Movies That Got A Sequel TV Series (With The Original Cast)
It might take years or even decades, but one thing in Hollywood is practically a guarantee: If a film is popular –- or profitable enough -– a sequel will be in the works eventually. And when making them, one of the most important elements for delivering a successful follow-up is getting back as much of the original cast as possible. For many fans, it's their favorite characters played by the original actors that draw them back for more, and if they're missing it can be an uphill battle to get butts in seats.
Of course, even when a movie is spun off into a TV series, this still holds true. For decades, small-screen adaptations and sequels replaced the original film's biggest stars, with mixed success. But as studios have looked more and more to make small-screen sequels to big-screen hits, they've realized that to be taken seriously, they can't replace the cast so easily. Now they're often going to great lengths to reunite the original group of movie actors for a TV sequel. From surprise indie hits to major box office blockbusters, here are some of those movies that have gotten TV sequels and retained members of the cast to help continue the story.
The Karate Kid
Released in the summer of 1984 and competing with the likes of "Ghostbusters" and "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" for box office supremacy, "Karate Kid" didn't go down without a fight. Cruising to a final take of more than $90 million, the film spawned a slew of sequels, video games, and remakes throughout the '80s and beyond, becoming a bona fide staple of the decade. It wasn't until 2018, though, that the franchise finally dabbled in serialized live-action storytelling with the release of "Cobra Kai."
Set in the present day, the series was an instant hit, and it wouldn't have been possible without the return of a number of the series' talented cast members. Most prominent among the returning stars was the Karate Kid himself, Ralph Macchio, playing the role for the first time in nearly 30 years. Rival fighters John Kreese and Johnny Lawrence, both last seen in "The Karate Kid: Part III," returned thanks to performances by Martin Kove and William Zabka. Additionally, actors from across the film series have reappeared in their original roles throughout "Cobra Kai," such as Elisabeth Shue as Daniel's former love interest Ali Mills, Yuji Okumoto as rival-turned-friend Chozen Toguchi, and Thomas Griffith as longstanding opponent Terry Silver.
A surprise hit with critics, "Cobra Kai" moved between two streaming services — YouTube Red and Netflix — ultimately lasting for six seasons.
Willow
One of the best fantasy movies of the '80s was "Willow," a combined effort from director Ron Howard and executive producer George Lucas. The film starred Warwick Davis — who had previously played Wicket in "Return of the Jedi" — as the unexpected hero Willow Ufgood, who is on a quest to save a banished princess from certain death. He gets help from a rogue swordsman named Madmartigan (Val Kilmer), a faery creature named Rool (Kevin Pollak), and a wayward woman warrior named Sorsha (Joanne Whalley). A moderate hit with audiences, the movie endured as a beloved '80s classic whose fans kept its legend alive long enough to earn it a follow-up decades later.
Arriving on Disney+ towards the end of 2022, the television series retained the same name as the original film, and once again saw Willow set off on a daring quest, this time to rescue Sorsha's son. Warwick Davis was more than happy to reprise his role, but he wasn't the only member of the original cast who was up for another magical romp. Whalley returned as Sorsha in a guest appearance, as did actor Kevin Pollak, reprising his role as the brownie Rool. While Val Kilmer was unable to return as Madmartigan, his son Jack ably stepped in to voice his father's character in a pair of episodes. Good luck finding the series today, though: it was removed from Disney+ shortly after its cancellation.
The Evil Dead
Director Sam Raimi burst onto the scene in 1981 with "The Evil Dead." The film starred Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams, a college student on vacation who unwittingly unleashes a demonic force onto the world capable of possessing the living and reanimating the dead. A certified hit, "The Evil Dead" spawned two Raimi-helmed sequels in "Evil Dead II" and "Army of Darkness." Though he wouldn't return to the director's chair for the 2013 remake, Raimi did come back to the franchise when it came time to bring it to television.
Mirroring the real lapse in time from where audiences left off in the third film, "Ash vs Evil Dead" picks up years later, pitting the chainsaw-wielding Ash against armies of the unliving for three straight seasons. But Raimi's expertise as a master of horror and slapstick wasn't the only talent that returned. Besides series star Campbell, who stayed involved with the franchise both on and off the screen, Sam Raimi's lesser-known filmmaking brother Ted Raimi also came back, though you might not have ever noticed. That's because he took on different roles in each installment, playing a body double in "The Evil Dead," a possessed Henrietta in "Evil Dead II," various roles in "Army of Darkness," and finally Chet in "Ash vs Evil Dead."
Star Wars
The "Star Wars" prequel trilogy took the world by storm in 1999 with the release of "Episode I: The Phantom Menace." Scottish star Ewan McGregor took over the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi from Sir Alec Guinness, playing a much younger version of the character. McGregor starred in all three prequels, while Hayden Christensen joined in "Episode II" as a young Anakin Skywalker before he became Darth Vader. Though the three movies received mixed reviews at the time, they've enjoyed something of a renaissance in recent years, and in 2022 filmmakers returned for a TV sequel in the form of the Disney+ limited series, "Obi-Wan Kenobi."
Bridging the gap between the prequel and original trilogies, "Obi-Wan Kenobi" chronicled the adventures of its titular Jedi knight in the wake of the Empire's rise to power seen at the end of "Episode III: Revenge of the Sith." Ewan McGregor returned to top the cast as Obi-Wan Kenobi. But perhaps just as exciting for fans was the return of Hayden Christensen, now more fondly remembered for his portrayal of Anakin Skywalker, who we see fully in the role of Darth Vader for the first time.
Though the former Jedis — now bitter enemies — were easily the most anticipated returning stars, they weren't the only names to make a comeback. Jimmy Smits, Joel Edgerton, and Bonnie Piesse stepped back into the roles of Bail Organa, Uncle Owen, and Aunt Beru, while Liam Neeson and Ian McDiarmid also made cameos in the final episode.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding
When it comes to unexpected indie hits, there might not be any bigger than the romantic comedy "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," which explored the wild life of single Greek woman named Fotoula Portokalos and her search for love. The film was written by and starred Nia Vardalos — a relative unknown in 2002 — featured no major stars, and was made on a budget of just $5 million. Yet it domestically outgrossed sequels in the "Men in Black," "Austin Powers," and James Bond franchises, and was one of the top 10 biggest hits of the year around the world.
Looking to capitalize, the studio immediately greenlit a TV sequel, "My Big Fat Greek Life," which aired less than a year later on CBS. Vardalos reprised her role — though the character's name was changed to Nia — and she also co-wrote the pilot episode. The supporting cast almost all returned, too, with Lainie Kazan, Louis Mandylor, Michael Constantine, Andrea Martin, and Gia Carides returning as members of Miller's large and obnoxious family. John Corbett, who played Fotoula's husband in the film, was the only major holdout, replaced in the show by Steven Eckholdt. His character's name was changed too, from Ian Miller to Thomas Miller, but otherwise the series served as a perfect small-screen sequel.
More than a decade later, "Greek Wedding" got two proper theatrical sequels, and Corbett came back as Ian, but both films all but ignored the TV series.
Clueless
Few teen comedies of the '90s captured the zeitgeist quite like "Clueless," the Alicia Silverstone classic about flighty high schooler Cher, who fancies herself something of a social problem solver. First, when a new student named Tai (Brittany Murphy) arrives, Cher takes it upon herself to help her become popular. Then, while trying to match grumpy school teacher Mr. Hall (Wallace Shawn) on a date with lovelorn Miss Geist (Twink Caplan, who was also the movie's producer), Cher doesn't even realize she's falling in love with her obnoxious stepbrother Josh (Paul Rudd).
In a strange case of backwards development, "Clueless" was originally envisioned as a TV series, and writer-director Amy Heckerling would finally get the show she wanted a year after the movie was released. While Silverstone didn't return — replaced by Rachel Blanchard — Stacey Dash and Donald Faison both came back to play Cher's best friends Dionne and Murray. Twink Caplan and Wallace Shawn were also back, with Caplan and creator Amy Heckerling both involved behind the scenes as writers, directors, and producers. Paul Rudd even guest starred, though he popped up as an entirely different character; Josh was already played regularly by David Lascher (best known for his role as Vinnie on "Blossom").
The TV series couldn't match the movie's endless charm, but it still captured the same spirit, and with much of the same cast remains a solid TV spin-off in its own right.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Originally a quirky indie comic from writer-artist Bryan Lee O'Malley that was first published in 2004, "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" came to life on the screen six years later thanks to equally quirky British director Edgar Wright. The film, like the comic, introduced budding bass player Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) whose band Sex Bob-Omb competes in a battle of the bands. But a chance encounter with a delivery woman named Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) sends him on an epic quest to win her affection, and to do it he must also battle through all of her ex-boyfriends.
Even though the film was a flop, "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" was a huge hit with fans who celebrated its eccentricities and its clever mix of live-action and animation. While word on a live-action theatrical follow-up has been quiet, 2022 saw the announcement of an anime TV series adaptation on Netflix. This would be a new translation of the comic — not exactly a sequel, but not quite a remake, either. The kicker, though, came a year later when it was revealed that the entire cast of the 2010 film would reunite to supply the voices for their characters.
Titled "Scott Pilgrim Takes Off," the series features Cera and Winstead as Pilgrim and Flowers, with Satya Bhabha, Kieran Culkin, Chris Evans, Anna Kendrick, Brie Larson, Aubrey Plaza, and others back as well. Even director Edgar Wright is involved as an executive producer.
The Full Monty
A year after starring with Ewan McGregor in "Trainspotting," Scottish actor Robert Carlyle headlined the British comedy "The Full Monty," the story of four unemployed blue collar Englishmen who upend their fortunes by becoming male strippers. A low-budget hit, "The Full Monty" scored a massive $258 million in theaters, but surprisingly, it took over 25 years to get a second helping.
Unlike "Trainspotting," which got a sequel at the movies with Carlyle, "The Full Monty" went full series. Airing on Hulu in 2023, the series saw the principal cast back for another round, with Carlyle, Tom Wilkinson, Mark Addy, Hugo Speer, Lesley Sharp, Paul Barber, and Steve Huison reuniting more than a quarter century after the original film. Set the same amount of years later, the group of friends have all established very different lives: some continue to survive while others prosper, and all deal with modern problems, as the series takes a hard look at the struggles of the working class in England in the 2020s.
It can't possibly match the fresh charm of the 1997 movie, but Hulu's "The Full Monty" is a more somber look at life that successfully charts its own path.
Wet Hot American Summer
An offbeat comedy released in 2001, "Wet Hot American Summer" was a satire of '80s summer camp movies, inspired by the actual experiences of writer and director David Wain. The movie's large ensemble cast was led by members of the '90s comedy troupe "The State" and supplemented by David Hyde Pierce, Paul Rudd, Janeane Garofalo, Molly Shannon, and Christopher Meloni, alongside up-and-comers like a young Bradley Cooper, Elizabeth Banks, and Amy Poehler.
"Wet Hot American Summer" was a huge box office bomb, barely scraping up $300,000. Nevertheless, on cable and home video it quickly became a cult hit with a huge following, and in 2015 Netflix tapped into that following with a TV sequel, the mini-series "Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp." Not only did the main cast all return, so did those up-and-comers like Cooper, Rudd, and Banks, who were now major stars. Proving its popularity, a host of A-listers also joined the fray, with Chris Pine, Jon Hamm, Jordan Peele, and Kristen Wiig making it a veritable Hollywood block party.
In addition, what made "First Day of Camp" so uproariously funny was that it was a prequel, yet featured actors now more than a decade older, which perfectly fit its wacky style of humor. With the band back together, the TV prequel series was even better than the movie and received its own sequel miniseries in 2017, "Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later."
Shaft
At the height of the blaxploitation movement came "Shaft," an 1971 action crime drama that transcended the genre to capture the broader public's attention. Starring Richard Roundtree, the film followed Harlem-based private detective John Shaft, who's both a grizzled crime fighter and charming lady's man. As both white and Black mafias vie for control of the city's streets, it's up to Shaft alone to keep the neighborhood safe as he goes up against ruthless kingpin Bumpy Jonas (Moses Gunn), whose daughter Marcy (Sherri Brewer) becomes a pawn in a vicious gang war.
A popular hit, "Shaft" immediately scored two sequels, "Shaft's Big Score!" and "Shaft in Africa." Just four months after "Africa" landed in theaters, a TV follow-up hit the airwaves. Technically a series of seven prime-time specials, they aired nearly monthly between October 1973 and February 1974, essentially comprising what many consider a full season of episodes. Roundtree returned as John Shaft, while Ed Barth reprised his role as Lt. Al Rossi from "Shaft's Big Score!" Each episode served as a mini-movie, featuring prominent guest stars such as Robert Culp, Michael Ansara, and Tony Curtis.
Even on television, with network standards, this TV sequel to "Shaft" still has plenty of edge, not to mention tons of action. Gritty and fast-paced, it's a solid mix of Roundtree's movies and more traditional '70s cop dramas.
Clerks
Kevin Smith's directorial debut, "Clerks," was produced on a true shoestring budget of just $27,000, which certainly shows in the unpolished final product. For fans of the 1994 cult classic, however, that's part of its charm, as the film explores the less-than-glamorous lives of retail clerks Dante (Brian O'Halloran) and Randal (Jeff Anderson). A relatable and sardonic film that resonated with anyone who's ever worked a dead-end job, the comedy was popular enough to earn itself a pair of movie sequels released in 2006 and 2022, as well as Smith's own weird little version of a cinematic universe.
But before "Clerks" found its way back to the big screen, it was reimagined in animated form for a blink-and-miss-it run on ABC at the turn of the millennium. Given the relatively brief period between the original film and its TV counterpart, "Clerks: The Animated Series" saw most of the original cast return to voice their characters. Among them were Smith as Silent Bob, O'Halloran as Dante, Jason Mewes as Jay, and Anderson as Randal. While original co-producer and longtime Kevin Smith colleague Scott Mosier wouldn't return on camera, he played an important role in developing the series and helping it succeed with fans, even if it did suffer an untimely cancellation after just two episodes.
How to Train Your Dragon
After finding franchise success in the 2000s with "Shrek," "Madagascar" and "Kung Fu Panda," DreamWorks Animation's first big hit of the 2010s was "How to Train Your Dragon," a fantasy epic set in a world of magic, mysticism, and of course, dragons. The film's impressive voice cast was led by Jay Baruchel as teen warrior Hiccup, America Ferrera as his partner Astrid, and Gerard Butler as the villain Stoick the Vast, with Craig Ferguson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, T.J. Miller, and David Tennant rounding out the ensemble.
A major blockbuster, "How to Train Your Dragon" kicked off a franchise, but its first extension wasn't a theatrical sequel — it was a TV spin-off in 2012, the awkwardly titled "DreamWorks Dragons." Unlike so many other kids' cartoons adapted from major movies, however, "Dragons" was nearly as good on the small screen as it was in theaters. Part of that was because most of its cast returned — a rarity for an animated movie spin-off — with Baruchel, Ferrera, Mintz-Plasse, Miller, and Tennant all returning to voice their respective characters. Joining them were some big new additions, including guest appearances by Alfred Molina, Mark Hamill, and Hakeem Kae-Kazim.
The first two seasons, which aired on Cartoon Network, served as a bridge to the second film, released in 2014. Despite it being initially canceled, Netflix swooped in and saved the series, giving it six more seasons and ending the show ahead of the third film, "How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World," which arrived in theaters in 2019.