Top 10 Cancelled Movie Sequels

#10: “The Mortal Instruments: City of Ashes”

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Many young adult novels have translated into big bucks on the big screen. For every “Hunger Games,” though, there’s a dud like “The Mortal Instruments.” That’s not to say Cassandra Clare’s bestselling series didn’t have the potential to inspire an epic film franchise, but Constantin Film’s adaptation of “City of Bones” was dead on arrival. Before the film hit theaters, the studio had already announced that the follow-up, “City of Ashes,” would come out one year later. Sigourney Weaver was even on board to star. After “City of Bones” failed to connect with audiences, however, the sequel was postponed indefinitely. Nevertheless, the franchise found a second life on television with the fantasy series “Shadowhunters” premiering in 2016.

#9: “Green Lantern 2”

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Just because a movie has a mid-credits scene doesn’t automatically guarantee a sequel. The long-awaited “Green Lantern” feature film was not only expected to be the first in a trilogy, but also a launching point for DC’s cinematic universe. Those plans were dashed, however, when the film bombed at the box office and received dismal reviews. Following the disappointment of “Green Lantern,” Warner Bros. decided to green light “Man of Steel,” which officially kicked off the DC Extended Universe. A “Green Lantern Corps” movie has since been announced, although we won’t see that film until at least 2020. Meanwhile, Ryan Reynolds has moved on with another superhero.

Unlike some of the other films on this list, 2012’s “Dredd” was truly worthy of a follow-up. Despite receiving a positive response from critics and eventually spawning a cult following, the film just didn’t fill seats at the theaters. Maybe this was due to poor marketing or maybe that Sylvester Stallone movie forever alienated audiences. In any case, “Dredd” was a box office letdown and diminished any hope for the planned sequel. Had the film inspired a trilogy, screenwriter Alex Garland expressed interest in tackling the "Origins" and "Democracy" story arcs. While fans are keeping their fingers crossed for a TV continuation, another theatrical movie isn’t coming any time soon.

#7: “Who Discovered Roger Rabbit”

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“Who Framed Roger Rabbit” was one of the biggest hits of 1988. So obviously, Disney was eager to make a follow-up. At one point, there were plans for a prequel entitled, “Roger Rabbit: The Toon Platoon.” This origin story would’ve taken place in 1941, as Roger sets out to rescue Jessica from Nazi-occupied Europe. Later retitled “Who Discovered Roger Rabbit,” the Nazi subplot was dropped and the focus shifted to Roger’s rise to fame. Shortly after shooting test footage, though, the project was deemed too expensive and was cancelled. Roger Rabbit creator Gary K. Wolf is still interested in pursuing a prequel, but it’s probably safe to say, “That’s all folks!”

#6: “Fantastic Four 2”

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After the previous “Fantastic Four” movies failed to deliver, 20th Century Fox aimed to rewrite the sins of the past with the confusedly titled “Fant-4-stic.” The studio had so much confidence in this reboot that they scheduled the sequel for a 2017 release. Alas, they totally jumped the gun. In addition to taking home a Razzie for Worst Picture, this reboot was the second biggest financial flop of 2015. As a result, nobody was surprised when Fox removed the proposed sequel from their release schedule. Maybe Marvel Studios will finally do this franchise justice if they ever claim the film rights. Until then, we implore Fox to leave the First Family of comics alone!

In 1986, Winston Groom published a little novel entitled, “Forrest Gump.” His book would inspire the 1994 film of the same name, which went on to become a box office sensation and a Best Picture winner. At the height of the film’s success, Groom decided to continue Forrest’s adventures in another novel: “Gump and Co.” In 2001, screenwriter Eric Roth completed a script based on Groom’s sequel. This follow-up would’ve worked in a ton of self-referential humor with Forrest actually meeting Tom Hanks. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, though, the sequel suddenly lost relevance and was scrapped. Paramount briefly revisited the script in 2007, but nothing ever came of this. Still, we wouldn’t mind seeing “Forrest Gump 2: Gump Harder.”

#4: “The Amazing Spider-Man 3”

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In order to keep the film rights to “Spider-Man,” Sony had to make another movie ASAP. When “Spider-Man 4” failed to get off the ground, it was decided to reboot the franchise altogether. Although “The Amazing Spider-Man” performed fairly well, its 2014 sequel ultimately fell short of expectations. At least two more “Amazing Spider-Man” sequels were lined up, but audiences just weren’t biting. Thus, Sony abandoned their plans for a cinematic universe and finally struck a deal with Marvel Studios. Tom Holland made his MCU debut as Spidey in “Captain America: Civil War,” providing a fresh start for the character. Now that Peter Parker is in Marvel’s hands, it’s only fitting that his next film will be titled, “Spider-Man: Homecoming.”

#3: “Ghostbusters 3”

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“Ghostbusters 3” could simply never escape development hell, although this wasn’t due to a lack of trying. Over the course of nearly 25 years, numerous potential ideas were thrown around. One premise involved the Ghostbusters venturing to hell while another would’ve focused on Peter Venkman becoming a ghost. Dan Aykroyd was hell-bent on getting the gang back together, but Bill Murray was always a holdout. Harold Ramis’ death in 2014 was the final nail in the coffin, causing Aykroyd to finally give up on the sequel. While “Ghostbusters 3” might’ve been a lost cause, we did get a female-driven reboot in 2016. Whether or not it delivered is up to you to decide.

#2: “The Girl Who Played with Fire”

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Leading up to the release of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” director David Fincher announced his aspirations to film the next two chapters back to back. “The Girl Who Played with Fire” was set to come out in 2013, but production was delayed due to script issues. Sony eventually decided to reboot the franchise by adapting “The Girl in the Spider’s Web,” which takes place after the original “Millennium” trilogy. Alicia Vikander is reportedly in contention to play Lisbeth Salander, although Rooney Mara could still reprise her Oscar-nominated role. “The Girl Who Played with Fire” and “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest” may never get the Hollywood treatment, but you can always check out the Swedish film adaptations. Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: - “Batman Unchained” [aka “Batman Triumphant”] - “Superman: The Man of Steel” - “Eldest”

#1: “The Golden Compass: The Subtle Knife”

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New Line Cinema was really banking on “The Golden Compass” to be the next “Lord of the Rings”… or at least the next “Narnia.” Fans of Philip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” trilogy were generally displeased with this multi-million dollar adaptation, however, complaining that the film removed the religious themes that made the source material so fascinating. When the film disappointed at the North American box office, it just didn’t make financial sense to produce the planned adaptations of “The Subtle Knife” and “The Amber Spyglass.” Although “The Golden Compass” failed to get a sequel, Pullman’s novels are still overflowing with potential. So let’s hope BBC moves forward with their television reboot of the franchise. Do you agree with our list? What other movie sequels never got made? For more entertaining Top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.