From dystopian futures to space adventures, some incredible sci-fi films never got the follow-ups they deserved. Join us as we explore the most promising standalone movies that left us wanting more! Our selection includes groundbreaking visual effects, compelling storylines, and unforgettable characters that deserve another chapter.
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00:00State your business.
00:02I'm here to register as a hunter warrior.
00:04Welcome to WatchMojo.
00:06And today we're looking at sci-fi films that deserve a sequel but, as of writing, have yet to receive one.
00:13You're a good man, Cage. I wish I had the chance to know you better.
00:20Number 10. Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.
00:24What is it?
00:25It's a mobile airstrip.
00:27Dex had a hand in designing it.
00:29It's kind of a secret. You can keep a secret.
00:32With his feature directorial debut, Kerry Conran paid homage to classic serials, pulp magazines, and golden age comics.
00:40It might have been a throwback, but Sky Captain created a world of its own that was simultaneously retro and futuristic.
00:49The film was also ahead of the curve, being one of the first films to fully embrace the idea of a digital backlot.
00:56He's really unbelievably creative and has just amazing things going on in his brain.
01:03It's amazing now looking at the finished film to really appreciate and to see what they did.
01:13Nowadays, too many productions over rely on Chroma King.
01:17Where most of those films try to achieve realism, Sky Captain took a stylistic approach.
01:24After a while, we forgot about the blue screen, escaping into this enchanting world with these immensely likable characters.
01:32I have been witness to a world consumed by hatred and bent on self-destruction.
01:38Watched as we have taken what comes to be a paradise and failed in our responsibilities as its steward.
01:45I know now that the course the human race has set for itself cannot be changed.
01:51Although Conran hasn't directed another movie in over 20 years, we'd love for Sky Captain to get back into the cockpit.
01:58We sent that footage back to America immediately, so within a couple weeks, we actually had Sky Captain's office composited in London.
02:05And when they saw that, they were blown away that they were acting in a blue room, and now they were in an office, which is pretty amazing.
02:12Number 9.
02:13District 9
02:15For a project that started as a failed attempt to make a Halo movie, District 9 exceeded every expectation, even getting a Best Picture nomination.
02:25Always hold your badge up.
02:26Hello, hello, hello, hello, hello.
02:29Okay, this is Vikas van der Merwe from Amy & You.
02:33And we are yet to serve you an eviction notice.
02:35You just put your skull in there.
02:37While the central themes might sound familiar, Neil Blomkamp's film took a unique approach with a mix of found footage, body horror, and sci-fi that continues to mirror reality.
02:48Some may argue the film's bleak yet hopeful ending was perfectly open-ended.
02:54Everybody wants to know what's going to happen next.
02:57There's no way of knowing whether or not Christopher Johnson will return.
03:00We don't know if he was simply escaping, whether he will effect a rescue plan.
03:04And, as the so-called free press says, whether or not he will come back and declare war on us.
03:13A sequel could leave certain elements ambiguous.
03:16We don't need to see the prawn's homeworld, for example.
03:19Given the current state of our world, though, we feel there's even more to say about segregation and xenophobia now.
03:26Blomkamp has been teasing the possibility of District 10 for years, but we're still waiting like Vegas.
03:33Yeah, I would love to do it.
03:35I know Neil would love to do it.
03:36I think it's just going to come down to a timing thing as to when that's actually possible, you know, based on when Neil is ready to come back to that world.
03:43Number 8.
03:45The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension
03:50If that title didn't clue you in, Buckaroo Banzai is a wild experience.
03:55Not everyone will understand what's going on, but when you have Peter Weller singing John Lithgow at his most extra and Jeff Goldblum dressed as a cowboy, does that matter?
04:14Whether the plot is too smart for normies or completely nonsensical, nobody acts like they're in the cheesy B-movie this could have been.
04:23I'm not worth it, Buckaroo! Forget about me!
04:25They'll never break me!
04:26Never!
04:27Penny, get off the phone.
04:29Dr. Lozaro?
04:30Really?
04:31What does she know about her thruster?
04:32She's not a scientist.
04:33Then shall we pay a penny for your thoughts?
04:37They're fully committed, especially Weller as the titular medical expert slash rock star slash action hero.
04:44Although too out there to ever be profitable at the box office, Buckaroo Banzai had cult classic written all over it.
04:53As far as sequels go, E.M. Rausch's book is probably the closest we'll ever get to Buckaroo Banzai against the World Crime League.
05:02I read this and said, I want nothing to do with this. I don't understand this at all. This is insane. And these guys begged to meet with me.
05:12You just knew this was going to be, I want to work with these people. And they have something really special in mind.
05:19Number 7. Galaxy Quest.
05:22Who says a parody slash homage can't outshine the genuine artifact?
05:28You may be surprised to learn how many fans not only consider Galaxy Quest to be a Star Trek movie, but one of their favorites.
05:36You guys want to go home? Say the word, we'll go home. Pay our bills, feed our fish, fall asleep in front of the TV, and miss out on all of this. Come on. You guys want to do that? Anybody? Gwen, come on. Think about it. Look at where we are. We're in space. Alexander, this is the role of a lifetime.
05:55Seeing how there have been several Star Trek movies and shows since 1999, there's plenty of new material for Galaxy Quest 2 to satirize while expanding on its own lore. Over the years, people have tried to get a sequel or streaming series off the ground. Each attempt has faced hurdles, including Alan Rickman's death.
06:16I have studied your missions extensively. Though I am Thermian, I have lived my life by your philosophy, by the code of the Mactar.
06:24Oh, good. That's very nice.
06:27By Grabthar's hammer, Dr. Lazarus. Don't do that. I'm not kidding.
06:31I'm sorry, sir. I was only… Just don't.
06:33Most recently, Simon Pegg has been attached to a potential Paramount Plus series. Still, we'd love to see the original cast back on the big screen. Rickman's spirit can also live on.
06:45In a sequel.
06:46I get to kiss Sigourney Weaver a lot. It's my romantic interest. We have an old love affair that gets rekindled because I become a hero. We all become heroes. In a very unusual way.
06:57Number six. Spaceballs. Spaceballs 2, the search for more money.
07:02I wonder, will we ever see each other again? Who knows? God willing, we'll all meet again in Spaceballs 2, the search for more money.
07:11It might have been a throwaway joke in 1987, but between the prequels, sequels, and Disneyfication of Star Wars, there's never been a higher demand for more Spaceballs among its dedicated following.
07:24At the same time, a sequel would be tricky to get right.
07:28John Candy is no longer with us, and Rick Moranis rarely accepts new projects. Although he did voice Dark Helmet in an episode of The Goldbergs.
07:38What's this?
07:39Uh, nothing.
07:40Spaceballs 2.
07:41Oh, it's just a little script I'm noodling with. It's stupid. Actually, I'm super proud of it. Read it if you want, I don't care. You know what? I'd love to act it out for you. And so Pizza the Hut says,
07:51Dark Helmet wins the intergalactic ski race, and I'm like, you know it.
07:55Josh Gad is currently developing a sequel with Mel Brooks attached, but it remains unclear if anything will come of this.
08:02Josh wrote, just handed in a film script that I think may be the funniest and best thing I've ever worked on. I'm so freaking excited.
08:09If a sequel finally happens, there's not only room for more money, but more merchandising as well.
08:15Whatever awaits, it's gotta be better than the animated series.
08:20I thought that was just an onion ring.
08:21Just an onion ring, you pea-brained numbskull. That was THE onion ring.
08:26Number 5.
08:27The Fifth Element
08:29The Sixth Element?
08:30Come on, the title is right there. We can't think of another sci-fi adventure quite like this one.
08:36The tone is goofy while still taking itself seriously. The story is complex, but the characters are simple, and its vision of the future is
08:45vibrant despite possessing a gritty edge.
08:48Don't shoot! Don't shoot! Don't shoot! I'm not armed!
08:52Although a sequel was rumored at one point, director Luc Besson quickly shot down the idea.
08:58The special effect was from another age, and I had to lock my camera for eight hours, and I couldn't come in the set, and it was really painful, in fact, for me.
09:09Even if Besson wanted to produce a follow-up, he'd probably have to finance it himself with his recent sexual assault scandal inclined to alienate studios and investors.
09:20There's also the sad fact that Bruce Willis is retired. Maybe it's for the best that The Fifth Element remains an anomaly, but we'll always wonder what might have been.
09:30A multipass. She knows it's a multipass. Lila Dallas, my wife. We're newlyweds. Just met. You know how it is. Bump into each other. Sparks happen. Yeah, she knows it's a multipass. Anyway, we're in love.
09:41Number 4. Battle Angel
09:44As far as live-action adaptations of manga and Japanese animation go, Alita is arguably the gold standard by a wide margin.
09:55Robert Rodriguez's film is a visual marvel, but the heroine at its core is what makes the story so involving.
10:02We don't belong anywhere except together. You'll always be running. Together. Come with me. Please.
10:20Since Alita is brought to life through motion capture, Rosa Salazar can still portray the character even if it takes 10 or 20 years to get the sequel going. The same logic applied to the Avatar franchise.
10:33That said, can we please prioritize this for sooner? Rodriguez and James Cameron are keen on continuing Alita's story and hopefully more than one follow-up.
10:44So when you walk out of here, the factory won't stop you. This time.
10:50I don't need your permission to live.
10:53Until Disney commits to an official release date, it will be up to the Alita Army to keep the proposed sequel alive.
11:00People are like screaming for the sequel and the Alita Army.
11:03I'm screaming for it.
11:04I know.
11:05What's going on? Why are they leaving?
11:07Because Disney bought it and it was a 20th Century Fox thing.
11:10And, you know, with the merger.
11:12Such a shame.
11:13It just is what it is.
11:14Number 3.
11:15Edge of Tomorrow
11:16Come on!
11:18This ship is going to explode!
11:21What are you doing?
11:23Find me when you wake up.
11:24Maybe it was because of the advertising, which failed to do the Independence Day meets Groundhog Day premise justice.
11:31Maybe it was because of the inspired title, which was retroactively changed on home media.
11:37Seemingly a trend with Tom Cruise movies.
11:40In any case, everyone who watches Edge of Tomorrow says the same thing.
11:45This deserved to do better in theaters.
11:47And the Omega has the ability to control time.
11:52Whenever an Alpha is killed, an automatic response is triggered.
11:57The Omega starts the day over again.
12:00But you see, this time, it can remember what's going to happen just like you do.
12:05That's not to say it bombed.
12:07Thanks to positive word of mouth, Doug Liman's film had legs.
12:11But not to the point Warner Bros. mandated a sequel.
12:15The cast and crew have repeatedly teased a follow-up, as well as a TV spinoff.
12:20I think if we're going to do one, we would have to reimagine what the sequel would look like, you know.
12:25And now Tom's in business with Warner Bros.
12:28It feels like there's more.
12:29It feels like it could be good.
12:30Alas, for more than a decade now, it's felt like we've been living in a time loop, with little progress being made.
12:38Number 2.
12:39Serenity
12:40This is the captain.
12:41We have a little problem with our entry sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and then explode.
12:47You might say that Firefly was like Star Trek for the early 2000s.
12:52Both shows had short runs, but passionate fanbases brought their crews to the big screen.
12:58Of course, Star Trek got three seasons, with new movies still being made.
13:02Firefly barely received one season.
13:05Serenity is currently the franchise's only feature release, despite Joss Whedon's hope it could lead to more.
13:12Love keeps her in the air when she'll fall down.
13:15Tells you she's hurt and force the kings.
13:19Makes her own.
13:21Although this universe has been expanded upon through books and comics, the stars simply
13:28never aligned for a Serenity sequel or TV continuation.
13:32Given the current state of Whedon's career and reputation, we don't see that changing anytime
13:37soon.
13:38With more browncoats rising up every year though, a theatrical Firefly movie seems more marketable
13:44now than it would have been in 2005.
13:47And has he ever hinted about doing one of these projects again?
13:50Nathan!
13:51Nathan!
13:52I mean-
13:53How do you feel about, uh-
13:54We talk, we joke, we fantasize.
13:57If I say anything too solid, it'll go crazy.
14:00I mean, I hate being responsible for that crap.
14:03Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
14:07Dark City.
14:08A cinematic locale that warrants further exploration.
14:12You'll allow yourself to surrender, Mr. Murder.
14:15Or to result in this one's death.
14:16Yes.
14:17What do I care?
14:18The Rocketeer.
14:19The return of The Rocketeer must take flight.
14:22You treat her nice, Clifford.
14:24She's gonna take us all the way to the Nationals.
14:27Let's make some history.
14:30Upgrade.
14:31Be it a sequel or TV series, just give us more Stem.
14:34Please don't get up, please don't get up, please.
14:37Stay down, man.
14:38Stem, he's got a knife!
14:41Stem!
14:42I can see that.
14:43We have a knife too.
14:45Time Crimes.
14:46While the movie comes full circle, the premise could work as an anthology.
14:50I need help.
14:51A man is following me.
14:52He wants to kill me.
14:53I've jumped on the beach and I've entered.
14:55How did you say that you've jumped on the beach?
14:57But let's see.
14:58What's happened?
14:59I hurt my arm.
15:00I've been running until here.
15:01And yes, I've seen the door closed.
15:03But...
15:04What is that?
15:05The Last Starfighter.
15:10Must the first one also be the last?
15:13Time to leave, Alex.
15:15Alex?
15:16I have to, Ma.
15:18They need me up there.
15:20Oh, Alex.
15:21I always knew you'd leave someday, but I never expected this.
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15:40Number 1.
15:42Dread
15:43Following the disappointing Sylvester Stallone picture, Dread committed to a more faithful
15:47version of the comic book character.
15:50Not only was it given a hard R rating, but Carl Urban wore the helmet for the film's entirety.
15:56Think about how rare that is for a mainstream movie with a bankable star.
16:00Your pursuit resolved.
16:02Affirmative.
16:03Dread remains a rarity as we've yet to get a sequel or the TV series that's been suggested.
16:10This isn't surprising given the box office returns, but a final judgment hasn't been set
16:15in stone.
16:16So for Dread 2, two things need to happen.
16:18One, all the distributors from the major territories need to reacquire the film.
16:22Two, we need to get a US distributor.
16:24Lionsgate or someone else.
16:26And that's something I'm not really that concerned about.
16:28The biggest problem in the D plus I plus S formula is I.
16:31At its previous budget level, Dread lost almost every distributor money.
16:34As the movie's ending reminds us, the past 95 minutes might have been brutal,
16:39but they were primarily contained to just one building.
16:42There are countless other locations, characters, and crimes in Mega City 1 that can still be explored.
16:48800 million people living in the ruin of the old world and the megastructures of the new one.
16:55Only one thing fighting for order in the chaos.
17:00Judges.
17:02Which sci-fi movie do you want a sequel to?
17:07Are there any you think should be left alone?
17:09Let us know in the comments.
17:11You told Drew, I just did not want to make a sequel.
17:15I flirted with it for a little bit, just a little bit to see if I could maybe think of a story.
17:18But continuing, I have no intention ever of seeing E.T. anywhere outside of this proscenium.
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17:41See you next time.
17:42Bye.