Four Desired Movie Sequels That Never Happened
Hollywood is all about providing successful films with sequels if they feel like that franchise would continue to be popular. Along those lines, there have been some missed opportunities where studios did not provide the general public with another release using a popular character or theme. Here are some of those movies that never became a successful franchise.
The Cast of Sahara
Dirk Pitt Adventures
In 2005, the movie Sahara came out and did reasonably well at the theaters with $122 million in box-office revenue. However, due to a cost of $160 million, the franchise never got a follow up.
The movie was based on a Clive Cussler novel of the same name and is one of a series of adventures starring a lead character named Dirk Pitt. To date, there are twenty-three books with Dirk Pitt as the main character and Sahara was the eleventh book in that series. That gives another twenty-two options to pick from.
Dirk Pitt adventure novels:
Pacific Vortex! (1983) (Though released at a later date, this is the first book that was written), The Mediterranean Caper (a.k.a. Mayday, 1973), Iceberg (1975), Raise the Titanic! (1976) Vixen 03 (1978), Night Probe! (1981), Deep Six (1984), Cyclops (1986), Treasure (1988), Dragon (1990), Sahara (1992), Inca Gold (1994), Shock Wave (1996), Flood Tide (1997), Atlantis Found (1999), Valhalla Rising (2001), Trojan Odyssey (2003),
Written with son Dirk Cussler: Black Wind (2004), Treasure of Khan (2006), Arctic Drift (2008), Crescent Dawn (2010), Poseidon's Arrow (2012), Havana Storm (2014)
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The Italian Job Cast
Charlie Croker Thefts
In 2003, Hollywood gave us The Italian Job, a movie about a team of thieves who steal a ton of gold from Italian mobsters before being double-crossed by their own inside man (Edward Norton).
The rest of the film deals with the thieves getting the gold back and getting even with the man who betrayed them and killed their leader, John Bridger (Donald Sutherland). Mark Wahlberg plays the Protégé, Charlie Croker. The gang is comprised of Jason Statham as Handsom Rob, Sean Green as The Napster, and Mos Def as Left Ear. Charlize Theron plays the daughter of deceased leader John Bridger.
What makes this film so intriguing is the cast. Just a great mix of personalities between Green, Statham, and Mos Def. How often does a good film have Jason Statham in it and he doesn't even get to kick anyone's ass? That should say it all.
There had to be future capers that the gang was interested in doing, much like the Ocean's 11 movies. The studios missed out on franchising this one.
Tallahassee, Columbus, Wichita, and Little Rock
The First Four Rules of Zombieland
Zombieland
2009's Zombieland gave us a comical look into the typically dark world of the undead. The film stars Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin as survivors of a zombie apocalypse.
Each character is named for the city where they lived - Columbus, Tallahassee, Wichita, and Little Rock. That was pretty unique to have leads rather anonymous, except by locale.
The group takes a trip to Pacific Playland in the hopes that it is zombie-free and to give Little Rock some much needed fun in this really dark time. Along the way, a spark develops between Columbus and Wichita. There definitely could have been a sequel about what happens with those two.
The way Tallahassee kills zombies could have been a series in and of itself. 'Zombie kill of the Week' and 'Rule #1 - Cardio' became popular mantras for Zombieland.
Technically, you could say there was a sequel. It's just called The Walking Dead and is far creepier and darker.
Simon Templar
In 1997, Val Kilmer took the lead role as Simon Templar in The Saint. In the movie he plays a master thief who uses his powers of disguise to infiltrate and steal things of value, including information.
Kilmer assumes at least eight different roles during the movie, complete with voice and accent changes. It would have been quite entertaining to see what another movie would have allowed him to do in terms of hair and makeup changes.
Thieves always have great storylines that studios can lead them down and I'm sure Simon Templar could have had a few good ones to pursue.
