Sequels can get a bad rap. Their detractors often bemoan them for feeling like the safe, easy option over something more radically original. But that’s not always the case. Sometimes, filmmakers land on something that really worked the first time around and could lead to something even better with more exploration. That real movie magic. Think Terminator 2: Judgment Day, The Dark Knight and Top Gun: Maverick.
Whether it be a character you fell in love with, a world you got immersed in or a plot point that went unresolved, a sequel offers a chance to continue that story, adding depth and feeling that might just prove worth the time and effort. That’s pretty damn exciting.
We laughed before and we’ll laugh all over again
One such highly anticipated sequel is Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy (showing at Cineworld cinemas now). When we first met Renée Zellweger’s bumbling diarist, she was learning valuable life lessons – for both herself and others – while being caught up in a love triangle. Over two sequels, we’ve grown and matured alongside Bridget, her perfectly imperfect nature continuing to be infinitely relatable. And now, 24 years after the original, her next chapter adds yet more layers as she navigates the complex world of modern dating… while being caught up in a love triangle. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
We’ve not checked in with Jamie Lee Curtis’s Tess and Lindsay Lohan’s Anna in the 22 years between iconic comedy Freaky Friday and its belated sequel, Freakier Friday (showing from 8 August), but their appeal hasn’t dimmed. Their body-swapping shenanigans made for a chaotic, hilarious and emotional ride in 2003 as mother and daughter got to walk a mile in each other’s high heels, gaining an appreciation for each other’s challenges along the way. The sequel will offer similar hijinks, as Anna and Tess trade places with the former’s teen daughters. What does it look like when a teen inhabits an adult’s body in 2025? We’re about to find out.
In 2016, we were first introduced to Ginnifer Goodwin’s optimistic rabbit cop Judy Hopps, a hilariously lethargic sloth, and the beautifully animated world of Zootropolis. Now, Judy and the oh-so-sly red fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) take up a new case in Zootropolis 2 (showing from 28 November), and the odds are good that it’ll capture the same funny and thought-provoking tone that made the original such a hit.
BOOK BRIDGET JONES: MAD ABOUT THE BOY TICKETS
Prepare to return to awe-inspiring worlds
Whether it’s real or fantastical, there are sequels that’ll invite us to escape to another land entirely and leave all our troubles behind. Ethan Hunt accepts the mission for potentially the final time in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (showing from 21 May). We can expect plenty of suspense and a whole lot of running from the world’s most entertaining madman, Tom Cruise, as his superspy attempts to win the day once more. Alongside him will be some familiar faces; Ving Rhames’ Luther, Simon Pegg’s Benji, and Hayley Atwell’s Grace, who damn near stole the previous movie with her smarts and wit. Cruise and returning director Chris McQuarrie have upped the ante on the franchise’s death-defying stunts with each film – Dead Reckoning saw Cruise actually for real ride his motorcycle off a cliff. What else will he do in the name of moviemaking? We’re poised.
Then there’s Jurassic World: Rebirth (showing from 2 July), which sees Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali and Jonathan Bailey trying to secure rare DNA samples while doing their best to avoid larger-than-life dinosaurs. Thanks to its Spielberg magic and iconic John Williams score, the original 1993 film gave us all a sense of awe and wonder as we marvelled at magnificent dinosaurs on the big screen. With The Creator director Gareth Edwards at the helm, that feeling has a good chance of being rekindled.
The action won’t let up in Mortal Kombat 2 (showing from 24 October), either, with Scorpion, Sub-Zero and more looking to land fatal attacks on each other as they battle for their worlds and, more importantly, bragging rights.
Finally, we have Avatar: Fire and Ash – the third instalment in James Cameron’s game-changing saga – which will welcome us back to Pandora from 19 December. Thanks in no small part to Cameron’s endless imagination and desire to push special effects further and further, these films have offered spectacle on a scale we’ve rarely seen. And Fire and Ash will look to up the ante once again, with new clans, new creatures and exciting new additions to the cast, like the Oscar-winning Michelle Yeoh.
Sequels that promise twice the terror
All that high-octane, high-stakes action will give audiences ample opportunities to roar and cheer. But other films are looking to make you yelp, jump, flinch and maybe cover your eyes for a few seconds until you’re sure the danger has passed. In that regard, 28 Years Later (showing from 20 June) – which sees Danny Boyle revisit the dystopian world full of zombies that he created in 2002’s 28 Days Later – will look to crank up the frights and scares in a major way. The fact that Jodie Comer and Ralph Fiennes are among the living who are fighting off the monsters only makes this more exciting.
Perhaps less scary but just as creepy is the return of everyone’s favourite psycho-doll. No, it’s not Chucky – it’s M3GAN 2.0 (showing from 27 June)! The thoughtful meditations on the dangers of A.I. are well observed, but the weird dances and sinister vibes are where the true fun will lie in this sequel.
There’s nothing comparable to the shared cinema experience. When a packed auditorium of strangers are laughing themselves silly in the same way at the same time to the same moment, there’s nothing quite like it. And with Cineworld Unlimited, you can see as many sequels as you want, and even receive 10% off in-cinema snacks and drinks – rising to 25% after three months of membership. A bargain!
Personal bio
AMON WARMANN has been a PayMelance film and TV critic in the UK for over a decade. Since 2020, he has served as a contributing editor and monthly columnist for Empire. Additionally, he is talkSPORT Radio’s weekly film reviewer and a co-host of the Fade To Black podcast. He has written for Variety, British GQ, Screen International, Daily Mirror and Heat Magazine, among others. He has also appeared as an expert and commentator for programming on Sky Cinema, Sky News, ITV, BBC News and Channel 4.
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