From Dawn of the Dead to Saw X, a horror movie’s sequel can be just as good as (or even better than) the original. However, not all horror movies that deserve a sequel have gotten one. Some have faced budget constraints or casting issues that made the next film a non-starter. In other cases, the interest simply wasn’t there, or writers couldn’t come up with an enticing way to continue their terrifying tale.
Over time, renewed interest and resources have led certain franchises to earn belated sequels. For instance, Doctor Sleep, which followed Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film The Shining, came out nearly 40 years later. Hopefully, this is a sign that other horror films will soon follow suit, because the ones on this list are more than ready to make their return from the grave.
- The Conference (2023)
- Psycho Goreman (2020)
- Cargo (2017)
- The Belko Experiment (2016)
- Circle (2015)
- The Cabin in the Woods (2011)
- I Am Legend (2008)
- Audition (1999)
- The Thing (1982)
- The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
A friend ran a sequel to Cabin in the Woods as a Powered by the Apocalypse game. The premise being that the titan at the end of the movie was not the entity that needed to be appeased, but was just another of the monsters. The resulting cave in killed the Jester, thus fulfilling the sacrifice, but the Virgin was still alive. We played a mercenary team sent in to rescue the Virgin and pull her out, while dealing with all the other monsters that were still in the complex. Great game. Overall the mission was a success, but I was killed by Fornicus, Lord of Bondage and Pain.
Sounds like a bad way to go. Or good, depending on the individual I suppose.