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For nearly as long as movies existed, so did sequels. If a popular movie makes enough money, a sequel is sure to follow. There are so many sequels today it is hard to keep track of them all. More often than not, sequels are inferior to the original. However, there are many cases where the sequel is better. In even rarer cases, the sequel overshadows the original so much that audiences don’t even realize it is a sequel at all. These may be direct follow-ups or loose continuations. Today, we will take a look at ten films that you had no idea were sequels.
10. Die Hard
While the final product was altered so much that it is a stand-alone project, Die Hard was originally penned as a sequel. The Detective was a 1968 thriller starring Frank Sinatra. The film was based on a book of the same name by Robert Thorpe. That book received a sequel titled Nothing Lasts Forever. In that story, Joe Lelenad (the lead of the original story) visited his daughter on Christmas. While having a party in a high rise, terrorists take over, and it is up to Joe to stop them.
This story was to be made into a film with Sinatra reprising his role. It was decided Sinatra was too old for the film, so it was reworked. The script was made more violent, story elements were changed, the lead character’s name was changed to John McClaine, and Die Hard went on to become one of the most popular movies in the action genre.
9. U.S. Marshals
While U.S. Marshals may not be better than its predecessor, many fans are shocked to discover it is a sequel to The Fugitive. The Fugitive stars Harrison Ford as a doctor wrongly convicted for the murder of his wife. Throughout the film, he is chased by U.S. Marshal Gerard, played by Tommy Lee Jones. The role earned Jones an Oscar and a sequel. U.S. Marshals see Jones reprise his role as Gerard on the hunt for another fugitive. Outside some returning characters and a few passing references, this film largely stands on its own. Even the marketing had little connection to The Fugitive. The film is a thrill ride, even if it doesn’t reach the same heights as the original. Jones does fantastic, but many fans feel the does better acting against Ford.
8. Desperado
Desperado is one of the movies that helped put Robert Rodriguez on the map. While many of his fans are aware of this film, what they may not realize is it is a follow-up. Desperado had a much higher budget and bigger named actors than the original, named El Mariachi. That film is mostly famous because Rodriguez made it for a mere $7,000. The film had a limited release and only had Spanish as its spoken language, so many American fans didn’t see it. Desperado had a much, much larger budget of $7 Million dollar and had lines spoken in English. This made the film more accessible to American audiences and went on to become one of Robert’s most popular movies. Today, Desperado is part of a trilogy, and fans have grown to love and respect El Mariachi as much as its follow-up.
7. This is 40
This is 40 is a comedy starring Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann. It documents the trials and tribulations of reaching middle age and longing for the days of one’s youth. The two lead characters were previously introduced in Judd Apatow’s smash hit Knocked Up. The film was marketed as a “sort of sequel to Knocked Up,” and this is the best way to put it. One doesn’t need to watch Knocked Up first, as This is 40 is closer to a spin-off. The lead character’s introduction in the original film lays the groundwork for This is 40, however. It shows them beginning to come to terms with their age and how their relationship works Both films are fantastic and are great for comedy fans.
6. Silence of the Lambs
This may be seen as cheating in the eyes of some, but Silence of the Lambs is a sequel from a certain point of view. The film was based on a novel by Thomas Harris. The original Silence of the Lambs novel was actually a sequel, with the first being called Red Dragon. That novel was first adapted to the big screen in 1986 in a film called Manhunter. Dr. Lector was played by Brian Cox in that film and, as in the original novel, is barely in it. While Silence of the Lambs isn’t a direct sequel to Manhunter, it was originally supposed to be, and the film follows the events of the novel. Red Dragon was eventually re-adapted in 2002 and was closely connected to the Silence of the Lambs movie, with the ending even directly leading into the events of that film.
5. Patriot Games
Patriot Games is a film starring Harrison Ford as Jack Ryan. The film is based on the book of the same name by Tom Clancy and itself received several sequels. What many fans may not have realized is this film is a sequel. The original is the classic thriller The Hunt for Red October. That film stars Sean Connery and features Alec Baldwin as Ryan. Unlike Silence of the Lambs being a loose sequel, Patriot Games is an actual sequel set in the same continuity. There were even a few actors reprising their roles.
4. Queen of the Damned
One of the most popular movies in the vampire genre is Interview with the Vampire. The film was based on the novel by Anne Rice, as was its sequel. Queen of the Damned is known as a cult film today, and many fans don’t realize it is a loose sequel. Few mentions are made to the previous film, and the major roles are recast. many fans feel Queen of the Damned is a downgrade from the previous film, with most critiquing its overuse of CG gore that wasn’t present in the original film.
3. Be Cool
Be Cool has enjoyed its own success, with many fans not knowing it is a movie sequel. The film is a direct sequel to Get Shorty, a film about a mobster joining the movie business. The mobster was played by John Travolta, who reprised the role along with Danny Devito in Be Cool. Be Cool sees the mobster move out of the movie business and into the music industry. The film isn’t as star-studded as the original, which featured the likes of Gene Hackman and Rene Russo. It does, however, have The Rock in one of the roles that helped launch him into a Hollywood career.
2. Ringu
Most horror fans know The Ring is a remake of one of the most popular movies in the J-horror genre, Ringu. What many may not know, is Ringu is technically a sequel. The Ring films are based on a series of novels by Koji Suzuki. The first two novels in the series were adapted into films in the same year. Ringu was the second to be released and was immensely more popular. The first was titled Spiral. The film isn’t as familiar to fans of the series and takes on a more sci-fi tone. Because both films were released close to the same time, some call Spiral the movie sequel. Fans didn’t take to Spiral nearly as much as Ringu, so a proper sequel not based on a novel was later released.
1. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
When discussing the best western movies, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is almost always brought up. The film is popular even among those not fans of the Western genre and helped launch the film career of Clint Eastwood. Many fans may not know that not only is this film a sequel, but it is also the final entry of a trilogy. All three films follow Clint Eastwood’s Man with no name character as he goes on various adventures. The movies don’t follow each other but have similar feels to them.
All three films are fantastic, but the third film outshines them all. The movies also all contain several actors in different roles. Many fans are in constant debate as to whether or not these films are actually following the same character, but many choose to believe they are. If this is to be believed, then The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is truly one of the greatest sequels and most popular movies of all time.