Everyone loves a good movie franchise. Look at the success of Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, James Bond, and Star Wars. While the former two were the biggest cinematic staples of their time, the latter two have spanned over decades, with more films to be released. When film franchises are done right, they can be incredibly memorable and profitable.
Every studio is hoping to get their hands on the next big thing, evident with the rising trend (inspired by Marvel) of post-credits scenes hinting at a sequel. However, not every film franchise makes it to the end. Whether it’s due to production issues, box office performance, or critical response, many franchises have been discontinued over the years, sometimes only after one film.
'Percy Jackson' (2010-2013)
Based on the fantasy books by Rick Riordan, the Percy Jackson films hoped to recreate the success of Harry Potter. Things did not go to plan, with only two films released. 2010’s The Lightning Thief was met with a mild reception from audiences and critics, while its 2013 sequel Sea of Monsters was a box office and critical disaster.
Fans were not happy with the age difference of the characters: they were 17 in the films and 12 in the books, amongst other changes. Disney+ recently announced a TV series, which will hopefully stay more truthful to the source material.
'The Mortal Instruments' (2013)
The first book of Cassandra Clare’s popular young adult fantasy series was adapted into The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. Producers were so confident that they announced a sequel even before the film’s release, and the casting of Sigourney Weaver in a major role.
Unfortunately for them, the film underperformed at the box office and was met with negative reception from critics and fans alike. The sequel never came to be, but the series was then adapted into the TV show Shadowhunters, which ran for three seasons.
'The Chronicles of Narnia' (2005-2010)
C.S. Lewis’ beloved The Chronicles of Narnia books got the film treatment in 2005 with The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. The movie was a huge hit, and while its 2008 sequel Prince Caspian wasn’t as successful, it was still received well enough.
After the release of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in 2010, plans were made for a fourth film, which didn’t go ahead after many studio changes and the loss of rights to the property. Netflix announced a Narnia TV series a few years ago, but there have been no updates since. Here’s hoping it’s still happening!
'Divergent' (2014-2016)
After the success of The Hunger Games, many franchises tried to follow in its footsteps, including young adult dystopian sci-fi Divergent. The 2014 film and its sequel Insurgent were moderately successful but never reached significant heights.
After the third film Allegiant performed underwhelmingly with both audiences and critics, it was decided that the final film would instead be a TV movie. However, none of the cast members were keen to wrap the series up this way, and after declining to return, the project fell apart.
'Ender’s Game' (2013)
Summit Entertainment, who brought us the hugely successful Twilight franchise, tried their luck again with sci-fi Ender’s Game. Based on the books by Orson Scott Card, it was supposed to launch a series but only ended up with one film.
The film received lukewarm critical reception and dismal box office returns. While there has been no official word on the status of a sequel, given that the film barely made back its budget, it's extremely unlikely to see any follow-up. Perhaps audiences were tired of the young adult trend which was milked to death in the years following.
'Justice League' (2017, 2021)
The production of Justice League is incredibly complicated. Zack Snyder was set to direct two Justice League films but had to depart due to a personal tragedy. Joss Whedon took over as director, producing a film that changed Snyder’s vision completely and was hugely unpopular with critics and audiences.
Fans rallied to have Snyder’s cut of the film released in 2021, which was a huge improvement, and even teased a sequel. However, due to the 2017 version’s performance and the existence of the Snyder Cut, Justice League 2 isn’t happening anytime soon.
'The Amazing Spider-Man' (2012-2014)
Following in the footsteps of Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield suited up as Peter Parker in The Amazing Spider-Man and its sequel. The first film did fairly well, but the second was blasted by critics, overstuffed due to too many setups and tangled plot lines.
The sequel did tease a third film with its open-ending, which was even announced before release. It never came to fruition though, which may have been a blessing in hindsight. Andrew Garfield got to complete his Spidey-arc by reprising his role in Spider-Man: No Way Home, which gave him the sendoff he deserved.
'Journey to the Center of the Earth' (2008-2012)
Journey to the Center of the Earth, inspired by the novel by Jules Verne, was released in 2008 and starred Brendan Fraser and Josh Hutcherson. Its sequel, The Mysterious Island, saw Hutcherson return with Dwayne Johnson, and was a solid hit.
The studio had also announced Journey 3: From The Earth To The Moon, which was even teased in the sequel’s ending. After years of development, Johnson announced in 2018 the film was canceled, due to not being able to figure out a creative direction to take the film in.
'Eragon' (2006)
Eragon was based on the first book of Christopher Paolini’s epic Inheritance Cycle tetralogy. The studio planned to adapt the rest of the series, which was canceled due to the film’s poor critical reception and fan response.
Despite boasting an all-star cast and stunning visual effects, viewers were ultimately left disappointed with its unfaithfulness to the source material. Another factor could have also been fantasy fatigue, as The Lord of the Rings had been released a few years prior, and was the superior version that Eragon wanted to be.
'The Dark Tower' (2017)
The Dark Tower is an adaptation of Stephen King’s sprawling book series. Instead of adapting the source material directly, the film was instead a continuation of the series, which may be one of the many reasons why it was so poorly received.
Failing on both an audience and critical front, many found the film convoluted, underwhelming, and far too short for such an expansive series and world. Amazon announced a TV adaptation, but that too didn’t work out. Who knows when, or if, we’ll see the rest of this story on screen.