up, because this one is going to be nuts. Avengers: Infinity War truly kicks off the summer movie season in a big way on May 4.
14 Deadpool 2 (June1)
While this isn't quite a comedy sequel, it might as well be. After years of Ryan Reynolds trying to make up for his unfortunate turn as the merc with (or without) a mouth in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, he finally got to make Deadpool, which blew away all expectations in 2015. And, not for nothing, but it was a tremendous financial success. So Deadpool 2 is happening and, given how great the first movie was, expectations are high. Can Ryan Reynolds manage to capture lightning in a bottle twice? He's got help with Josh Brolin as fan-favorite mutant Cable, as well as Zazie Beetz as Domino. David Leitch (John Wick) also brings some new blood to the director's chair for this one. The R-rated superhero goodness continues when Deadpool 2 arrives in theaters on June 1.
13 Ocean's 8 (June8)
While the cast and crew working on the movie might take issue with calling it a sequel, Ocean's 8 takes place in the same universe as the Ocean's trilogy. This time, it's Danny Ocean's (George Clooney) sister, played by Sandra Bullock calling the shots with a stellar all-female cast, which includes Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Rihanna, Sarah Paulson and plenty more. The ladies are going to try and pull off a heist at the annual Met Gala and, based on the first trailer, this looks like it could be a ton of fun. Let's just keep our fingers crossed that this is more Ocean's Eleven than it is Ocean's Twelve. Warner Bros. seems to have a lot of confidence in this one, as it's coming out right in the heart of the summer movie season on June 8.
12 The Incredibles 2 (June 15)
Pixar has a slightly hit or miss relationship with sequels, but this one feels like it could be pretty special. Perhaps no movie Pixar has ever produced, or maybe any animated movie ever for that matter, was more deserving of a sequel than The Incredibles. It may have taken a long time, but director Brad Bird and the original cast are finally back for The Incredibles 2. What's perhaps most fantastic is that this one picks up right where the first movie left off. We may not ever get a good Fantastic Four, but getting a great sequel to The Incredibles would be the next best thing, if not a much better thing, for a great many movie fans. You won't have to wait that much longer to see Pixar's super family back on the big screen, as Disney is releasing The Incredibles 2 on June 15.
11 Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (June 22)
The Jurassic Park franchise seemed all but extinct after Jurassic Park III disappointed on just about every level in 2001. However, 2015's Jurassic World proved that audiences still have a massive appetite for dinosaurs on the big screen. So much so that the movie went on to become one of the highest-grossing movies ever at the worldwide box office. As such, Universal wasted no time getting Jurassic World 2, officially titled Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom going. Jeff Goldblum returns as Ian Malcolm for this one, with both Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard reprising their roles from the first Jurassic World. There's a new director calling the shots in the form of J.A. Bayona (A Monster Calls). Get ready to watch a volcano wipe out Isla Nublar, some new dinosaurs and a lot more animatronics when Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom arrives on June 22.
10 Sicario 2: Soldado (June 29)
The first Sicario wound up being one of the best movies of 2015. It also seemed like a very unlikely movie to spawn a franchise. Yet, here we are. The movie made just $84 million worldwide, but that was apparently enough for this sequel to get the green light. Sicario 2: Soldado sees the return of Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro, who looks to be even more unhinged than he was in the first movie, as hard as that may be to believe. Sadly, Emily Blunt couldn't make it back for Sicario 2, but she had her fill of fun, if you can call it that, in the first movie. Denis Villeneuve was a bit too busy directing Blade Runner 2049 to helm the sequel, but Taylor Sheridan did return to pen the screenplay, with Stefano Sollima directing. Sicario 2: Soldado is set to hit theaters on June 29.
9 The Purge: The Island (July 4)
When the first Purge was released, it seemed like the kind of thing that could have gone belly up real quick. Did anyone really see the makings of an incredibly successful franchise here? Yet, three movies later, we're on our way to a sequel/prequel that will tell the tale of one of the first annual Purge nights in The Purge: The Island. While The Purge: Election Night left an awful lot to be desired, the idea of encouraging people to participate in the first Purge with financial incentives sounds like it could be the shot in the arm this horror franchise needs. Blumhouse and Universal are releasing The Purge 4 on on July 4. So you may want to squeeze this in during your holiday weekend.
8 Ant-Man and the Wasp (July 6)
Even though Edgar Wright, who worked on Ant-Man for years before leaving the project just ahead of filming, didn't direct the movie, it wound up being a rather nice surprise for many Marvel fans. Paul Rudd brought something new to the MCU, both in terms of his charisma and character type, as well as his unique hero. With Ant-Man and the Wasp, director Peyton Reed returns with Rudd, in addition to Evangeline Lilly, who will take up the mantle of the Wasp, as teased during the post-credits scene in the first movie. Michael Douglas also returns as Hank Pym, with Michelle Pfeiffer on board to play Janet Van Dyne, the original Wasp. What has been described as Marvel's first romantic comedy has the tough job of following up Avengers: Infinity War on July 6.
7 Mission: Impossible 6 (July 27)
With Mission: Impossible 6, Tom Cruise will have played Ethan Hunt as many times as Sean Connery (in the official James Bond canon) played 007. Even though he's well into his 50s, Cruise has hardly lost a step, despite suffering a pretty serious injury on set while filming this latest Mission: Impossible installment. Despite that, the movie is on track to arrive this summer and, given how great Ghost Protocol and Rogue Nation both were, it's pretty easy to get excited about another Mission: Impossible movie. Especially when Henry Cavill's mustache is along for the ride on this one. Director Christopher McQuarrie's Mission: Impossible 6 is set for release on July 27.
6 The Predator (August 3)
While we still have a lot of questions about what director Shane Black has in store for us with The Predator, this is going to be the first movie in the franchise in nearly a decade. Despite a lot of trying, sequels to the original Predator just haven't managed to capture the magic of that first, perfect action ride. This time around, the Predators are heading to the suburbs to take on some military veterans. That's certainly new territory for the franchise, but will it be a bit too much reinvention? We'll have to wait and see, but The Predator is making its way to theaters on August 3. Good, bad or ugly, this may well be the last Predator movie we ever see, given Disney's purchase of Fox, so this is significant no matter how it turns out.
5 Halloween (October 19)
Who knows if it will be the best sequel of the year, or if it will even be a good sequel, but Halloween may well be the most interesting sequel being released in 2018. This movie brings back Michael Myers for the first time in a long time and it's ignoring every single sequel in the franchise. Yes, even Halloween II, a sequel many people like that picks up right after the events of the first movie. John Carpenter is involved as an executive producer and is even doing the score for the movie, with David Gordon-Green (Pineapple Express) directing from a script he co-wrote with Danny McBride. They may not have a traditional horror resume, but they impressed Blumhouse Productions and managed to convince Jamie Lee Curtis to come back as Laurie Strode one last time. This one will likely be the movie to see during the Halloween season, as it's set to arrive in theaters on October 19.
4 X-Men: Dark Phoenix (November 2)
With Disney's purchase of Fox, the X-Men of old are likely to be on their way out. That means that X-Men: Dark Phoenix could be the last movie to feature the X-Men: First Class cast of mutants. This time around, longtime franchise producer and writer Simon Kinberg is taking another stab at the Dark Phoenix Saga, which was butchered in X-Men: The Last Stand. Bryan Singer seemed a little tired of the mutant world, so it's good to have some new blood behind the camera on this one. But Kindberg isn't an experienced director, so it'll be interesting to see how he manages with this one. Will they get the Dark Phoenix right this time? At the very least, this has to be an improvement over X-Men: Apocalypse. No matter how the chips fall, Fox is releasing X-Men: Dark Phoenix on November 2.
3 Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (November 16)
The Harry Potter universe is alive and well on the big screen, thanks to the very successful Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them. Director David Yates, who directed the final four Harry Potter movies and the first Fantastic Beasts, returns once again for Fantastic Beasts 2, officially titled Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. This time around, we're going to get some young Dumbledore action, with Jude Law portraying the famed wizard. Johnny Depp will be playing Grindelwald, despite some controversy and it looks like we're finally going to see the legendary duel between the two powerful wizards in this movie. J.K. Rowling was heavily involved, as she wrote the script for the sequel, as she did with the first movie. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald will hit theaters on November 16.
2 Creed 2 (November 22)
Ring the bell and let's get ready to rumble once again, as Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) is back for another round. Creed totally reinvented the Rocky franchise for a new generation and now, a sequel is finally on the way. Sylvester Stallone wrote Creed 2 himself and will once again star as Rocky Balboa. This time around, Dolph Lundgren will be back as Ivan Drago, reprising his role from Rocky IV. It looks like we're going to see Adonis duking it out with Drago's son in the sequel. It's going to be tough to top Creed, but never count out the Rocky franchise when it comes to delivering something unexpectedly great. Creed 2 arrives on Thanksgiving Day, November 22.