It’s hard for films to live up to a legacy set by the original. Even though there’s a risk of diminishing returns with each new addition to a franchise, few legacy sequels have defied the odds and proven to be a worthy successor to the original movie, as in the case of Creed.
Horror franchises like Halloween and Scream were dead in the water until studios revitalized the series with the legacy sequels. Although it’s disappointing to witness a property make a turn for the worst with one box office blunder, it only takes one compelling installment to course correct.
10 'Tron: Legacy' (2010)
Tron: Legacy is a sequel centered around Sam Flynn, the son of the main protagonist from 1982’s Tron. Advances in technology attributed to the sequel eclipsed the previous film's success.
A sequel for the Tron franchise made perfect sense because the original cult film’s modest gross warranted a reintroduction to a mainstream audience. The sequel followed in the original’s footsteps with an Oscar nomination for sound editing. The $400 million box office gross for the second installment makes it one of Hollywood’s most successful niche films.
9 'Bad Boys For Life' (2020)
The Bad Boys franchise is a beloved staple of the buddy cop comedy genre. In an attempt to capitalize on the wave of successful over-the-top reboots for series like Mission: Impossible and The Fast and the Furious, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence reunited for Bad Boys For Life to retool the series.
The third installment fought through COVID restrictions to deliver a successful box office run. The elements in the sequel mirror The Fast and Furious series, and the hope is that the reboot puts the characters in line for similar box office success. Smith and Lawrence have already begun shooting another sequel.
8 'Ghostbusters: Afterlife' (2021)
Sony’s failed attempts to recapture lightning in a bottle with the Ghostbusters franchise had left the series hollow. The first film was a commercial success and was beloved by critics and fans. Ghostbusters: Afterlife checks all the boxes set by its classic predecessor.
Before the original director’s death, Ivan Reitman handed the keys to the franchise to his son Jason Reitman. The resulting reboot was praised by audiences and jump-started the once-lifeless series that’s now in line for an upcoming sequel scheduled for later this year.
7 'Scream' (2022)
The recognizable Ghostface is a staple of Halloween, but most kids were oblivious to the costume’s connection to the Scream franchise. The series tailed off in the 2000s, but after its recent reboot, Scream is back on track.
The mystery film centered around a new generation of relatives of the original cast, proving a franchise without the original characters may have legs. A sequel to Scream is being released this year and will be the first film in the series to exclude Neve Campbell’s character.
6 'Creed' (2015)
One of Rocky’s most beloved characters is brought back from the dead when Apollo’s son assumes the leading role in Creed. The filmmaking achievements in Creed bring prestige to a series that had become a campy shell of itself.
Sylvester Stallone received an Oscar nomination for his revival of Philadelphia’s favorite son. The direction and fight choreography made fans take the spinoff serious and cemented Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler as household names.
5 'Halloween' (2018)
2018’s Halloween course corrects the franchise while serving as a direct sequel to the 1978 horror classic. The box office success and critical acclaim of the legacy sequel have revitalized the Halloween series and the slasher genre.
After becoming the highest-grossing entry in the franchise in its opening weekend, Blumhouse green-lit the sequels Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends. Franchises like Scream were inspired to kick the tires on their old slasher film properties following the success of the Halloween reboot.
4 'Mad Max: Fury Road' (2015)
Thirty years after the preceding installment, Mad Max: Fury Road introduced audiences to the Road Warrior. Mad Max’s new supporting cast rejuvenated the saga and opened the door to possibilities for future movies involving the post-apocalyptic antihero.
In addition to being labeled the most financially successful film in the chronicle, Mad Max: Fury Road is also the most critically acclaimed. The action film is the first installment in the series to garner attention from the Academy Awards and won six out of 10 of its nominations.
3 'Jurassic World' (2015)
Twenty-two years after the inception of the Jurassic Park franchise, fans got to see the park open its gates to the public in Jurassic World. The prehistoric movie series was provided a spark by the 2015 installment that became the highest-grossing film of the franchise.
The success of the legacy sequel spawned a new trilogy. In addition to the films, two Lego animated projects and Netflix’s Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous animation round out the refreshed story.
2 'Top Gun: Maverick' (2022)
Tom Cruise returns as Maverick in Top Gun: Maverick to train new characters introduced as graduates from the Top Gunn program. Taking place 36 years after the original, the built-up anticipation caused fans to crowd into theaters to shatter box office expectations for the sequel.
The forgivable time gap between films was pardoned after Top Gun: Maverick became the highest-grossing film of Cruise’s career. The property was reintroduced to a new generation, and after crossing a billion dollars, whispers of sequel talks are getting louder.
1 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' (2015)
Polarizing prequels left a sour taste in most Star Wars fans’ mouths. Following the 2015 reboot of the space saga, the box office numbers indicated that an overwhelming majority of the mainstream audience was ready for more stories related to the galaxy far, far away.
Following a ten-year hiatus, Star Wars: The Force Awakens sparked a new trilogy and three spin-off movies. In addition, the stretched universe shows no signs of halting, with four upcoming green-lit pictures currently in development.