The Sequels Movie Bracket
Is one the loneliest number? Hollywood certainly seems to think so. A movie without a franchise has become a rarity. In the current state of the cinematic universe, the benefits in franchising (known audience, more temporal freedom, multi-film contracts on actors/directors) outweigh the costs (creative bounds, character fatigue). We love our “one and dones” and wish they were on more equal grounds at the box office, but that’s not to say sequels are an inferior form of art. In fact, some of the greatest films of all time are sequels, and we’re pitting them against each other to determine which is the best sequel in the land.
We’ve broken down the sequels into four categories with 16 movies each: 2nd Films, 3rd+ Films, Prequels, and Legacy Sequels. The movies have been seeded by an expert panel of absolute dumb dumbs who were mostly children in the 90’s and still yearn for the days when Blockbuster updated their “New Releases” rack. .
2nd Films are exactly what they sound like, the 2nd film in a franchise unless that 2nd film is a prequel or came out more than 10 years after the original (see Legacy Sequel). Who does Number 2 work for!
3rd+ Films are all films in a franchise that aren’t the 2nd film of the franchise, a prequel, or a legacy sequel.
Prequels are any film made after the original movie in the franchise that take place before the original movie. Some prequels take place decades before the original while others may take place a day before.
Legacy Sequels are any sequels that were released at least 10 years after the movie they are “following” (this is not always the last movie released in the franchise i.e. Star Wars) and uses some of the same characters as its predecessor.
Each day we will allow you (the people) to vote on which sequels are best in a head-to-head March Madness style tournament bracket! Daily voting happens on @TheHalftimeSnack instagram story.
2nd Films
Star Wars: The Empire Strike Back (1980) Directed by: Irvin Kershner, sequel to: “Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope”. Synopsis - A new hope for the galaxy emerges and begins his training with an old, little green dude while an evil empire hunts down rebel forces trying to recruit new members.
Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991) Directed by: James Cameron, sequel to: “The Terminator”. Synopsis - A punk kid is being hunted down by an advanced robot from the future but is also protected by a less-advanced robot from the future and his NOT clinically insane badass mother.
The Dark Knight (2008) Directed by: Christopher Nolan, sequel to: “Batman Begins”. Synopsis - Batman, who has a love/hate relationship with his city, is tasked with protecting the city from a clown whos only modivation is to watch the world burn.
Aliens (1986) Directed by: James Cameron, sequel to: “Alien”. Synopsis - A woman wakes up from a long sleep to find out not much has changed and now she must save a little girl from a whole host of aliens intent on devouring any human in their way.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) Directed by: Peter Jackson, sequel to: “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring”. Synopsis - Two small guys break off from a group of travelers and are joined by creepy guy in an effort to destroy a ring in a volcano while the rest of the group fight a war.
Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004) Directed by: Quentin Tarantino, sequel to: “Kill Bill: Volume 1”. Synopsis - A bride continues on a killing rampage of the assassins who failed to kill her. Meanwhile, she flashes back to samurai training with a wispy bearded man.
The Bourne Supremacy (2004) Directed by: Paul Greengrass, sequel to: “The Bourne Identity”. Synopsis - A guy with a spotty memory is chased by assassins while he tries to remember who he is and why he’s superhuman.
Spider-Man 2 (2004) Directed by: Sam Raimi, sequel to: “Spider-Man”. Synopsis - A young adult with spider powers isn’t sure he wants his powers anymore… until a man with robot octopus arms starts hunting him down.
Toy Story 2 (1999) Directed by: John Lasseter, sequel to: “Toy Story”. Synopsis - A sad chubby man steals a rare cowboy toy and aims to sell it to a museum, but the toy’s friends intend to rescue him.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi (1980) Directed by: Rian Johnson, sequel to: “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”. Synopsis - A new hero gets training from an old hero to try to bring balance back to the force, but the pull to the dark side is still very strong and the dark side has a few new weapons.
Paddington 2 (2017) Directed by: Paul King, sequel to: “Paddington” Synopsis - A small clumsy bear is wrongly accused of crimes and sent to prison where he makes many friends and marmalade sandwiches, but the real criminal is still out there and only the bear can help catch him.
Back to the Future Part II (1989) Directed by: Robert Zemeckis, sequel to: “Back to the Future” Synopsis - A kid and a scientist must time travel back to the past to change the timeline of the future in which a bully has become all powerful.
National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007) Directed by: John Turtletaub, sequel to: “National Treasure” Synopsis - A treasure hunter/protector must find an ancient treasure to clear his family’s name which has recently been linked to the assassination of Lincoln… clearing his name involves kidnapping the President.
From Russia with Love (1963) Directed by: Terence Young, sequel to: “Dr. No”. Synopsis - An international criminal organization seeks out a British spy for killing a doctor. Meanwhile, the British spy tries assists (in more ways than one) a Russian operative in defecting to the West.
Deadpool 2 (2018) Directed by: David Leitch, sequel to: “Deadpool” Synopsis - A sort-of-dead superhero puts together a team of other superheroes to save young, mutant orphans.
Star Trek Into the Darkness (2013) Directed by: J. J. Abrams, sequel to: “Star Trek (2009)” Synopsis - The crew of a star ship must apprehend a man with unnatural strength, speed, and brain power who is seeking revenge against the star ships organization and any weakling that gets in the way.
3rd+ Films
Toy Story 3 (2010) Directed by: Lee Unkrich, franchise: Toy Story (3rd film). Synopsis - Toys get mistakenly sent to daycare run by a mafioso teddy bear and they must find a way to escape and get back to their owner.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) Directed by: Steven Spielberg, franchise: Indiana Jones (3rd film). Synopsis - An archaeologist is in search for his dad and the Holy Grail, but he must also navigate around the Nazis also in search for his dad and the grail.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) Directed by: Alfonso Cuaron, franchise: Harry Potter (3rd film). Synopsis - A wizard boy goes to wizard school where he makes friends and learns to defend himself, while beyond the walls of the school, he is being hunted by a recently escaped prisoner.
Skyfall (2012) Directed by: Sam Mendes, franchise: James Bond (23rd film). Synopsis - A British spy, presumed dead, must rise from the “grave” (come out of retirement) to track down someone targeting and killing the higher ups at MI6.
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011) Directed by: Brad Bird, franchise: Mission Impossible (4th film). Synopsis - The Impossible Mission Force is shut down after being blamed for blowing up the Kremlin, they must now find the real culprit without the support of their government.
The Dark Knight Rises (2012) Directed by: Christopher Nolan, franchise: The Dark Knight Trilogy (3rd film). Synopsis - A broken Batman loses control of his city and must fight to get it back.
Thor: Ragnarök (2017) Directed by: Taika Waititi, franchise: Thor (3rd film)/ MCU (17th film). Synopsis - A god trapped on a garbage planet must fight as a gladiator against other powerful beings if he is to return to his home and save it from his evil sister.
Goldfinger (1964) Directed by: Guy Hamilton, franchise: James Bond (3rd film) Synopsis - A British spy investigates a bullion dealer and his little henchman who aim to destroy the gold reserves in Fort Knox.
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) Directed by: Peter Jackson, franchise: The Lord of the Rings (3rd film). Synopsis - A group of fantastical characters try to destroy a magical ring in a volcano, but they’re being hunted and lured by all sorts of evil and treachery.
Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995) Directed by: John McTiernan, franchise: Die Hard (3rd film). Synopsis - A famous-ish cop and a shop owner must solve riddles to avoid the bombing of buildings throughout New York City.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) Directed by: Jeremiah S. Chechik, franchise: Vacation (3rd film). Synopsis - A middle class man aims to have a good old-fashioned family Christmas, all the extended family shows up to his home, everything goes wrong.
Captain America: Civil War (2016) Directed by: Anthony Russo and Joe Russo, franchise: Captain America (3rd film)/ MCU (13th film). Synopsis - Some superheroes believe there needs to be more superhero oversight, some superheroes do not want the government involved in their business, civil war between superheroes ensues.
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983) Directed by: Richard Marquand, franchise: Star Wars original trilogy (3rd film). Synopsis - A group of rebels who want to restore balance to the galaxy try to convert those on the dark side to the light while also defeating a totalitarian empire.
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) Directed by: Paul Greengrass, franchise: Jason Bourne (3rd film). Synopsis - A former assassin with a spotty memory tries to find out who he was and expose the people who made him an assassin.
Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018) Directed by: Christopher McQuarrie, franchise: Mission Impossible (6th film). Synopsis - The Impossible Missions Force must track down stolen plutonium cores to avoid a major famine in Southern Asia, all while also identifying snakes in the grass.
Oceans Thirteen (2007) Directed by: Steven Soderbergh, franchise: Ocean’s trilogy (3rd film) Synopsis - A group of thieves get revenge on a slimy Las Vegas hotel tycoon who swindled one of their partners.
Prequels
Casino Royale (2006) Directed by: Martin Campbell, prequel to: The James Bond Franchise. Synopsis - A guy passes a test to become a double-0 agent giving him a license to kill and boy does he use it… he also competes in high stakes poker games.
The Godfather Part II (1974) Directed by: Francis ford Coppola, prequel to: The Godfather Part I. Synopsis - A Sicilian boy escapes the Italian mafia, which killed his family, and moves to New York City, he starts a family, then he starts THE Family.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) Directed by: Gareth Edwards, prequel to: Star Wars: A New Hope. Synopsis - A young woman tries to steal the blueprints for a planet destroying superweapon.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) Directed by: Rupert Wyatt, prequel to: The Planet of the Apes. Synopsis - A pharmaceutical chemist tests a new Alzheimer drug on chimpanzees making them smarter… unfortunately it also kills most of the humans.
X-Men: First Class (2011) Directed by: Matthew Vaughn, prequel to: X-Men. Synopsis - A group of young people with special abilities “mutants”, come out of hiding, find each other, and then assist the CIA in stopping WWIII.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) Directed by: Steven Spielberg, prequel to: Raiders of the Lost Ark. Synopsis - An archaeologist, his side kick, and a professional singer go on an adventure to retrieve a mystical stone and stolen children all while trying to not have their hearts ripped from their chests.
Prometheus (2012) Directed by: Ridley Scott, prequel to: Alien. Synopsis - The crew of a spaceship seek the origins of humanity and land on a distant planet where they encounter creatures that might result in the extinction of humanity.
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (1966) Directed by: Sergio Leone, prequel to: For a Few Dollars More. Synopsis -Three gunslingers compete to find a fortune of Confederate gold amid the chaos of the Civil War.
Monsters University (2013) Directed by: Dan Scanlon, prequel to: Monsters, Inc. Synopsis - An odd couple of teenage monsters go to college, start their own fraternity, and compete in a scaring competition.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016) Directed by: David Yates, prequel to: The Harry Potter series. Synopsis - A klutzy magi-zoologist travels to America and gets mixed up in the death of a respected non-magical politician.
Kong: Skull Island (2017) Directed by: Jordan Vogt-Roberts, prequel to: Godzilla (2014). Synopsis - A team of scientists and Vietnam War soldiers travel to an uncharted island and meet a gigantic ape and other over-sized terrifying creatures.
Prey (2022) Directed by: Dan Trachtenberg, prequel to: Predator. Synopsis - A young Comanche woman who is striving to prove herself as a hunter finds herself having to protect her people from a vicious, humanoid alien that hunts humans for sport.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) Directed by: Peter Jackson, prequel to: The Lord of the Rings series. Synopsis - A little guy and his thirteen slightly larger companions are convinced by a wizard to set out on a quest to reclaim a Mountain from a greedy dragon.
A Quiet Place Day One (2024) Directed by: Michael Sarnoski, prequel to: A Quiet Place. Synopsis - A terminally ill woman navigates New York City during the early stages of an invasion by blind, extraterrestrial creatures with an acute sense of hearing.
Mallrats (1995) Directed by: Kevin Smith, prequel to: Clerks. Synopsis - A couple of best friends spend their day in a mega mall trying to win back their girlfriends while encountering a series of eccentric characters.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024) Directed by: George Miller, prequel to: Mad Max: Fury Road. Synopsis - The film follows a woman’s life in a post-apocalyptic world for over a decade, from her kidnapping by a warlord to her ascension to the rank of Imperator.
Legacy Sequels
Top Gun: Maverick (2022) Directed by: Joseph Kosinski, legacy to: Top Gun (1986). Synopsis - An old fighter pilot (who still has a youthful spark as well as a healthy defiance of authority) confronts his past while training a new generation of Top Gun graduates for a dangerous mission.
Creed (2015) Directed by: Ryan Coogler, legacy to: Rocky IV (1985). Synopsis - An amateur boxer trying to make his own name is trained by his father’s old rival/friend and agrees to take on a fight against the reigning World Light Heavyweight Champion.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) Directed by: J J Abrams, legacy to: Return of the Jedi (1983). Synopsis - An orphan girl and a deserter find a little robot that contains a map to the location of the last remaining Jedi. The trio are hunted down by an evil empire but find allies in old familiar, rebel faces.
Blade Runner 2049 (2017) Directed by: Denis Villeneuve, legacy to: Blade Runner (1982). Synopsis - A bioengineered human hunts down other rogue bioengineered humans including a little kid who, if discovered, could be the catalyst for a global war. Others seek this kid to expand interstellar colonization.
Jurassic World (2015) Directed by: Colin Trevorrow, legacy to: Jurassic Park III (2001). Synopsis - A successful theme park of cloned dinosaurs, dubbed Jurassic World, has been in operation for several years, but in order to boost profits, the park begins to create modified (more dangerous) dinosaurs… and guess what, because life finds a way and can’t be contained, a vicious dinosaur escapes and begins to wreak havoc.
Star Trek (2009) Directed by: J J Abrams, legacy to: Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991). Synopsis - Old Spock fails to stop a supernova from destroying a planet using an artificial black hole. He is pulled into the black hole with some angry aliens. This creates a new timeline in which a cocksure young cadet (Jim Kirk) must work with young Spock (and old Spock) to stop these angry aliens.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) Directed by: George Miller, legacy to: Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985). Synopsis - Set in a post-apocalyptic desert wasteland where gasoline and water are scarce commodities, a quiet brooding man teams up with a warrior woman and her Valkyrie-esque team in an epic road battle against a crazed warlord and his goons.
TRON: Legacy (2010) Directed by: Joseph Kosinski, legacy to: Tron (1982). Synopsis - A rich, privileged, bad boy discovers a message from his long-lost father and is transported into a virtual reality where his father has been trapped for 20 years. Together they must work together to escape this prison, and to make sure a malevolent program doesn’t also escape and invade the real world.
Twisters (2024) Directed by: Lee Isaac Chung, legacy to: Twister (1996). Synopsis - Two competing storm chasing crews with different ideologies investigate a tornado outbreak in Oklahoma. The palpable tension isn’t only the result of atmospheric imbalances.
The Color of Money (1986) Directed by: Martin Scorcese, legacy to: The Hustler. Synopsis - An old hustler, a hotshot pool stud, and the hotshot’s business minded girlfriend team up as they hustle pool halls and make their way to a nine-ball tournament in Atlantic City.
The Muppets (2011) Directed by: James Bobin, legacy to: Clerks. Muppets from Space (1999) - A devoted Muppet fan, his human brother, and his brother’s girlfriend help Kermit reunite the disbanded Muppets, to save the Muppet Theater from a greedy businessman who plans to demolish the theater to drill for oil.
Alien: Romulus (2024) Directed by: Fede Alvarez, legacy to: Alien (1979). Synopsis - Six space colonists determined to escape their planet commandeer an abandoned space station to steal cryostasis equipment. It should be a simple job until they encounter a hostile alien race bent on destroying all other life forms by any means necessary.
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) Directed by: Jake Kasdan, legacy to: Jumanji (1995). Synopsis - A group of teenagers stumble upon a video game and find themselves sucked into the game as a set of adult avatars, seeking to complete a treacherous quest alongside another player who has been trapped since 1996.
Halloween (2018) Directed by: David Gordon Green, legacy to: Halloween (1978). Synopsis - A woman still working through the trauma of her past (being hunted down by a serial killer) prepares to face an old evil in a final showdown on Halloween night, forty years after she survived his killing spree.
Doctor Sleep (2019) Directed by: Mike Flanagan, legacy to: The Shining (1980). Synopsis - A man with psychic abilities and a drinking problem due to his childhood trauma at the Overlook Hotel teams up with a young girl with similar abilities to take down a cult of nomads who suck the life out of young psychics.
Scream AKA Scream V (2022) Directed by: Matt Bettinelli-Opin and Tyler Gillett, legacy to: Scream (1996). Synopsis - Twenty-five years after a series of murders in a small town, another murder spree begins, the killer(s) target a group of teenagers who are each somehow linked to the original killings.
