Upcoming Movie Sequels You Didn't Know Were In The Works

If we know anything about the movie industry, it's that Hollywood loves its sequels. That much is obvious from the way we're constantly bombarded with trailers, posters, promos, and news stories about upcoming franchise films. But even as we're being inundated with info about retreads, revivals, and follow-ups, there are quite a few part twos (and beyond) that have successfully stayed under the radar. 

And while we may take it for granted that every superhero adventure and action blockbuster has more franchise filler to come, some long-gestating reunions or odds-defying continuations might totally surprise you. From indie comedies to action epics, let's take a look at some of the sequels you didn't know were being made.

Updated on September 25, 2023: Sequels are hitting theaters and streaming services all the time, and we've updated this list to keep you informed on all the future films that you might've missed out on. We've got the lowdown on part twos, threequels, and installments that are decades in the making. So keep coming back for all the latest info on these upcoming sequels.

If your kids (or you — we won't judge) love "PAW Patrol: The Movie," brace yourself for maximum excitement: It's getting a sequel. In early November 2021, Nickelodeon and Spin Master Entertainment ordered "PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie," which is set to receive an exclusive theatrical release.

In this sequel, a meteor crashes down in Adventure City, unleashing magical powers that turn the already gifted PAW Patrol dogs into a superhero team called the Mighty Pups. They find a use for their new abilities when the villainous Humdinger busts out of prison and aligns with evil scientist Victoria Vance, who plans to swipe their superpowers. Franchise veterans Ron Pardo, Callum Shoniker, and Kim Kardashian are back in the voice cast, alongside an injection of star power: Kristen Bell, Taraji P. Henson, Mckenna Grace, James Marsden, Serena Williams, North West, and Lil Rel Howery have all signed on to appear. Cal Brunker will once again direct. "PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie" will hit theaters on September 29, 2023.

It was only a matter of time before someone decided to revisit "The Exorcist" franchise. And sure enough, a new trilogy is in the works from Blumhouse Productions. David Gordon Green — responsible for the studio's recent "Halloween" trilogy — directs, with a story that's been developed by Green, Danny McBride, Scott Teems, and Peter Sattler.

The original "Exorcist" centered on a 12-year-old girl, played by Linda Blair, who was possessed by a terrifying demon. Her mother (Ellen Burstyn) hires two priests, played by Jason Miller and Max von Sydow, to perform an exorcism. Although — spoiler alert — both priests died in the original film (and Miller and von Sydow have both since passed on), Burstyn will be reprising her role, aiding new protagonist Leslie Odom Jr. as he searches for help when his daughter and her friend are possessed by evil spirits. They'll be joined by Lidya Jewett of "Nightbooks," country singer/Broadway star Jennifer Nettles, Ann Dowd of "The Handmaid's Tale," as well as Raphael Sbarge of "Once Upon a Time" as a pastor, Olivia Marcum of the "Matilda" stage musical, and artist Okwui Okpokwasili. 

Potential spoiler alert — It's also possible that Linda Blair might show up in the film. According to reporting from Above the Line, Blair was seen on the "Exorcist" set. No one official has confirmed that Blair is acting in the film, but Blumhouse did reach out to Above the Line, saying she was there to serve as a consultant. However, it does seem likely that she was there to reprise the role of Regan MacNeil, the little girl possessed in the very first "Exorcist" film.

"The Exorcist: Believer" will get a theatrical release on October 6, 2023.

"Good Burger," based on a series of sketches from Nickelodeon's "All That," hit movie theaters in 1997. Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell both put on blue-and-white striped uniforms to play the teenage employees of the titular fast food place, but they couldn't be more different. Thompson's Dexter is a crafty teen, while Mitchell's Ed is an out-of-it space cadet with a slow surfer drawl, best known for delivering the franchise's catchphrase: "Welcome to Good Burger, home of the Good Burger, can I take your order?"

The "Good Burger" movie — which revolves around a rivalry between Good Burger and a soulless corporate joint — earned a modest $23 million at the box office, but nostalgia, home video, frequent airings on TV (particularly on Nickelodeon), and Thompson's rise as an iconic pop cultural figure (largely thanks to his tireless tenure on "Saturday Night Live") have turned the film into a cult classic. Paramount took note of this and placed an order for some more "Good Burger" in March 2023. 

Set to debut on Paramount+ on November 22, 2023, "Good Burger 2" will follow a down-and-out Dexter as he returns to Good Burger to work alongside Ed, who's still employed at the restaurant decades later. Along with Thompson and Mitchell, '90s icon Carmen Electra, who co-starred in the first "Good Burger" as villainous femme fatale and would-be Mondo Burger secret sauce recipe thief Roxanne, will return, along with Josh Server and Lori Beth Denberg. We can also expect to see newcomers such as Lil Rel Howery and Jillian Bell, and it's possible that NBC's "Today" weatherman Al Roker may pop up in a cameo, likely captured during a June 2023 visit to the "Good Burger 2" set in Rhode Island.

While the nearly silent "A Quiet Place" stays entirely focused on one small family headed by parents played by Emily Blunt and John Krasinski (who also co-wrote the script and served as director), the sequel, "A Quiet Place Part II" zooms out. That film brings the surviving characters from the first film into contact with a small, peaceful community that has managed to stay isolated from the sound-seeking monstrosities prowling the world around them. Now a third "A Quiet Place" film is on the docket. But Paramount is positioning it as a spin-off, according to Deadline.

"Pig" writer-director Michael Sarnoski will oversee "A Quiet Place: Day One." Word has it that Blunt and Krasinski won't appear here. Instead, the leads will be played by Lupita Nyong'o and Joseph Quinn of "Stranger Things" fame. Nyong'o posted a cast photo to Instagram in March 2023, revealing that Djimon Honsou would return to the "Quiet Place" universe, likely reprising his role as "Man on Island" from "A Quiet Place: Part II."

 We don't know much more about the plot, but we do know that "A Quiet Place: Day One" wrapped production in mid-April 2023. Around that time, Krasinski presented a sneak peak of the film at CinemaCon, revealing that Alex Wolff ("Hereditary") would also appear in the New York City-set alien invasion film — technically a prequel, not a sequel. Theatrical day one for "A Quiet Place: Day One" comes on March 8, 2024.

Are you ready to return to Arrakis? So are we, and so is director Denis Villeneuve. The critically acclaimed filmmaker is coming back with "Dune: Part Two," which will pick up right after the events of the first sci-fi film. As Villeneuve told The Hollywood Reporter, "It's not a sequel where it's another episode or another story with the same characters. It actually has direct continuity to the first movie. It's the second part of the big, huge movie that I'm trying to do."

A tale of political maneuvering, religious intrigue, and really big sand worms, "Dune: Part Two" will see the return of Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides and Zendaya as his Fremen love interest Chani, along with Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Stellan Skarsgård, and Dave Bautista. This time around, they'll be joined by some of the most exciting actors in Hollywood. Florence Pugh will play Princess Irulan Corrino, Christopher Walken will appear as Emperor Shaddam IV, and "Elvis" star Austin Butler will portray the villainous Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen. You can also expect to see Léa Seydoux as Lady Margot, and Time Blake Nelson is portraying an unknown character. 

Hans Zimmer is coming back to compose the score, and the script has been penned by Villeneuve and co-writer Jon Spaihts, along with additional work by "The Last of Us" showrunner Craig Mazin. After being scheduled for release on November 3, 2023, "Dune: Part Two" has been pushed back to March 15, 2024 due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. When the film finally arrives, you can expect high drama, breathtaking visual effects, and sweeping romance.

Let's get ready to rumble ... again! Everybody's favorite giant monsters — Godzilla and King Kong — have begun training for their anticipated rematch. The first film hit theaters and HBO Max in 2021, earning $468 million at the box office and impressing critics. The man in charge of the film, Adam Wingard, will return to direct, and this time, he's teaming up with an old friend.

Dan Stevens will be playing the lead character. Stevens and Wingard previously worked together on the horror cult classic "The Guest," with the actor best known for "Downton Abbey," "Beauty and the Beast," and "Legion." He'll be joined by MonsterVerse veterans Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, and Kaylee Hottle, along with newcomers Rachel House, Fala Chen, and Alex Ferns.

The script is being penned by longtime Wingard collaborator Simon Barrett, Jeremy Slater of "Moon Knight," and Terry Rossio of "Pirate of the Caribbean" fame. But what's the plot of "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire?" We have a vague idea based on the official synopsis: The follow-up film will find the huge lizard and massive ape joining forces against "a world-ending threat so terrifying that neither could survive alone." And the epic new film will delve further into the histories of these Titans, their origins and the mysteries of Skull Island and beyond while uncovering the mythic battle that helped forge these extraordinary beings and tied them to humankind forever." Whatever ends up happening, we're excited for the showdown when it happens on April 12, 2024.

In 2015, "Mad Max: Fury Road" offered a new spin on a classic post-apocalyptic series, casting Tom Hardy as Max Rockatansky and shifting focus to Charlize Theron's rage-fueled Imperator Furiosa. "Mad Max: Fury Road" wowed audiences and critics alike, with many considering it one of the best action films of all time, so it seemed that sequels would be inevitable.

Sure enough, there's a "Fury Road" follow-up in the works — or more accurately, a "Fury Road" prequel. Titled "Furiosa," it will bring back the eponymous character, although Theron herself won't be showing up. Director George Miller said that much as he loved Theron's performance in "Fury Road," he doesn't have enough faith in de-aging technology to allow Theron to reprise the part.

Instead, the younger Furiosa will be played by Anya Taylor-Joy, and she'll be joined by MCU star Chris Hemsworth and Tom Burke of "Mank." Hemsworth is starring as a villainous biker warlord named Dementus, but we don't know who Burke will be playing in "Furiosa." However, the character has likely existed in the director's head since before the previous film, as he and co-writer Nick Lathouris developed origin stories for every character while prepping "Fury Road." In fact, Lathouris wrote an entire screenplay for "Furiosa" in the process. 

As for the plot, the official synopsis states, "As the world fell, young Furiosa is snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers and falls into the hands of a great Biker Horde led by the Warlord Dementus. Sweeping through the Wasteland they come across the Citadel presided over by The Immortan Joe. While the two Tyrants war for dominance, Furiosa must survive many trials as she puts together the means to find her way home." "Furiosa" will be tearing into theaters on May 24, 2024.

After bringing children's playthings to life with the "Toy Story" films and inviting viewers into the secret worlds of fish, monsters, and superheroes with "Finding Nemo," "Monsters, Inc." and "The Incredibles," respectively, Pixar gave us "Inside Out" in 2015. The film explored the very relatable triumphs and pains of adolescence, experienced through the point of view of a San Francisco kid named Riley — and the personified emotions (Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust) that live inside her head, constantly jockeying for control, and who go on a journey through their host's subconscious. The emotionally stirring "Inside Out" won best animated feature at the Academy Awards and took in $857 million, prompting Disney to put Pixar to work on a sequel.

At Disney's annual D23 Expo in September 2022, "Inside Out" director Pete Docter concluded the Pixar presentation by bringing out Amy Poehler, who voiced Joy in the original film, to announce the follow-up. Kelsey Mann, a Pixar veteran who co-wrote "The Good Dinosaur," will direct "Inside Out 2," and "Inside Out" screenwriter Meg LeFauve will pen the sequel. Sadly, we know for a fact that Mindy Kaling will not reprise her role of Disgust. As for the plot, Riley is now a teenager, a time of much emotional upheaval. "A bunch more emotions get to come in," Pixar creative chief officer (and original "Inside Out" writer-director) Pete Docter told Variety. "It's not just the five we saw in the first film. The team on that one put together a really great story that I think also has real depth and meaning to it."

The public can see "Inside Out 2" on June 14, 2024.

Ready for more Ethan Hunt stunts? Can't wait to see if our IMF heroes can outsmart the coldly calculating Entity? Well, we won't have to wait too long, as "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two" is scheduled to hit theaters on June 28, 2024.

The plot of "Dead Reckoning Part Two" will directly follow the events of "Part One," in which Ethan Hunt and crew got their hands on the cruciform key that can defeat the Entity. Their mission will then lead them to sunken sub in the Arctic Circle, and it'll also introduce several new faces to the franchise, including Holt McCallany of "Mindhunters," Janet McTeer of "Ozark," Nick Offerman of "Parks and Recreation," and Hannah Waddingham, the Emmy-winning breakout star of "Ted Lasso." We'll also get to see the return of a character from the original film — poor William Donloe, who was shipped off to Alaska after Ethan Hunt broke into Langley under his nose. Original actor Rolf Saxon will play the part.

We also know there will be a stunt involving a biplane 2,000 feet up in the air, with Tom Cruise actually standing on the thing instead of sitting in it like a normal person, as well as some sort of underwater action. We can't wait to see what happens up in the great blue yonder in June 2024 — although that date could change. The next entry in the blockbuster saga was scheduled to begin filming after Cruise and other cast members promoted "Dead Reckoning Part One" in July 2023. That break will last indefinitely, as the SAG-AFTRA strike led to a halt in production on the next "Mission: Impossible" film.

After the massive commercial success of Disney's photo-realistic remake of "The Lion King," it seemed like only a matter of time until a sequel was announced. However, the person taking over the directorial reins from Jon Favreau for "The Lion King 2" — now titled "Mufasa: The Lion King" — is probably not a name most people would have expected to hear: Barry Jenkins, the Academy Award-winning writer and director best known for making poignant dramas with strong racial themes, including "Moonlight" and "If Beale Street Could Talk."

Jenkins won't be writing "Mufasa: The Lion King," but he'll instead be working from a script by Jeff Nathanson, who also penned the first "Lion King." While no specific details of the plot have been revealed, we know the film to be a prequel to the first film, following Mufasa (played by Aaron Pierre of "The Underground Railroad") and Scar (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) in their younger years. It will also introduce a number of new characters, who are reportedly named Adah, Horatio, Elijah, Celia, Kaliban, Cardi, and Zola. However, no further information has been provided about these characters, including what types of animals they are or whose side they might be on. 

Although "The Lion King 2" seems like an outlier in Jenkins' filmography, the director sounds excited about working on the sequel for Disney, saying, "Having the opportunity to work with Disney on expanding this magnificent tale of friendship, love and legacy while furthering my work chronicling the lives and souls of folk within the African diaspora is a dream come true." He's also promised quite a few exciting tunes, telling Entertainment Weekly, "Please expect musical numbers. Really wonderful musical numbers, I'd say." Expect to hear those songs on July 5, 2024.

Rejoice, Tim Burton fans – "Beetlejuice 2" is finally in the works, with Warner Bros. confirming development at CinemaCon 2023. "Beetlejuice" starred Michael Keaton as the titular malevolent spirit (technically named Betelgeuse, although the film title favored the phonetic spelling), who's hired by deceased couple Adam and Barbara Maitland (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis, respectively) to rid their former home of its current inhabitants.

Winona Ryder played Lydia Deetz, the teenage daughter of the new homeowners and the only living human who can see the ghosts of the Maitlands — and someone who narrowly avoids marriage to the bio-exorcist Betelgeuse. Ryder is coming back for the sequel, alongside the ghost with the most himself — Michael Keaton. They'll be joined by the returning GOAT Catherine O'Hara, as well as a ton of new faces. Jenna Ortega of "Wednesday" fame will be playing Ryder's daughter. We'll also see Monica Bellucci playing his wife and Justin Theroux as an unknown character. 

You can also expect the Green Goblin himself, Willem Dafoe, reportedly playing some sort of afterlife cop. While we don't know the plot, Burton himself is directing, and we'll see all the haunted fun on September 6, 2024. "Beetlejuice 2" filmed partially in the U.K., and partially in the U.S. The U.S. end will take some more time, as production on the almost finished film shut down in the wake of the SAG-AFTRA actors strike in July 2023. "Literally, it was a day and a half," Burton told The Independent. "We know what we have to do. It is 99 percent done."

A horror flick with a truly upsetting premise, "Smile" is one of the few non-franchise horror hits of recent years — one so successful that it's probably the first in what will be a whole series of movies. 

From writer-director Parker Finn, the original "Smile" mines terror and discomfort out of a usually friendly facial expression. The simple smile becomes twisted and unsettling when it's plastered on the faces of those possessed by an evil presence. As for the first movie's plot, after witnessing a college professor's inexplicable death, a student experiences haunting visions of a creepy, smiling creature. Thus, we bear witness to a string of horrific smiles and deaths, which force psychiatrist Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) to figure out how and why the evil virus strikes when she ends up cursed herself.

"Smile" grossed $217 million on a relatively meager budget, so it was a hit in every possible way for Paramount Pictures. And now, we're getting more gruesome, gleeful terror. Parker Finn is coming back to helm the sequel, and we'll see all the unsettling horror play out when "Smile 2" hits theaters on October 18, 2024.

"The Karate Kid" franchise has rarely lain dormant. In the first film from 1984, Ralph Macchio played Daniel LaRusso, a new kid in a karate-obsessed area of California learning the martial art with the aid of mentor Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita), ultimately defeating sneering rival Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) of the ruthless Cobra Kai dojo. The smash hit led to two sequels in the '80s, the 1994 semi-reboot "The Next Karate Kid," and a 2010 remake. Interest in the original films ticked up in the 2020s thanks to the Netflix series "Cobra Kai," which brought the now middle-aged Daniel and Johnny back with new karate rivalries, revived dojos, and in charge of a bunch of headstrong teens.

According to Variety, Sony announced that a new "Karate Kid" movie was in the works. Executives characterized the forthcoming film as the "return of the original 'Karate Kid' franchise," indicating that the '80s films' characters would factor in significantly. However, "Cobra Kai" has no connection to the new big-screen project. "The guys and I would love to make 'Karate Kid' and 'Cobra Kai' movies and hope to someday," co-creator Jon Hurwitz tweeted. "But this one isn't from us or focused on the 'Cobra Kai' cast. Don't know much about it, but wish it well." Sony is yet to release many details about the new "Karate Kid," including a character list, plot synopsis, director, or screenwriter, and in April 2023, Macchio told Deadline that he's yet to be approached about the movie. But there is a release date. After initially claiming a theatrical debut on June 7, 2024, Sony delayed it because of anticipated delays over the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes. As of July 2023, the new "Karate Kid" will kick its way into multiplexes on December 13, 2024.

"Den of Thieves" might have been a flop with critics, but this heist thriller got away with $80 million at the box office. And in Hollywood, crisp dollar bills talk way louder than rotten tomatoes, leading to the announcement of a sequel just weeks after the first film hit theaters. "Den of Thieves 2: Pantera" will reunite original film stars Gerard Butler, O'Shea Jackson Jr, and Meadow Williams with writer-director Christian Gudegast. Joining them for the sequel is Swen Temmel in an undisclosed role.

According to Deadline, the film will follow "Big Nick (Butler), this time on the hunt in Europe for Donnie (Jackson Jr.), who's embroiled in the dangerous world of diamond thieves and the infamous Panther mafia as they plot a massive heist of the world's biggest diamond exchange." Deadline further reports that once again, Gudegast spent time "with notorious thieves and the investigators that hunt them" as part of his research for the film. We also know that former UFC champion Michael Bisping is joining the cast, which means we should expect some pretty awesome fight scenes.

Currently, "Den of Thieves 2: Pantera" is aiming for a late 2024 release, so the wait for more pulse-pounding heist action shouldn't be long.

Killer dolls amass devoted cult audiences by combining innocent childhood playthings with evil, murder, mayhem, and usually a little comedy. Following in the steps of Chucky, Annabelle, and "The Boy" comes "M3GAN," a high-tech take on the formula. In this film, a toy company's roboticist (Allison Williams) creates M3GAN, an eerily life-like doll with sophisticated artificial intelligence on board. She's able to learn and adapt to make life better for the child she's imprinted upon — in this case, the roboticist's niece (Violet McGraw). Naturally, things go awry, and M3GAN becomes violently overprotective of her young charge.

"M3GAN" earned $30 million its January 2023 opening weekend, far exceeding industry prognostications. Just days later, Universal took the early steps to bring a sequel to the big screen. Allison Williams and Violet McGraw are returning for the sequel, as is Akela Cooper, who penned the original script (as well as the wonderfully bonkers horror film "Malignant"). However, it's unknown if original director Gerald Johnstone is returning, but we do know that James Wan, Jason Blum, and Williams herself will be producing. Expect "M3GAN 2.0" to dance into theaters on January 17, 2025.

With its mix of blue-skinned aliens, environmental messages, and incredible action sequences, James Cameron's "Avatar" series has grossed billions of dollars at the box office. The first two "Avatar" films are among the highest-grossing movies of all time, and Cameron is gearing up for a third trip to Pandora. The man has plans for a five-film series, and we already know quite a bit about the upcoming third installment.

In January 2023, the director spoke to Deadline about "Avatar 3," saying, "Fire has a symbolic purpose in the film, and there's a culture that is specifically around that concept. ... You're going to meet two completely new cultures in the next film."

Evidently, this fire nation will be a bit different from your normal Na'vi. Led by Oona Chaplin from "Game of Thrones," the so-called "Ash People" will actually be a villainous bunch, with Cameron telling 20 Minutes (via /Film), "I want to reveal the Na'vi from another angle because [so far] I have only shown their good sides. In the early films, there are very negative human examples and very positive Na'vi examples. In 'Avatar 3,' we'll do the reverse." We also know that instead of Jake Sully doing voiceover, "Avatar 3" will be narrated by his son, Lo'ak, and we can also expect to see the return of Payakan the tulkun and Scoresby the whaler. We're also assuming that the movie will officially be called "Avatar: The Seed Bearer."

However, we will have to wait a while to return to Pandora. Originally, "Avatar 3" was meant to release on December 20, 2024, but after Disney majorly reshuffled their release slate, the film received a new theatrical date: December 19, 2025

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Before John Boyega was known for fighting intergalactic space battles in "Star Wars," he was fighting unsettling monstrous aliens in the urban sci-fi adventure "Attack the Block." Written and directed by Joe Cornish, the 2011 film starred Boyega as Moses, the leader of a teenage street gang in South London — a gang that decides to rid their neighborhood of vicious extraterrestrials after they unexpectedly start falling from the sky.

The sequel will reunite Boyega and Cornish, who's once again both writing and directing. This time, Boyega will also be acting as co-producer, in addition to reprising his role as Moses. Speaking to Deadline, Boyega said, "It's been a decade since 'Attack the Block' was released, and so much has changed since then. I'm excited to see this heightened story return to the streets of London. Moses has remained one of my favorite characters to play and bringing him back is a huge honor."

According to Deadline, the "Attack the Block" sequel will find Moses nearing the age of 30 and reflecting on a London changed by real-life events like the riots of 2011 and rampant gentrification. "We go back and look at the locations where we shot the first movie — once dodgy areas — and we find that it's all gleaming, high-end apartments and Starbucks," Boyega said. "There's a whole world that we're about to explore here with a whole new take on that universe, building and revisiting those characters."

Partially live-action and partially CGI, the visually arresting "Alita: Battle Angel" hit theaters in 2019. "Avatar" and "Titanic" filmmaker James Cameron produced and adapted the classic manga series for the screen, while "Spy Kids" and "Grindhouse" auteur Robert Rodriguez directed a cast including Oscar winners Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, and Mahershala Ali. Leading the picture is relative newcomer Rosa Salazar. She plays Alita, an amnesiac cyborg looking to find her place in the post-apocalyptic world and discover the truth about a robotic parts trafficking operation.

"Alita: Battle Angel" earned $404 million worldwide against a massive $170 million budget. It wasn't exactly a blockbuster, but in an August 2023 interview with Forbes, Cameron let slip that multiple sequels were in the works. The filmmaker announced plans to sell his Santa Barbara ranch because work would take him too far away. "On 'Avatar,' I'm working in Wellington and Los Angeles. And on the new 'Alita: Battle Angel' films, I'll be working in Austin, so it just didn't make sense for us anymore," he remarked. Beyond that, nothing else has been revealed about the new "Alita" entries. However, it's likely that Cameron will hand over directing duties to another filmmaker; he'll be busy for much of the next decade working on the effects-heavy "Avatar" series, with "Avatar 5" scheduled to hit theaters in 2031.

We appear to be in the midst of an Eddie Murphy renaissance. After gradually fading from the spotlight since his heyday in the '80s and early '90s, Murphy is suddenly back in a big way, giving a critically acclaimed performance in 2019's "Dolemite Is My Name," making a triumphant return to "Saturday Night Live" as host, lining up new standup comedy specials for Netflix, and announcing a sequel to one of his biggest hits from the '80s — "Beverly Hills Cop."

Marking the fourth installment in the "Beverly Hills Cop" franchise, this newest sequel will also be a collaboration between Murphy and Netflix, after Paramount previously pulled the plug on a planned "Beverly Hills Cop 4" back in 2016. Murphy will be reprising his role as Axel Foley, the Detroit cop who repeatedly finds himself traveling to Beverly Hills to investigate various crimes. "Beverly Hills Cop 4" was originally going to be directed by "Bad Boys for Life" directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, but after they dropped out to focus on "Batgirl," the job went to Mark Molloy, a rising filmmaker who's gained attention for his Apple commercials.

As for the screenplay, Murphy previously said he's ready to go as soon as the script is complete, and in August 2022, Deadline reported that Will Beall, best known for story credits on "Aquaman" and "Zack Snyder's Justice League," had taken on "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley." The one and only Kevin Bacon, "Zola" breakout star Taylour Paige, and veteran actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt will be joining Murphy in his fourth outing as the title character. Plus, original stars Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser, and Bronson Pinchot will all be returning to the franchise.

We've got a lot of sequels on this list that are set to release many years — or even decades — after the last installment in the series, but this one may win the award for longest gap between the original film and part two. Deadline reported in February 2022 that Steven Spielberg is eyeing a follow-up to the 1968 action thriller "Bullitt" as one of his next projects, following his Oscar-nominated remake of "West Side Story" and his semi-autobiographical coming-of-age drama "The Fabelmans." "Bullitt" starred Steve McQueen as San Francisco cop Frank Bullitt working to solve the murder of a key mob witness who was assassinated while under his protection.

Deadline's sources report that Spielberg's "Bullitt" will not be a remake of the McQueen film but rather a new story centered around the same character. As McQueen passed away in 1980, Spielberg will be recasting the role with none other than Bradley Cooper (via Deadline). McQueen's son, Chad, and granddaughter, Molly McQueen, have also signed on as executive producers for the film. Josh Singer ("The Post," "Spotlight") will be penning the script for Spielberg's "Bullitt," but since no other details or casting are in place yet, it may be a while before we see this one hit screens.

Every few years, another "Cloverfield" movie comes along. As recounted by Deadline, "Cloverfield" sequels have historically been developed under codenames, and aren't revealed to be part of the popular franchise until their trailers hit the big and small screens — or, in the case of 2018's "The Cloverfield Paradox," just before the film hit Netflix on Super Bowl Sunday. All three "Cloverfield" movies are dramatically different from one another: 2008's "Cloverfield" is a found-footage horror movie about a stampeding monster, 2016's "10 Cloverfield Lane" takes place almost entirely in a bunker, and "The Cloverfield Paradox" is a space thriller.

Considering this history of secrecy, it's likely nobody will know what the fourth "Cloverfield" movie is really about until just before it's released, which will be some time in the next few years. According to The Hollywood Reporter, franchise producer J.J. Abrams hired "The Ritual" scribe Joe Barton to write the screenplay in January 2021. In September 2022, Babak Anvari landed the director's job, following his well-received work on thoughtful and unsettling fare including "Under the Shadow" and "I Came By." Almost everything else about the movie, in true "Cloverfield" fashion, remains a mystery.

Coming off of the runaway success of 2018's "Crazy Rich Asians," it would be surprising if the opulent film didn't earn a sequel — and in fact, it's getting two. Based on Kevin Kwan's books of the same names, "China Rich Girlfriend" and "Rich People Problems" are both moving ahead at Warner Bros., although it may be a while before we get to see them. 

Due to the busy schedules of the franchise's A-list cast and director Jon M. Chu, it may be a bit before everyone can get together again for the next two installments in the "Crazy Rich Asians" saga. It also seems the scripts aren't completed yet, as Michelle Yeoh told E! News, "We are still waiting on it. We know there's a writer on it, so we'll see." That writer, according to Deadline, will be Amy Yang ("From Scratch"), supplanting the original film's authors Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim.

Producer Nina Jacobson says that the plan is to shoot both sequels back-to-back, so that fans aren't waiting years between the second and third films. So although there may be a long wait for "China Rich Girlfriend," Jacobson promises, "We'll make it up to them on the back end by shooting two films together." 

It's been two decades since the "Frat Pack" dominated Hollywood comedy. Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn, stalwarts of that scene, collaborated in many mid-2000s movies, notably 2004's "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story." A broad and wacky sports movie that simultaneously satirizes sports movie clichés, "Dodgeball" is a tale of good vs. evil set on the dodgeball court. In the world of this film, dodgeball a popular sport for spectators and adults, not just a grade school gym class activity. Vaughn portrayed Peter La Fleur, a good-guy slacker and leader of the Average Joes, the motley team of weirdos representing his workout center. Stiller played the cartoonish, fitness-obsessed and downright evil White Goodman, playing on behalf of Globo Gym. The Joes win, of course, staving off a takeover of Peter's gym by Goodman.

"Dodgeball" wraps up happily and conclusively, but since it was a massively profitable hit (netting a $168 million box office take against a $20 million budget) and an enduring favorite on cable TV, a sequel is on the way. In April 2023, Deadline reported that 20th Century Studios had ordered another round of "Dodgeball." "The Binge" screenwriter Jordan VanDina will pen the script, taking over from original writer (and director) Rawson Marshall Thurber. A director is yet to be announced, but Vaughn has already agreed to reprise the role of Peter, having successfully pitched an original idea for the movie to VanDina.

In August 2022, "Fall" was released with little fanfare. But this visceral indie thriller became a hit anyway, in large part because of its captivating and novel premise. Grace Caroline Currey and Virginia Gardner play a couple of friends who decide to climb all the way up a 2,000-foot tall radio tower in the middle of the desert. The scares and intensity don't come from the ascent, but from the aftermath — the pair gets trapped on the tower, without any clear means of getting down or being rescued. "Fall" earned nearly $22 million at the global box office, which is a tidy profit off its modest $3 million budget. It also became a hit on Netflix.

Clearly, there exists an audience eager for another scary movie about people getting caught in a high and precarious place. Tea Shop Productions and original "Fall" director Scott Mann announced in March 2023 that they were working on a sequel concept. "We've got a couple of ideas we're kicking around," Tea Shop co-creator James Harris told Deadline. "We don't want to make something that feels like a copycat." That being said, Currey may reprise her role in the "Fall" sequel," which filmmakers want to get rolling by late 2023.

Following comedies like "The Hangover," in which friends go on a trip and endure hilarious and raunchy chaos, "Girls Trip" was a summer blockbuster in 2017, winding up the top grossing comedy of the year. Four old friends head to New Orleans for the Essence Festival to reconnect, hang out, and network, but they wind up partying way too hard. Several big stars headlined the cast, including Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, and Jada Pinkett Smith, but "Girls Trip" offered the breakthrough role for comedian Tiffany Haddish, who stole the movie with her over-the-top portrayal of wild card Dina.

Hall told BuzzFeed News' "AM to DM" in August 2018 that a sequel was in the early stages. More than four years later, in January 2022, producer Will Packer announced on "Good Morning America" (via People) that work had officially started on a sequel. Packer assured viewers that all four principal cast members wanted to return, as did the original film's director, Malcolm D. Lee. But by August 2022, little progress had been made, on account of pandemic-related delays. "We're not in production. We're not ready yet," Hall told "Good Morning America" (via Entertainment Weekly). "Everything gets slowed down with schedules. It was going to move, and then Omicron happened." 

However, "Girls Trip" co-writer Tracy Oliver told Variety in January 2023 that work had progressed. "We're looking to set it in Ghana," she said, adding that Hall, Latifah, Smith, and Haddish were all set to reprise their roles.

For fans of 1970s-style new American cinema and crime epics like "The Godfather," the cinematic event of 1995 was "Heat." Featuring the rare and precious on-screen pairing of two of the most acclaimed tough-guy actors of their generation, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, "Heat" is a lengthy film noir about professional thieves who make a big mistake during a high-profile heist, and the LAPD officers closing in on them. "Heat" performed moderately well at the box office, earning $187 million worldwide, but it has since become a cult phenomenon.

"Heat" is also a project close to the heart of writer-director Michael Mann, who fashioned the film out of an overlooked made-for-TV movie called "L.A. Takedown." In 2022, Mann released a sequel, "Heat 2," in the form of an original novel. That tome will serve as source material for "Heat 2" the movie. Original "Heat" studio Warner Bros. entered into talks in early 2023 to produce the sequel. At the top of the studio's list of preferred actors for the project: "Marriage Story" and "Star Wars" star Adam Driver, who would play the young Neil McCauley, portrayed by De Niro in the first "Heat."

As 2023 wore on without a lack of notable development on the project, Variety asked Mann if he felt he had the time or inclination to make the "Heat 2" film now that he's in his eighties. "Don't misunderstand. I want to make it," Mann said. "But if I don't, I won't be incomplete."

For fans of the 1996 bowling comedy "Kingpin," you're in luck because a sequel is rolling down the pipeline. The original film featured Woody Harrelson as a former bowling prodigy who believes he's found his claim to fame when he discovers an Amish bowling superstar, played by Randy Quaid. It also starred Bill Murray as Harrelson's lifelong rival, as well as Vanessa Angel, Chris Elliott, Rob Moran, and Lin Shaye.

No details have yet been revealed about the sequel, other than that Peter and Bobby Farrelly, who directed the first film, will be back on board to produce "Kingpin 2." However, it's unclear whether the Farrelly brothers are intending to write or direct the sequel in addition to their producing duties. Similarly, none of the original cast is confirmed to be returning for the sequel, although fans would surely welcome another chance to see Harrelson and Murray unite on the big screen.

It's been 20 years since we last saw Elle Woods in "Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde," but it looks like the effervescent character is coming back for a third installment. Needless to say, Reese Witherspoon will reprise her iconic character, and she'll also act as a producer through her Hello Sunshine banner. Plus, she's brought on "Never Have I Ever" creator Mindy Kaling and "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" creator Dan Goor to pen the screenplay. 

Also returning for the sequel is Jennifer Coolidge, who starred in both previous films as Elle's friend Paulette, a character who Kaling teased will have a "really juicy" role in the film. We're not sure if anyone else from the original cast is coming back, but we do know we'll see a lot of diverse new faces. "Reflecting the world as it is now is something that's really important to Reese, and so having there be like diversity is super, super important," Kaling promised (via E! Online). "You can definitely count on that."

As a big fan of the original film, Kaling is very much looking forward to revisiting an older and wiser (and likely even more fabulous) Elle Woods. "I can't wait to see ... what people will think of the way we wrote Elle Woods at 40," said Kaling in an interview with Access Hollywood. "How Elle Woods is at 40 versus how she was at 21 has been really fun to imagine." But for those who worry that Elle may have outgrown the Bend and Snap, never fear. "Bend and Snap is forever," Kaling reassured fans.

However, we do wonder if the fate of Bron Studios will prevent us from seeing "Legally Blonde 3" in the near future. The company that backed films like "Joker," "Judas and the Black Messiah," and "Licorice Pizza" was also involved with "Legally Blonde 3," and the studio declared bankruptcy in July 2023.

A very dark drama about the morally and legally questionable practice of international arms dealing, "Lord of War" was a solidly received minor box office hit of 2005. Nicolas Cage stars as Yuri Orlov, a notorious Queens-based criminal who tries to avoid capture by federal agents and keep his business afloat. This involves a lot of interplay and ethical juggling between Orlov and his younger brother, Vitaly (Jared Leto). Now a sequel is coming, which will feature a similar dynamic. Here, Yuri meets and wages war against Anton, the son he supposedly never knew he had, played by "It" and "John Wick: Chapter 4" star Bill Skarsgard. 

In this "Lord of War" sequel, titled "Lords of War," Anton is driven to take down his father's dangerous enterprise, and aims to build an army of soldiers of fortune to participate in U.S.-led military operations in the Middle East. Produced by Vendome Pictures and Cage's Saturn Films, "Lords of War" will begin filming in fall 2023 with a script and direction from Andrew Niccol, Oscar-nominated screenwriter of "The Truman Show" and the filmmaker behind the first "Lord of War."

Although 2021's "Mortal Kombat," based on the hit video game franchise, didn't wow the critics, it performed well enough at the box office and on HBO Max to get a sequel greenlit. The script for "Mortal Kombat 2" will come from "Moon Knight" creator Jeremy Slater, with Simon McQuoid returning to direct. 

Lewis Tan will reprise the role of martial artist Cole Tan, and basically everybody from the first film is coming back for part two. Expect to see Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade, Josh Lawson as Kano, Mehcad Brooks as Jax, Ludi Lin as Liu Kang, Max Huang as Kung Lao, Tadanobu Asano as Lord Raiden, and Chin Han as Shang Tsung. Plus, the epic rivalry continues, as Joe Taslim is back as Sub-Zero and Hiroyuki Sanada is returning as Scorpion.

The sequel will presumably pick up where the first film left off, with Cole on a mission to seek out the martial artist and movie star Johnny Cage. Cage is set to play be played by "The Boys" lead Karl Urban, and we can also expect to see Tati Gabrielle ("You") as Jade, Adeline Rudolph ("Chilling Adventures of Sabrina") as Kitana, Martyn Ford ("F9") as Shao Khan, Desmond Chiam ("Joy Ride") as King Jerrod, Ana Thu Nguyen ("The Spy Who Never Dies") as Queen Sindel, and Damon Herriman ("Once Upon a Time in Hollywood") as Quan Chi. 

The first film released simultaneously on HBO Max and in theaters, but we're expecting this one to play exclusively in theaters. As for its current status, filming began in June 2023. However, when screen actors labor union SAG-AFTRA voted to strike in July 2023, "Mortal "Kombat 2" temporarily stopped production. That's certain to delay the release of the video game adaptation sequel.

2021's "Nobody" stars unlikely action hero Bob Odenkirk — best known for his performance as Saul Goodman on "Better Call Saul" and "Breaking Bad" and his extensive comedy career — as seemingly unassuming dad Hutch Mansell. When his mundane life is upended by Russian mobsters, Hutch must get back in touch with the skills he cultivated as an assassin.

Conditions were ripe for a sequel. There's rage to spare in Hutch's heart, and "Nobody" was a rare hit of the COVD-19 era. In August 2022, "Nobody" director David Leitch told Collider that another film was in the (very early) works. "Everyone involved is like, 'Full steam ahead,'" Leitch said. "We are in the script process ... the studio loved the results, and it's happening. I mean, I think it's happening as fast as we can make it happen." 

As far as that script goes, "Nobody" screenwriter Derek Kolstad participated in a Collider interview of his own in April 2021, during which he discussed the possibility of a sequel. As it turns out, he already has some killer ideas for a potential opening scene. And it seems like the film will be shooting in 2023, so expect to see Odenkirk beating up bad guys very soon. And if he has his way, the action will be mixed with a bit of humor.

Speaking with IndieWire, Odenkirk revealed, "I found the action sequences [in 'Nobody'] a great deal of fun and close to doing sketch comedy. I love the early Jackie Chan films, which had humor in them. I'd like to get that in the future." He also added that he wants to do a third film one day. "My hope is we get to do a trilogy, and he ends up with nothing. He destroys everything he loves."

If anyone had predicted in the early 2010s that one of the most universally beloved and critically acclaimed franchises of the decade would center around a marmalade-loving CGI bear, people would have dismissed them as living in a fantasy world. Yet the two existing "Paddington" films managed to enrapture critics and audiences alike, and viewers can't seem to get enough of the sweet-natured bear and his kind-hearted family. So it's only fitting that a third "Paddington" is on the way.

However, while the first two "Paddington" films were helmed by director Paul King, the third will have to find its way without him. King will be staying on as executive producer, but he's decided to step away from the director's chair for "Paddington in Peru," telling Empire Magazine, "At some point, you just have to stop. It might be time for somebody else to do a twist on it." That somebody else will be Dougal Wilson, a veteran of commercials and music videos making his feature film directorial debut. 

As for the actors involved, Hugh Bonneville (Henry Brown), Samuel Joslin (Jonathan Brown), Madeleine Harris (Judy Brown), Julie Walters (Mrs. Bird), Jim Broadbent (Mr. Gruber), Imelda Staunton (Aunt Lucy), and Ben Whishaw (Paddington) are all set to return. Emily Mortimer replaces Sally Hawkins in the role of Mary Brown, while Oscar-winner Olivia Colman will play a chipper nun who runs a home for retired bears. Rounding out the main cast, we've got Antonio Banderas as Hunter Cabot, a roguish riverboat captain who guides the Browns through the wilds of Peru, and Rachel Zegler ("West Side Story") as daughter, Gina Cabot.

The rare supernatural horror movie that's also a 1980s period piece and something of a biopic starring an Oscar-winning actor, "The Pope's Exorcist" was a solid hit, earning a tidy $66 million in spring 2023. Russell Crowe stars as Father Gabriele Amorth, a character based on the very real person of the same name, who allegedly spent years casting out demons on behalf of the Roman Catholic Church.

"The Pope's Exorcist" tells just a small part of Amorth's story — specifically, the time during which he claimed to have expelled tens of thousands of demons. That makes for a lot of sequel potential, and indeed, just two weeks after "The Pope's Exorcist" hit movie theaters, Screen Gems began development on another movie about Amorth's demon-hunting adventures. No word yet on whether Crowe will return to the role, or if the original film's helmer Julius Avery is in line to direct the sequel.

In 2022, Netflix premiered "The Sea Beast," an adventurous folk tale from Chris Williams. "The Sea Beast" is set in a distant land and time where giant ships rule the global economy, scary beasts roam the sea, and fearsome monster hunters explore the far corners of the Earth. Jacob Holland (Karl Urban), the greatest hunter of them all, gets an unexpected sidekick when a lost little kid named Maisie (Zaris-Angel Hator) stows away on his vessel.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, "The Sea Beast" quickly became one of Netflix's biggest-ever in-house hits. It's the streamer's most-watched animated original movie, and spent the second-most time of any 2022 film in the top 10 most-watched list. Naturally, Netflix wants to be in long-term business with Chris Williams. The director has two more movies in the works for Netflix, one of which is a sequel to "The Sea Beast." The follow-up film will pick up after the events of the first installment, and will likely feature some kind of seafaring adventure. Interestingly, Williams won't say if Red, the titular monster from the first film, will make an appearance in the new movie.

Williams has some ideas of where a follow-up could go, and they've informed his scriptwriting. "I kept thinking about that image of Jacob and Maisie on the dock and the fact that they're this new family. And that image, it doesn't tell the entire truth of what it is to be a family. A family's much more complicated than that," he told /Film. He's also intrigued about what would happen to the hunting community after the events of the first film. "I started wondering, 'Would every single hunter in the world be so willing to lay down their lance and give up their source of income and their identity and their source of pride and their sense of history? Would they be so willing to give it up?' And maybe not all of them would be."

Mere days after the 2021 Chris Pratt sci-fi action film "The Tomorrow War" dropped on Amazon Prime, Amazon Studios and Skydance were already talking about a sequel. The first film — which also starred Yvonne Strahovski, Betty Gilpin, Sam Richardson, Edwin Hodge, and J.K. Simmons — centered around Pratt's character, who's recruited as a soldier to travel to the future and fight a war to save humanity. The sequel would reportedly bring back the entire main cast, along with director Chris McKay and writer Zach Dean.

"The Tomorrow War" earned an enthusiastic reaction from Amazon Prime subscribers, who viewed it enough for it to debut as the number one film across streaming platforms over the July 4 holiday weekend. So it's no wonder that the studios would be eagerly circling a sequel, although no plans are confirmed yet. And while we don't yet know what the story of a potential "The Tomorrow War 2" would be, we have no doubt it will be just as thrilling and action-packed as the first film.

Not long after the Christmas Day premiere of the 2020 superhero film "We Can Be Heroes" on Netflix, the streamer announced that a sequel was already on the way. Featuring characters from both "Spy Kids" and "The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl," "We Can Be Heroes" is a similar sort of family adventure film focusing on superpowered kids tasked with saving the day when the adults go missing. According to Netflix's own internal metrics, "We Can Be Heroes" was viewed by 44 million households during its first four weeks.

With such impressive numbers, it's no surprise that writer and director Robert Rodriguez was already planning the sequel by January. Speaking to Collider about the possibility of a part two, Rodriguez said, "I've already got ideas in mind because we'd have to jump right into it." The tight timeline is referring to how quickly kids grow up, meaning that the sequel would need to move into production rapidly in order to keep its young stars relatively the same age. So while we don't have an official timeline for "We Can Be Heroes 2" yet, rest assured that we won't be waiting long.

After writing and directing the classic indie horror movies "The Evil Dead" and "Evil Dead II" but before he became the A-lister behind blockbusters like the first "Spider-Man" trilogy, Sam Raimi ventured into the superhero realm for the first time with "Darkman." It's a dark, comic book-like revenge thriller about a scientist presumed dead, who dons a hat, trench coat, and thick facial bandages to get his revenge on the bad guys who nearly burned him to death. Oh yeah, he's also super strong and can create new faces out of experimental skin, but these disguises never last long as they're sensitive to light. 

Not only was it directed by Raimi, it was one of the first major movies for future superstar Liam Neeson and three-time Oscar winner Frances McDormand. A couple of obscure sequels to "Darkman" already exist in the form of the straight-to-video "Darkman II: The Return of Durant" and "Darkman III: Die Darkman Die" starring Arnold Vosloo in lieu of Neeson. Raimi didn't have anything to do with those, and he'd love to revisit the "Darkman" world with a sequel set many years after the events of the first film. In 2022, he told TheWrap that the sequel was in the extremely early stages of development. "There's a producer attached. I haven't heard the story yet or gone into it," Raimi said, adding, "But I think it's cool." Nothing in the way of creative crew, cast, or release date has officially been confirmed quite yet.

Not only one of the most consistently creepy franchises in recent years, the Vera Farmiga/Patrick Wilson headlined "Conjuring" universe is also one of the most lucrative series of any kind, raking in over $2 billion at the global box office. That includes the haunted doll "Annabelle" movies, "The Nun," and the original "Conjuring" trilogy, set off by the '70s-set modern horror classic from 2013 about paranormal investigators Lorraine and Ed Warren who look into claims of a dark and evil presence at a spooky rural farmhouse where a bunch of dark and evil acts once occurred. The Warrens' ghost-hunting continued in 2016's "The Conjuring 2" and 2021's "The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It."

With plenty more ghost stories to tell and a receptive, paying audience ready to watch them, "The Conjuring" franchise will expand again with a fourth movie, subtitled "Last Rites." According to The Hollywood Reporter, lead studio New Line has already signed up David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, who penned both "Conjuring" sequels, to write the script for the fourth movie. Franchise-originating producers James Wan and Peter Safran will also return to oversee the new film. Farmiga and Wilson are once more playing the roles of Lorraine and Ed Warren, although we don't know the plot or the release date. More importantly, will this be the final "Conjuring" movie? The film's title seems pretty ominous in that regard. Well, when asked that question in a January 2023 interview with Collider, Wan responded, "You never know. We'll see."

Now one of the most beloved stars who's ever kicked his way across the silver screen, Jackie Chan found Hollywood success with the action-comedy "Rush Hour." The 1998 film paired Chan's martial arts-savvy Hong Kong detective with Chris Tucker's joke-a-minute Los Angeles cop. Together, the two rescued the kidnapped daughter of a Chinese diplomat, starred in the eighth highest-grossing movie of the year, and kicked off two sequels.

Well, better make that three sequels. At the Red Sea International Film Festival, Jackie Chan revealed that he's in talks to make a "Rush Hour 4." He even added that he was about to go talk with the director about the upcoming film. However, he didn't clarify the filmmaker's identity. The previous installments in the series were all helmed by Brett Ratner, but as Ratner is now persona non grata in Hollywood, you'd think a new director would be stepping up to bat. However, back in 2018, Ratner claimed he'd be making a fourth "Rush Hour" film, so it remains to be seen who'll be helming the new martial arts comedy.

However, it does look like Tucker is coming back. Speaking with V-103's "Big Tigger Morning Show," Tucker talked about his upcoming work schedule, saying, "You're going to see a lot of good stuff coming, but it's going to be on a whole other level. ... 'Rush Hour 4,' that's something I definitely will probably drop in there because I love working with Jackie."

Indian films rarely find success in the Western world, but evidently, nobody told that to "RRR." The movie has become a phenomenon thanks to its over-the-top action, incredible dance choreography, and bromance between NTR Jr.'s Komaram Bheem and Ram Charan's Alluri Sitarama Raju as they flip motorcycles and unleash big cats in their battle against the British. And if you need more numbers like "Naatu Naatu" in your life, never fear. It looks like the Tollywood sensation is getting a sequel, as Variety confirmed with director S.S. Rajamouli that his father, V. Vijayendra Prasad — who wrote the first film — will pen part two. We also know that NTR Jr. and Ram Charan Teja will be returning to fight their English enemies. 

Prasad told Bollywood Hungama that his son is too busy with another film for the time being, and would approach "RRR 2" when his schedule clears. It's possible that Rajamouli could use his father's idea and completed script for the sequel. "The story continues with Sitarama Raju and Komarem Bheem set in Africa," he said (via Koimoi). That's all the information that exists at the moment, but we're incredibly psyched for three more hours of epic fight scenes and glorious dance sequences.

Released in 1982, Disney's "Tron" was the first film featuring long sequences rendered entirely with computers. Starring Jeff Bridges as a video game designer trapped in one of his own projects, the film became a cult classic, so much so that Disney released "Tron: Legacy" in 2010, starring Garrett Hedlund as Flynn's son, who enters the dangerous cyber dimension to retrieve his father.

"Tron: Legacy" performed well enough to prompt Disney to order a sequel, "Tron: Ascension." "Tron: Legacy" director Joseph Kosinski had the entire film written and storyboarded when Disney canceled the project in 2015. That third "Tron" movie project lay dormant for seven years. However, Academy Award winner Jared Leto stepped up to get "Tron 3" into production as far back as 2017, and in 2023, Disney finally green-lit a new sci-fi adventure titled "Tron: Ares." 

A direct sequel to "Tron: Legacy," the new film will star Leto, acting out a script by Jesse Wigutow, best known for writing a never-produced reboot of "The Crow." Joachim Rønning, a live-action Disney favorite who helmed "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales," is set to direct. Leto will play Ares, the Tron program in its human form, who somehow enters the human world. Greta Lee of "Past Lives" and "Russian Doll" has been cast in a lead role, and Emmy-winning "Mare of Easttown" actor Evan Peters will co-star in a yet to be disclosed part. 

You can also expect to see Jodie Turner-Smith of "Queen & Slim," and it's been rumored that Cillian Murphy might play the villain, reprising his role as ENCOM bigwig Edward Dillinger Jr. Sarah Desjardins ("Yellowjackets") and Cameron Monaghan ("Shameless") also joined the cast of the film in July 2023.

During a quarterly earnings call in February 2023, Disney CEO Bob Iger delivered some news designed to get investors hyped about the future of the entertainment conglomerate — sequels to some of Disney's biggest movies were on the way. Along with new "Zootopia" and "Frozen" movies, the Disney-owned Pixar will produce and release "Toy Story 5."

The yet-to-be-announced plot of "Toy Story 5" would have to find a way to reunite the franchise's characters and start fresh. "Toy Story 4" ended conclusively, with Woody leaving his toy gang to build a life with Bo Peep while the rest returned to live in Bonnie, their human overlord since "Toy Story 3." Pixar creative chief officer Pete Docter told Variety in June 2023 that both Woody and Buzz would be back, the former presumably voiced by Tom Hanks as usual and the latter by Tim Allen — who seemingly confirmed his return via a tweet.

As for when "Toy Story 5" might lighten the idea of movie theaters, Disney has claimed a few far-off release dates with no specific films attached. It's likely that "Toy Story 5" will occupy one of the slots earmarked specifically for Pixar projects. There's June 13, 2025, it could be March 6, 2026, or there's also June 19, 2026.

In an investor earnings call in February 2023, Disney CEO Bob Iger hinted at a bright future for the company's cinematic prospects, announcing that pre-production had started on some big franchise entries. In addition to mentioning "Toy Story 5" and "Frozen 3," Iger broke the news that "Zootopia 2" was happening.

Earning more than $1 billion at the global box office in 2016, "Zootopia" presented a bustling city populated by talking animals, with the plot centered around idealistic rookie rabbit police officer Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and scrappy small-time fox crook Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman). Together, they solve a mystery with links to the city's most powerful mammals while gently suggesting allegorical lessons about the importance of tolerance and diversity.

Disney expanded the "Zootopia" universe in 2022 with the "Zootopia+" series of shorts for its Disney+ streaming service in advance of a full-fledged big-screen sequel. The plot of "Zootopia 2" will further flesh out the universe, although the premise is yet to be announced. However, we're guessing it will likely involve the police exploits of Hopps, along with new force member Wilde. It's also unclear when "Zootopia 2" will hit theaters. Disney staked out a few release dates with the titles to be named later. "Zootopia 2" will likely fill one of the spots reserved for animated projects: November 27, 2024; November 26, 2025; November 25, 2026.

Since it started making animated features back in 1937 with "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," Disney has produced a lot of classics that have made a lot of money. The most recent addition to that rarified canon was "Frozen." Released in 2013 and based on a story by Hans Christian Andersen, "Frozen" earned $1.2 billion by combining a plot about self-acceptance (Queen Elsa's ice touch inadvertently creates a permanent winter) with unforgettable characters (Olaf the self-aware snowman) and showtunes (the Oscar-winning "Let It Go"). 

The global embrace of "Frozen" — and probably the $122.7 billion in merchandise sales — made "Frozen II" a given for Disney. The enchanted road movie, in which Elsa, sister Anna, Olaf, and others leave their kingdom to discover the secret behind the queen's freezing powers, out-earned its predecessor with a $1.4 billion box office haul.

Clearly, the people want more "Frozen," and Disney is more than happy to provide it. During a 2023 investor call, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced that "Frozen 3" was in the early stages of production. Cast members Josh Gad (Olaf) and Idina Menzel (Elsa) have publicly confirmed that they'll return to the franchise. Meanwhile, and while she'll remain on the production in some way, "Frozen" and "Frozen II" co-director Jennifer Lee announced in June 2023 that she won't helm "Frozen 3."

Disney has yet to say much about the plot of "Frozen 3," but fans can probably figure out a tentative release date. Without committing specific titles to any as of yet, Disney will release movies on a few dates in 2025 and 2026. Look for "Frozen 3" to arrive on November 26, 2025 or November 25, 2026.

The original "Scream" was one of the biggest smash hits of 1996, earning $173 million. Starring the era's biggest young stars, the movie lays out the rules of what has become an enduring franchise: A series of murders take place, with every move the killer makes evoking a different horror movie trope. What ensures are some seriously bloody, gory, and frightening horror movies, but they're also self-aware, clever, and utterly savage parodies. Hit sequels followed in 1997 and 2000, along with a one-off franchise reboot attempt in 2011.

Like an undead horror movie villain who's back for more mayhem, the "Scream" franchise has returned from dormancy multiple times. 2022's "Scream" and 2023's "Scream VI" were both successful enough to ensure further flicks; Spyglass entered preproduction on "Scream 7" in August 2023. Christopher Landon will direct, which is welcome news. Landon is a specialist in helming horror movies laced with pitch black-comedy, including "Freaky" and the "Happy Death Day" movies. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, directors of the previous two "Scream" entries, will be too busy making a new horror film for Universal, so they'll serve as executive producers on "Scream 7."

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have been part of pop culture for decades. Starting out as the stars of a darkly funny underground comic book, these four mutated turtles are named after Renaissance artists, study with a wise old rat named Splinter, and fight a crime lord named Shredder — when they aren't living in the sewer and eating pizza, that is. They've starred in multiple animated TV series and seven theatrical movies. Following a trilogy of martial arts-oriented live-action films in the early 1990s and 2016's "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows," the Turtles returned to animation with 2023's critically acclaimed "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem."

Days before the projected blockbuster opening of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem," Paramount got ahead of the demand. The studio announced development of a two-season, 2-D animated series on Paramount+, "Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles." A sequel to "Mutant Mayhem," the series will lead to another newly announced project: yet another theatrical film in the rebooted franchise. "Mutant Mayhem" director and co-screenwriter Jeff Rowe is set to return to the second movie, as will franchise overseer Lukas Williams on behalf of production company Point Grey Pictures. The primary voice actors of "Mutant Mayhem" — Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu, and Brady Noon — have signed up for the connected TV series, which means they're likely to come back for the yet-to-be-subtitled film sequel.  Plot details and the release date remain undisclosed.