7 Sequels That Took Too Long to Be Released

      Here are seven sequels that took an excessively long time to release.

      Due to reasons such as financial issues, the creators being engaged with other projects, or delayed demand, these films allowed excitement to build to a boiling point.

      Here are some sequels that really took their time to arrive.

      **Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)**

      20th Century Fox – Credit: C/O

      The original *Independence Day* was a massive success, grossing over $800 million after its release in 1996. Expectations were high for a sequel.

      Unfortunately, it took 20 years for the follow-up to come out. When *Independence Day: Resurgence* finally premiered, original stars Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman returned, along with director Roland Emmerich and co-writer Dean Devlin.

      However, the film lacked a vital component: Will Smith, who had brought charm and a sense of fun to the original alien invasion narrative.

      The sequel grossed $389.7 million worldwide—a figure that seems impressive until you realize it had a budget of $165 million. This might well symbolize sequels that delayed their release too long.

      **Blues Brothers 2000 (1998)**

      Universal Studios – Credit: Universal Studios

      When one-half of a beloved comedic duo passes away, it might be best to reconsider making a sequel.

      The death of John Belushi in 1982—two years after the success of the original *Blues Brothers*—halted plans for a follow-up. John Landis, the director of both *The Blues Brothers* and *Blues Brothers 2000*, explained in a 2004 interview with The Onion’s AV Club that he shelved sequel ideas for years.

      However, Belushi’s blues brother, Dan Aykroyd, eventually approached Landis about collaborating with John Goodman and Jim Belushi, John’s brother, on a new film.

      “We wrote what I thought was a fantastic script. Then Universal Studios gutted it,” Landis remarked. They insisted it had to be PG, which meant cutting out profanity—essentially neutering the spirit of the Blues Brothers.

      *Blues Brothers 2000* barely recouped its production costs at the box office.

      This is a sequel that either should have been made right after the original’s success or not at all.

      **Son of the Mask (2005)**

      Credit: New Line Cinema

      Jim Carrey declined to reprise his role for this sequel, which should have signaled the end of plans for *The Mask* follow-up. Nevertheless, the project moved forward.

      Fans of *The Mask*, many of whom were children new to Carrey's comedic style, were not drawn to theaters in sufficient numbers to support this film. Carrey was preoccupied with numerous other major hits throughout the '90s.

      During the period when he might have revisited his *Mask* character, he instead took a creative leap that paid off with 2004’s *Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind*.

      Interestingly, the film featured Alan Cumming as Loki and Bob Hoskins as Odin, years before similar versions of these Nordic characters would become enduring figures in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

      **Butch and Sundance: The Early Days (1979)**

      20th Century Fox

      The story of *Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid* left little room for a sequel, leading to a mostly new creative team producing a prequel released a full decade later.

      While Tom Berenger and William Katt are talented actors, they couldn't replicate the iconic partnership between Paul Newman and Robert Redford, who solidified their status as one of cinema’s greatest duos with 1973’s *The Sting*.

      Any efforts to recreate their chemistry were bound to fall short.

      **Basic Instinct 2 (2006)**

      MGM

      The original *Basic Instinct* from 1992 revolved around the charged chemistry between San Francisco Detective Nick Curran (Michael Douglas) and captivating author Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone). It benefited from Stone not yet being a superstar, adding to the allure of her character’s enigma.

      *Basic Instinct 2* brings back Stone, but not Douglas or the other essential creators behind the first film’s effectiveness: director Paul Verhoeven and screenwriter Joe Eszterhas, both known for their cutting-edge storytelling.

      Devoid of the original's tension and excitement, *Basic Instinct 2* fell flat. It also attempted to recreate the famous chair scene, albeit with the chair facing the opposite direction.

      **Tron: Ares (2025)**

      Disney

      The developments in the *Tron* franchise have been quite unusual. The original *Tron*, released in 1982, performed moderately at the box office but was deemed a letdown—so much so that *The Simpsons* featured a humorous segment where almost the