Everyone Knew These 3 Sequels Were Terrible Ideas, But They Made Them Anyway!

“The original is better!” is a common reaction. Often, it’s true. However, there are exceptions where the sequel turns out to be better than the original, even surpassing it. For instance, no disrespect to George Lucas or the quality of the first Star Wars movie, but many prefer The Empire Strikes Back, which is superior in many ways.

When James Cameron delivered Terminator, a masterpiece of sci-fi cinema, he brilliantly laid the groundwork for a franchise that unfortunately has declined over the years. Yet, Terminator 2 made a grand entry into the hall of fame of action films, with its exhilarating, iconic scenes and groundbreaking special effects.

One can also confidently state that The Dark Knight outshines Batman Begins, that Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 is far superior to the first installment, and some might even prefer The Godfather Part II over the original, despite the 1972 movie being undeniably one of the greatest films in cinematic history.

These are works that will never face accusations of illegitimacy. However, the same cannot be said for many other film sequels that were known disasters in the making but were produced anyway because the allure of the dollar was too strong. Here are three such examples.

Basic Instinct 2

It’s an understatement to say that the provocative erotic thriller Basic Instinct, released in 1992, made a lasting impression. Directed by Paul Verhoeven, it became one of the most iconic films of that decade, also catapulting Sharon Stone to fame, notably with her infamous interrogation scene.

The film’s success even inspired a slew of erotic thrillers, though none could match its level: Sliver by Philip Noyce in 1993, Color of Night by Richard Rush in 1994, Barry Levinson’s Disclosure, and Jade by William Friedkin in 1995.

Nevertheless, 14 years later, an official sequel to Basic Instinct was released. Sharon Stone returned as the lead, but neither the director nor the screenwriter Joe Eszterhas from the first film were involved.

Basic Instinct 2 almost proceeded without its star. In 1999, Stone decided to retire her ice pick following a dispute over her pay for the film. Several actresses were considered to replace her, including rising star Ashley Judd and a then-struggling Demi Moore.

Not just backing out, Sharon Stone sued the producers in 2001, demanding the $14 million from her contract even if the film wasn’t made. Ultimately, the lawsuit was dropped, and Stone agreed with producers Mario Kassar and Andrew G. Vajna to restart the project in 2004.

By June 2001, MGM studios had already abandoned the sequel, frustrated by successive filmmaker withdrawals and the producers’ failure to secure a lead actor. It was clear that no one wanted to board this doomed ship, except Sharon Stone.

Ultimately, the film’s dismal fate at the international box office, earning a paltry $38 million and being panned by critics, went unnoticed.

And now, a remake of the original film is being prepared, with the return of the original screenwriter, Joe Eszterhas. “How old is Joe Eszterhas?” Sharon Stone asked while searching on Google. “Oh, he’s 81 years old! I bet he really knows what’s sexy,” she remarked sarcastically.

Blues Brothers 2000

Right after being released from prison, Jake Blues is taken by his brother Elwood to Sister Mary Stigmata, who runs the orphanage where they were raised. To save it from closure, they need to raise $5,000 or face eviction. Their brilliant idea? Reunite their blues band.

The Blues Brothers were definitively the late John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, a duo born on Saturday Night Live and successfully extended to the music stage with a repertoire of blues. A film remarkable for its action (breaking records with 103 cars wrecked!), The Blues Brothers is primarily a musical delight featuring a true Who’s Who of R’n’B: Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Cab Calloway, James Brown. The result? An absolutely legendary soundtrack… for a legendary film!

Blues Brothers 2000 is a classic example of a sequel that came too late—18 years later, to be exact. Although director John Landis had begun planning a sequel before John Belushi’s death, the latter’s passing two years after the original had forced him to drop the project. It wasn’t until Dan Aykroyd later encouraged him to complete it anyway, owing to the popularity of the soundtrack, that it moved forward.

The truth is, “nobody wanted to do it,” as John Goodman explained in an interview with AV Club, despite taking on the role of the late Belushi. “Danny and I did this movie for free, just to help get it made,” he revealed, suggesting that studio politics had really tied Aykroyd’s hands. “No one wanted to do it, and the studios had their own vision of how to handle it, and Danny is a very accommodating person.” This included letting Universal insist on a PG-13 rating and a script that even the director found “homogenized and uninteresting.”

The result was a humiliating flop at the international box office, earning just over $14 million. Today, hardly anyone remembers this film, unlike its (glorious) predecessor.

Speed 2: Cruise Control

Released in 1994 and starring the duo of Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock against the nefarious Dennis Hopper, Speed by Jan de Bont became a classic action film of the decade. Made on a budget of about $30 million, it grossed over $350 million internationally, which adjusted for inflation, is more than $788 million today.

In one sense, the decision to make a sequel was logical, given such success. However, Speed 2: Cruise Control turned out to be everything it shouldn’t have been. With a whopping budget of $160 million (which would be over $343 million adjusted for inflation today), Speed 2 crashed at the global box office, collecting only $164 million.

In this 1997 sequel, Keanu Reeves didn’t return, leaving Sandra Bullock to head out on a Caribbean cruise with her boyfriend (Jason Patric) before the ship falls under the control of a villain named John Geiger (played by Willem Dafoe).

25 years after the film’s release, Bullock still expressed embarrassment over being in a film that made no sense, even though Dafoe, on the other hand, fully embraced his role, as he explained in an interview with Variety.

Ultimately, the fate of the film seemed sealed from the moment Keanu Reeves decided not to return, as he had been a pivotal part of the success of the original. Like the uncontrollable ship in the movie, which kept smashing models and heading straight for a dock, the team behind Speed 2 kept going full steam ahead. The almighty dollar ruled, but at what cost…