Why So Many Movie Sequels Struggle to Live Up to the Original

Movie sequels are notoriously hard to get right, even if producers are bringing a second part of a beloved story to life. When the first movie in a series comes out, audiences don’t know exactly what to expect. The characters are new, the storyline is fresh, and the story can go in virtually any direction because fans aren’t coming into the theater with preconceived notions. Sequels don’t have that luxury, and that may be why so many movie sequels fail.

By the time the second or even third movie in a franchise arrives, fans already know what they expect. They want something familiar enough to feel like the movie they loved, but different enough that they don't feel like they're watching the same movie again. That natural tension is at least partially responsible for why sequels are so difficult.

A Sequel Has To Be Familiar And New At The Same Time

The basic problem with a sequel sounds incredibly easy until you actually try to solve it. On the surface, it may seem simple to tell another story about familiar characters, but movie storytelling is far more complex than just writing a second chapter. In addition to making sure that the casting choices meet or exceed expectations, the minds behind the sequel also have to make sure that the new story is compelling enough to gain attention without straying too far from what made fans love the story’s first part.

Jennifer Lee, who co-wrote and co-directed “Frozen 2”, described that tension particularly well when discussing the challenge of returning to established characters. She said filmmakers have to take familiar characters “into new places” while making sure those places still feel true to who they are.

The Characters Already Have A History

One of the biggest advantages of making a sequel is also one of the biggest problems. The audience already knows the characters, at least the major ones, and they have certain expectations for them. A sequel that makes drastic changes to a character’s personality will be seen as disrespectful to the character and the audience. However, when there’s no growth in a character, it makes it look like the character didn’t grow in the first film. Finding the balance between keeping things fresh and making sure the characters are familiar is crucial.

A character who is already beloved by millions of people is no longer the property of the writers behind them. Audiences develop their own understanding of that character and have expectations for them. If a sequel changes the character because the sequel needs something a bit different, viewers may reject the change and hate the film.

The Audience Has Changed Too

The best movie sequels appeal to a new audience without forgetting the people who made the first film a success. However, the people who bought tickets to see the first film change by the time the sequel debuts. That doesn’t mean that they won’t love the movie, but it’s important to note that people can change their views, likes, and dislikes between the release of a first film and its sequel.

In some cases, many years pass between films in the same franchise being released. A child who watched the first movie may be an adult by the time the sequel arrives. Someone who saw the first movie as a teen may be an adult with children of their own by the time the sequel drops. Someone who loved a movie in theaters may have watched it dozens of times since then and developed a completely different relationship with it. Recognizing these changes impacts movie storytelling and how characters have to be handled.

Nostalgia Can Help and Hurt a Movie

Nostalgia is one of the biggest drivers behind sequels. Seeing familiar characters, hearing a familiar song from the original soundtrack, or returning to a familiar location can produce an emotional response. The audience doesn’t have to be convinced that the characters and the world they exist in matter, because they decided that years earlier.

One of the most difficult things that filmmakers have to consider is how to tap into the power of nostalgia without simply retelling the same story. That’s why nostalgia works best when it supports a new story that’s being told about familiar characters.

The best sequels are those that don’t feel like a copy of the first film while also not straying so far into new territory that they alienate the existing fanbase. While that sounds simple, it’s a much more complicated concept than many people realize.

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