Sometimes one just isn't enough. It's like that with a lot of things, and especially with movies. An original movie can be so good and do so well at the box office, that a sequel is expected or maybe even demanded. However, there have been occasions when the next instalment of a movie doesn't happen right away, but instead takes a very lengthy amount of time to actually get done and make it out into theaters.
Subsequently, the time that is in between the first and movie can have disparate effects when it comes to movie-goers and how they respond. That gap time can be advantageous, allowing filmmakers to really settle in on the story and refine the production to make sure that the follow-up is as good, if not better, than the original. But the counter to that can be that with too much time in between the original movie and the sequel, elements, nuances, even starring actors can be lost. As the saying goes, "time heals all wounds," but what does it do for sequels of movies?
Here are some movie sequels that took over a decade to get made.
10 Finding Dory (2016)
Okay, so animation can take a bit longer to produce than live-action films, so in the case of Finding Dory, a Disney-Pixar movie and sequel to the very popular and successful original, Finding Nemo, it may be more understable. But it wasn't just the animation that slowed the production of the follow-up film, there were several financial matters, including Disney's acquisition of Pixar. Nevertheless, it eventually made to the screen as many wondered where the story would go next. Finding Dory follows a similar formula as its predecessor in that it's a story about finding a familial love one.
However, instead of a father trying to find his wayward son, it is a forgetful daughter attempting to find her estranged family. Dory, as an amnesiac fish, lost her parents years ago, and this film is all about her journey back home to try and find them to finally be reunited with family. Despite taking 13 years to make, Finding Dory was almost as big of a hit as Finding Nemo.
9 Incredibles 2 (2018)
Another animated feature that's a sequel is Incredibles 2. Incredibles 2 is also from Pixar Animation and is the follow up the 2004 original film, Incredibles. Fourteen years later, the second installment of Incredibles came out in theaters and fans of the first movie were ecstatic. While the first movie dealt with Mr. Incredible and his unwillingness to give up being a superhero and how that affected his family, subsequently bringing them into the spotlight with him to save the day, Incredibles 2 deals with the entire family and the fallout that being a superhero has had on society.
In this sequel, the Incredible family is challenged on a personal level as well as a societal, all in an effort to restore the perception of superheroes. Incredibles 2 is a fun ride and because of the time gap beteen the first movie and sequel, exceptionally timely as well.
8 Tron: Legacy (2010)
The idea of big tech and all the potential advancements are the underlining foundation of the story for the 1982 Tron, which helped to make the original movie a hit. The same can be said for the sequel that released into theaters some 28-years later. With better CGI and special effects, Tron: Legacy was able to literally add-on to the legacy of its predecessor. With a strong story that connected back to the original, bringing Kevin Flynn's son, Sam, to the forefront as he makes his way into Grid where he not only finds his lost father but discovers himself in the process as he fights against the maniacle control of the system.
7 Dumb and Dumber To (2014)
Dumb and Dumber To is the sequel to the 1994 Dumb and Dumber starring Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels. Interestingly enough, this sequel is the third movie in the franchise. In 2003, a prequel to the 1994 film was made that chronicled the two characters, Lloyd and Harry, and how they met and became best friends. Dumb and Dumber To follows the exploits of the two best friends after Lloyd pranks Harry about being in a coma for the last 20 years, the same amount of time between the orignial movie and this sequel. In a likened fashion, the movie courses through the insane stupidity and "dumbness" that the beloved yet goofy characters are all about.
6 Blues Brothers 2000 (1998)
Elwood having to venture out on his own without the assistance of his bother Jake aka "Joilet," to recreate the band is the difference between the 1980 hit film and this Blues Brothers sequel. Blue Brothers 2000 follows the story of Elwood, who is just getting out of jail after the exploits from the 1980 film, only to find out that his brother has died. Once again, Elwood is set on reforming the Blues Brothers Band and from there the story follows a similar path except with more exaggerabted hi-jinks and silliness. Unfortunately, the death of John Belushi, Cab Calloway, and John Candy made the return to this story difficult to digest and consequently caused mixed reviews despite the original being so loved.
5 Zoolander 2 (2016)
Despite the original movie being considered a success, especially as a spy-ish comedy with a fashion flare, Zoolander 2 had tremedous difficulty with the audience and was not very well recieved fifteens years later. The sequel finds Ben Stiller's Derek and Owen Wilson's Hansel lured back into modeling only to be caught up in a huge conspiracy. The first installment of Zoolander bolstered a star-studded cast that delivered timely jokes while being caught up in over the top antics and theatrics. As a contrast, the sequel seemed to fall short of its predecessor's luster as it attempted to make more fun of the fashion industry but with less well-received reception from the audience.
4 My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016)
In this sequel, a big fat Portokalos family secert brings everyone back together as another big fat greek wedding takes place. The second installment of the 2002 romantic comedy hit was not as big of a hit as the first one. While many of the characters audiences loved and enjoyed in the first one returned, the focus of this film seemed to lean more towards the comedy side of things than the romantic. Comparatively, it was the combination and balance of both romance and comedy in the first and original film that generated an immense affinity towards it from movie-goers.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 fell a little short in this department as some of the most relatable experiences and parts about family was not nearly as touched on like it was in the first movie. That and less romance made this sequel not quite as good.
3 Mary Poppins Returns (2018)
Several decades after her first visit, the magical nanny herself returns to help Michael's children and the Banks siblings through a very difficult time. Questionably, another Mary Poppins movie may not have been necessary, but what this sequel does provide is a modernization of a fifty-plus year old film, bringing it to the eyes of new generations and with timely music from the one and only Lin-Manuel Miranda, who acts as well as sings in this new musical. While it is not the classic from 1964, Mary Poppins Returns received very good reviews and did exceptionally well at the box office.
2 Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Top Gun: Maverick takes place thirty years after the events in the first movie, Top Gun. And once again, the story follows Tom Cruise's character Maverick as he deals with his past while training a young group of Top Gun graduates and pilots, which includes the son of his desceased best friend, for a potentially dangerous mission. Incredibly, development for this movie began back in 2010 with a script coming to fruition in 2012 .
However, things were put on hold when returning director Tony Scott passed away. Production began again in 2017 and was slated for a 2019 theatrical release but was held up because of the pandemic and subsequent COVID-19 restrictions. Finally, seeing the light of day and releasing in 2022, Top Gun: Maverick jettisoned to success, becoming a box-office hit as the sequel was extremely well received by audiences.
1 Avatar: The Way of the Water (2022)
The original Avatar movie broke box office records worldwide and was revered by many for its amazingly life-like and vivid visual effects. After 13 years, the sequel, Avatar: The Way of the Water, is following a similar course to that of the first movie. An epic science fiction film directed and produced by James Cameron, Avatar: The Way of the Water, centers around Na'vi Jake Sully and his family as they attempt to take refuge in Pandora from a new human threat.
The gap between the first movie and the second, despite James Cameron's intention on making sequels, was due to production and design. Technology needed to be developed in order to capture the never done before underwater scenes and other visuals for the movie. Within that time, the script and other aspects of the film's production were tweaked and worked on. The culmation of that waiting period and time frame brought about the movie and sequel that is presently in theaters.