26 Hidden Hollywood Spin-Offs And Sequels

The Birds was a massive 1963 blockbuster. Tippi Hedren starred. Alfred Hitchcock directed.The Birds was a massive blockbuster released in 1963. Tippi Hedren starred. Alfred Hitchcock directed.

In stark contrast,The Birds II: Land's End.The Birds II: Land's End was a 1994 Showtime TV movie sequel. Tippi Hedren made a cameo. Rick Rosenthal directed under the pseudonym Alan Smithee.

Plans to make a film sequel toCasablanca.Two television series about Humphrey Bogart's Rick Blaine exist. They have never come to fruition.A short-lived series premiered in 1955.It featured the continuing adventures of Rick. Andan even shorter-lived prequel series premiered in 1983.The series starred David Soul as Blaine, Hector Elizondo as Captain Renault, and Scatman Crothers as an older Sam.

"After all, tomorrow is another day." That line starts the story ofGone With the Wind.(1939) finished.

Unless you count the 1994 TV miniseries.Scarlett.Scarlett starred Joanne Whalley-Kilmer as Scarlett O'Hara and Timothy Dalton as Rhett Butler. During this long delayed sequel, "Our heroine gets raped, faces murder charges, takes too long vacations in Ireland, and must let Sir John Gielgud try a Southern accent while playing Scarlett’s sick grandfather."

Rosemary's Baby.Rosemary's Baby (1968) ends on a horrifying, ambiguous beat. Rosemary looks into her child's cradle: the son of Satan.

Look What's Happened to Rosemary's Baby.Look What's Happened to Rosemary's Baby, released eight years later as a TV movie, answers that ambiguity. Rosemary sticks around to raise the Antichrist. Ruth Gordon reprised her Oscar-winning role as Minnie the neighbor. A scene shows the future Antichrist dancing to prog-rock under Satan’s thrall.dancing to prog-rock under Satan’s thrall.There is little reason to check out this TV movie follow-up to one of the greatest horror films.

American Psycho.American Psycho (2000) is based on the Bret Easton Ellis novel. Christian Bale plays the serial killer Patrick Bateman. It is a modern cult classic.American Psycho II: All American Girl (2002) is not so much.American Psycho II: All American Girl (2002) is not so much.

In their review of the straight-to-DVD sequel, theAV Clubwrote: "WhereAmerican Psychodid just about everything right.American Psycho 2: All-American Girl gets it all wrong.American Psycho 2: All-American Girl gets it all wrong.

The film opens with Patrick Bateman (or a Bale-ish body double) dying from a small child. That child grows up as Mila Kunis, a serial killer. She trains to join the FBI under an FBI legend played by William Shatner.

Attempts were made to make an unofficial sequel toIt's A Wonderful Life. (1946). This film, which never made it, was calledIt's A Wonderful Life: The Rest of the Story,would have been about the ghost of Zuzu, played by the original actress, teaching a lesson to an evil descendent of George Bailey.

This abomination may never hit screens, but a follow-up to the holiday classic already exists. A TV movie calledClarence.aired on The Family Channel in 1990, starring "a post-Revenge of the Nerds.Robert Carradine played a young, future Clarence the angel."

What kind of person makes the 1960 counter-culture masterpieceEasy Rider., and gives it a conservative, pro-military sequel nearly 50 years later? Filmmaker Phil Pitzer fought legal battles to makeEasy Rider: The Ride Back..

Nathan Rabin atThe Dissolve.compared Pitzer to Tommy Wiseau, the super confident and notoriously bad director ofThe Room., often called the worst film ever made. Rabin wrote:

"Easy Rider: The Ride Back.suggests whatThe Room.might be like if Wiseau decided he wasn’t just making a tribute toA Streetcar Named Desire., but a sequel toA Streetcar Named Desire.that casts himself as Stanley Kowalski’s cooler brother Johnny and fills the script with nods to past adventures.

A Christmas Story. (1983), the quotable holiday classic, has spawned three sequels.three sequels.. All include the Parker family and Jean Shepherd's stories, but none keep the original film's charm.

The insanely titled follow-up.Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss. (1988) stars Jerry O'Connell as Ralphie Parker and shows a Parker family vacation.

1994'sIt Runs In The Family.was directed byChristmas Story.'s Bob Clark, starring Kieran Culkin as Ralphie Parker, Charles Grodin as The Old Man, and Mary Steenburgen as Mrs. Parker. The film later changed its title toMy Summer Story.to capitalize on the original's success. It failed, and Jean Shepherd (who narrated and wrote the script) later said: "That one was a real turkey."

Finally, in 2012.A Christmas Story 2.was released on DVD. This "official sequel" features Daniel Stern as The Old Man, following a teenage Ralphie who gets a car, fights Santa, and falls in love.

Since its 1939 release,The Wizard of Oz.has created several unofficial and semi-official follow-ups, remakes, reboots, and prequels.

In 1974, the only official follow-up to the MGM classic came out: the animated filmJourney Back to Oz.. The film used Liza Minnelli, Judy Garland's daughter, for Dorothy, and Margaret Hamilton (the original's Wicked Witch of the West) for Aunt Em. Other voice actors included Mickey Rooney as the Scarecrow, Danny Thomas as the Tin Man, and Milton Berle as the Cowardly Lion.

The film premiered in theaters after years of delayed production. It bombed at the box office and received terrible reviews. TV aired it later, and onecritic noted, "the version ofJourneyJourney Back to Oz aired on TV starting in the mid-'70s. Live-action segments feature Bill Cosby as the Wizard of Oz, floating in his hot air balloon with a talking parrot, some kids meant to be Munchkins, and a hidden barrel of booze he seems to be drinking.

Donnie Darko(2001) asks questions: are Donnie's visions real? What about the demonic bunny? Is this film good or bad?

Viewers probably did not ask what happened to Donnie's younger sister. That is exactly the premise of S. Darko, which follows Samantha Darko (Daveigh Chase, playing her again from the first film) as she deals with more time tunnels and men in bunny suits.

Richard Kelly, the director of the original film, said about the follow-up: "To set the record straight, here are some facts I want to share. I did not read this script. I have zero involvement with this production, and I never will."

Dirty Dancing: Havana NightsThis film took the 1987 original's simple idea—a young woman and her dance partner fall in love despite her parents' disapproval—and moved it to pre-revolution Cuba.Roger EbertRoger Ebert said, "But is Fidel really needed in a retread of"Dirty Dancing?"

The film gives fans some nostalgia: Patrick Swayze appears in Havana Nightsfor a short appearance as a dance instructor. Then the film returns to the drama of the Cuban Revolution.

Psycho, released in 1960, became one of the most influential films ever. Subsequent projects sought to use the original's huge success. In 1999, Gus Vant Sant remade the film, shooting it color, for television.Bates Motelis a prequel and reboot of the original. However, other sequels followed the story of Norman Bates more directly.

InPsycho II (1983), Norman leaves his mental institution, and people immediately start dying. Anthony Perkins and Vera Miles played their original roles. One critic wrote: "the film clearly could have been much worse."

Then camePsycho III (1986). The sequel stars Perkins again (his first directing job) and is much bloodier than the previous ones. It also includes a toilet murder—which was not as iconic as the original's shower murder.

In Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990) Norman leaves a mental institution again, and people immediately start dying. This TV movie brought the Norman Bates story to its very long end.

The Sting (1973) was an instant classic and won the Oscar for Best Picture. Its sequel, The Sting II(1983) had basically the same plot, but lacked the original's charm. Jackie Gleason played Fargo Gondorff instead of Paul Newman as Henry Gondorff. Mac Davis played Jake Hooker instead of Robert Redford.

"Understand the name change, anybody?"The New York TimesA review asked if characters from the 1940s story were supposed to be the original '30s matinee idols on a bad day.The Sting IIThis film moves slowly, looks bad, and copies the first movie shamelessly.

The Birth of a NationThis film was a deeply racist piece of pro-Klu Klux Klan propaganda. It also set the first precedent for a feature film sequel.

The Fall of a NationThomas Dixon, Jr. directed this film and wrote the book.The ClansmanThe film takes place after the Lusitania sank.Lusitaniaand "this film shows a world where pacifism rules the United States, letting the Hun overrun Europe" and then invade and brutally destroy America.

FallThis film came out only a year afterBirthThe sequel was filmed quickly to take advantage of the original's huge success. Still, the sequel failed. People forgot it, and it is lost; no original copies ofThe Fall of a Nationdo exist.

Butch and Sundance ran out of bullets at the end ofButch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969); that freeze frame was not the whole story.

In the TV movieWanted: The Sundance Woman (1976), Katharine Ross played Etta Place again, teaming up with Pancho Villa (Hector Elizondo).

The 1979 filmButch and Sundance: The Early DaysThis film tells the outlaws' friendship backstory. Roger Ebert said, "How to put it fairly? This is not a necessary film, and that is its biggest flaw."

Saturday Night Fever(1977) defined a generation.Staying Alive (1983) defined bad sequels. The original showed Tony Manero (John Travolta) escaping through disco dancing. The sequel, co-written and directed by Sylvester Stallone, cast him in a big Broadway musical.

In his first review,Roger Ebert wrote: "The musical he is allegedly starring in is called 'Satan's Alley,' but it is so silly it should have been 'Springtime for Tony'... It is a mess. Travolta's big dance scene looks like a bad TV commercial that made him sick."The musical he is allegedly starring in is called 'Satan's Alley,' but it is so silly it should have been 'Springtime for Tony'... It is a mess. Travolta's big dance number looks like a bad TV commercial that made him sick.

Thirty-four years after the release ofThe Maltese Falconits sequel came: The Black BirdThe Black BirdThis 1975 movie, a direct sequel and comedy parody, starred George Segal as Sam Spade, Jr. Lee Patrick and Elisha Cook, Jr. played Effie Perine and Wilmer Cook.

The plot followed Sam Spade's son tracking the elusive Maltese Falcon while being chased bythree murderous Hawaiians and a crazy Nazi dwarfIf you swap Rodney Dangerfield, Bill Murray, Ted Knight, and Chevy Chase for Jackie Mason, Dan Aykroyd, Randy Quaid, and a bored Chevy Chase, you see the quality difference between

Replace Rodney Dangerfield, Bill Murray, Ted Knight, and Chevy Chase with Jackie Mason, Dan Aykroyd, Randy Quaid, and a disinterested Chevy Chase, and you see the quality difference betweenCaddyshackCaddyshack II. The sequel, released in 1988, received poor reviews and was forgotten right away.. The sequel, released in 1988, received poor reviews and was instantly forgotten.

The original review said:Washington Postsaid: "Caddyshack IIA feeble follow-up to the 1980 laff riot, this film is lamer than a duck with bunions and dumber than grubs. It patronizes and clumsily manipulates. Jackie Mason, top banana, gets overshadowed by the gopher puppet."

George C. Scott won an Oscar for playing General George S. Patton inPatton(1970). He returned to the role 16 years later inThe Last Days of Patton,a 1986 TV movie.

Gone are the battle scenes and intense strategic plans. Most of the film shows action instead.Last DaysTakes place in peacetime. Nearly half the film shows his final days alive, partially paralyzed, in a hospital room.

Reviews were fine. The Los Angeles Times said:Los Angeles Times "The film is heavily padded to fill out its time period... But Scott is such a forceful presence... that interest is sustained and, finally, rewarded." However, the role that earned Scott an Oscar did not earn him an Emmy nomination the second time."

Chinatown(1974) is a peak of film noir. Its delayed sequel,The Two Jakes(1990), was quickly forgotten. Critics said: "Forget it Jake, it'snot Chinatown."

The sequel, written by Robert Towne and directed by Jack Nicholson, failed to draw box office attention. Plans for a third movie in the Jack Gittes trilogy stopped quickly.Plans for a third movie in the Jack Gittes trilogy quickly ended..

Spoiler alert: At the end of the 1949 classicThe Third Man, Harry Lime, played by Orson Welles, gets shot. He lives again in a prequel radio series -The Lives of Harry Lime(1951-1952) - Orson Welles played the role again.

Every episode started with a gunshot, followed by Welles's opening monologue: "That was the shot that killed Harry Lime. He died in a sewer beneath Vienna, as those of you know who saw the movieThe Third Man",. That ended Harry Lime, but it did not start. Harry Lime had many lives. I can tell you all of them. How do I know? It is simple: my name is Harry Lime."

Atelevision series spin-off, starring Michael Rennie as Harry Lime, ran five seasons from 1959-1965. It showed more adventures from Harry Lime's life before his trip to Vienna.

After King Kong fell from the Empire State Building, he did not stay gone long. Remakes, reboots, animated series, and fights with Godzilla have happened constantly since the original hit screens in 1933.

However, the first official sequel came out only nine months after the original.Son of KongTakes place right after the first film's events. Filmmaker Carl Denham (played by Robert Armstrong) leaves New York to avoid lawsuits from Kong's attack.

The plot fits best in this 1933VarietyYoung Kong is friendlier than his tough pop. The explorer saves him from quicksand, so Kong pays him back. He fights and plays with bad guys from the stone age jungle while protecting the people visiting. Senior Kong stood about 50 feet tall. Junior is a small shrimp, about 25 feet tall, but he fights well.

Bambi, released in 1942, stands as a masterpiece of early feature animation.Bambi IIBambi II was released, meanwhile.Home video released in 2006.Received much less attention.

Bambi IIPatrick Stewart voices Bambi's absent father. A fantasy scene shows Bambi meeting his mother's ghost, plus jokes about skunks farting. Walt would have wanted this.

The Best Picture winner.The French Connection. (1971) followed up withThe French Connection II. (1975). This fictional sequel continues the true story, with Gene Hackman as Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle goes to France to find drug dealers.

Another official follow-up came in 1986. NBC approvedPopeye Doyle.. Ed O'Neill starred as the main detective. The pilot was filmed, but the series never aired. Instead, it became a TV movie.

In the Heat of the Night. (1967) won Best Picture for its look at race relations. It launched two crime thriller sequels starring its character who shouts catchphrases.

They Call Me Mister Tibbs! (1970) showed Detective Tibbs going to San Francisco to solve a murder involving a wealthy call girl. Its sequelThe Organization. (1971) showed Tibbs dealing with a powerful drug ring. Neither film achieved the success of the first.

Released 16 years after.2001: A Space Odyssey.the sequel.2010: The Year We Make Contact. (1984) brought back original actors Keir Dullea and Douglas Rain, plus the robot HAL 9000. Stanley Kubrick, the original's genius, was absent.2010.Followed an American space crew (led by Roy Scheider) and a Soviet crew (led by Helen Mirren) as they checked the fate of theDiscovery.and HAL 9000.

While2001. focused on space and time mysteries,2010. focused on answers.Roger Ebert. stated, "Did I really want to know (a) why HAL 9000 disobeyed Dave's orders? or (b) the real reason for theDiscovery.'s original mission? or what the monoliths were trying to tell us? Not exactly.