Top 10 Greatest Fantasy Movie Sequels

For decades the musical fantasy film “Mary Poppins” delighted children across the globe, as the titular character floated into the dreary lives of a London family, giving them magic and color. Plans for a sequel had been in place since the original’s release in 1964; however, disagreements with the book’s original author P. L. Travers, Julie Andrews’ acting hiatus, and a number of other issues kept the film mired in developmental hell. Finally, in 2018, and with the blessing of the Travers estate, a sequel was produced, with Emily Blunt cast as Poppins. “Returns” recaptured what had managed to make the original so great with stunning visuals combining live action and animation, creative musical numbers, and a strong emotional throughline.

The original “Ghostbusters” managed to combine urban fantasy and comedy by having a talented cast of 80s stars face off against a supernatural threat in New York City. The sequel doubled down on both of those elements, with almost the entire primary cast returning and a new fantasy themed villain, much more prominently featured. The baddie in question was Vigo the Carpathian, a despotic sorcerer from 16th century Europe who was killed in a way reminiscent of the real Rasputin. As Vigo noted however, death is but a door, and his soul would take up residence in a painting. Centuries later the Ghostbusters went head to head with Vigo, reuniting after the events of the first film, once again saving New York from paranormal disaster.

Many of the greatest fantasy films of all time are based on iconic literary sagas from the twentieth century, and the Chronicles of Narnia is no exception. The first film, “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” was a favorite of both the novel's fans and newcomers, and the screenplay for a sequel was being written even before that film’s release. Much of the original cast returned, including the voice of Liam Neeson as the lion Aslan. It also introduced a slew of new characters, including of course Prince Caspian himself, played by Ben Barnes. The sequel deepened the themes from the first film, with the Pevensies experiencing grief and confusion and growing larger in scope and scale than in its predecessor.

Almost as much of a parody of the original “Gremlins” film as it was a sequel to it, returning director Joe Dante had carte blanche this time around to make a film as anarchic as he saw fit. Describing it as “one of the more unconventional studio pictures, ever” Dante sought to use the film to lampoon the very idea of sequels with absurdism and meta jokes. Fourth wall breaks featured prominently in the movie, as did cameos of everyone from Hulk Hogan, to film critic Leonard Maltin, and even the Looney Tunes. None of this meant that the urban fantasy from the original had disappeared as the lovable turned mischievous creatures were back!

After “Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl” was an overwhelming critical and commercial success two sequels were commissioned and shot back to back. The first sequel, “Dead Man’s Chest,” amped up the fantasy elements from the original, with stunning CGI characters like the tragic villain Davy Jones. “At World’s End” served as an epic conclusion to that original trilogy with thrilling set pieces including the beginning when characters travel to the afterlife and the conclusion featuring a grandiose battle between ships inside a raging maelstrom. Like any good fantasy, characters realize their epic destiny, particularly Will Turner, who began the first movie as a humble blacksmith’s apprentice and ended up as captain of the mythical Flying Dutchman.

Set five years after the events of the first film, the teenage vikings that befriended dragons had grown into young adults and begun to shape a new world where they co-existed with creatures they once hated. Appropriately, the film dealt with more mature and often darker themes with returning writer/director Dean DeBlois citing “The Empire Strikes Back” as a major inspiration for the second entry in the franchise. The film emphasized expanding the world beyond what had been seen in the original, with visuals of icy landscape alongside fiery dragons becoming something to behold. It, along with the third and final entry, “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” made this an animated fantasy trilogy for the ages.

While the first “Hellboy” film directly adapted its plotline from Mike Mignola’s comics, the sequel was a new and original story featuring the character. This time around director Guillermo del Toro put an even greater emphasis on the fantasy elements, drawing heavily on fairy tales. Those fairy tale elements were combined with urban fantasy, giving us terrifying tooth fairies and a sprawling troll market beneath the Brooklyn Bridge. The fantasy creatures were horrific yet beautiful in a way that only del Toro could provide. Its plot involves elven royalty vying for control of the titular golden army, an indestructible force, leading to a powerful and emotional final confrontation.

It's rare for a beloved children's film to be surpassed by its successor, but that’s exactly what “Shrek 2” did, scoring higher with critics than its already well received first entry. Continuing with the fairy tale parodies established in the first film, the now-married couple of Shrek and Fiona travel to her kingdom, of course called “Far Far Away.” Along with the returning personalities from the first, “2” introduced a number of fairy tales characters into the franchise including the fairy godmother, Prince Charming, and of course Puss in Boots. The swashbuckling cat, voiced by Zorro himself Antonio Banderas, quickly became a fan favorite. Finally, the film featured arguably the franchise’s best scene, with the heroes storming the castle set to “I Need a Hero.”

Already a global phenomenon because of the original novels and popular first two films, the third Harry Potter film saw a major turn in the series. With Alfonso Cuarón taking over as director, the movie adopted a more serious tone, much like the book on which it was based. Working on the film’s visual effects, Industrial Light & Magic received an academy award nomination, as did John Williams for his iconic score which has become a fantasy staple. The trio of young stars; Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint did some of their best work, as did the adults. Along with the ever amazing Alan Rickman were new arrivals Gary Oldman and Michael Gambon replacing the late Richard Harris as Dumbledore.

It easily could have been “The Two Towers” topping this list, as that film increased the scope of the epic series beyond the first film by splitting its characters into groups, each with a truly legendary quest. However, the ending of the trilogy ultimately takes the prize, wrapping up perfectly everything that the first two installments had laid out. In “Return of the King” battles are fought, love is culminated, morals are tested, and evil is vanquished, even if some scars remain. The film became the first fantasy film to ever win Best Picture at the Oscars, completing a historic sweep and taking home all eleven awards it was nominated for. Few, if any, films have so satisfyingly wrapped up a trilogy.

Did your favorite fantasy sequel make the list? Let us know which was your favorite in the comments below!