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‘The worst piece of crap I’ve ever seen’: 10 sequels that no one saw coming

The premiere of ‘Gladiator II’ comes when the resounding failure of the second installment of ‘Joker’ is still in the air and once again puts under the microscope the great power of a second part to reaffirm or destroy a classic of cinema.

Barcelona - Nov 12, 2024 - 16:43CET

'Gladiator II,' the long-awaited sequel to the Roman epic that captivated audiences 24 years ago, is finally set for release. Ridley Scott's penchant for transforming films into franchises is well-known, so the only surprise is that it took him this long to revisit the final days of the Antonine dynasty. That said, based on early discussions, 'Gladiator II' appears destined to join the distinguished gallery of unconventional sequels — those that, whether by creative ambition, lack of commercial success, or sheer oversight, diverge from their originals to lead viewers down unexpected, and not always pleasant or navigable, paths. Here are a few notable examples, ranging from the brilliant and opportunistic to the downright dismal. LILO/SIPA (LILO/SIPA / Cordon Press)

EXORCIST II: THE HERETIC (1977) – One thing this film cannot be faulted for is its remarkable ambition and distinctive stylistic vision. In many ways, it is a reluctant sequel, marked by its resistance to mimic the original and its relentless pursuit of an independent identity. This determination ultimately alienated both audiences who wanted to revisit the unsettling world of 'The Exorcist' (1973) and those who maintained (even then) that sequels were rarely successful. John Boorman approached 'The Heretic' as if crafting an entirely new gothic horror universe, rather than pillaging an existing creation for profit. His film boasts its own rhythm, atmosphere, and subtle elements that set it far apart from Friedkin's work. Ironically, it was this commitment to being different that doomed 'Exorcist II' at box office and with critics. Friedkin himself dismissed it as “the worst piece of crap I've ever seen.” A failure it did not deserve.IFTN (United Archives/IFTN / Cordon Press)

AMERICAN PSYCHO 2 (2002) – The curious case of the unforeseen sequel. Two novice screenwriters, Alex Anger and Karen Craig, crafted a story centered on a determined criminology student who methodically eliminates her classmates and professors to prove an audacious academic thesis: that perfect crimes are indeed possible. Lionsgate acquired the script, enlisted rising director Morgan J. Freeman, and cast a young TV star, Mila Kunis, fresh from New York. The studio invested nearly $10 million in the production, but soon lost confidence in the project as filming progressed. In a bid to salvage it, they made a series of clumsy, exploitative changes to the script, retrofitting it as a sequel to 'American Psycho' — something it was never intended to be. Kunis' character was rewritten as the protégé (and eventual executioner) of Patrick Bateman, the murderous financier created by Bret Easton Ellis and brought to life by Christian Bale just a couple of years prior. The result was a predictably poor artistic and commercial outcome. Ellis even threatened to sue Lionsgate, while Kunis later admitted that this bizarre misstep remains the most embarrassing film of her career. Not all offenses against good taste go unpunished.Foto Blitz/Cordon Press

SHOCK TREATMENT (1981) – Sometimes the most intriguing sequels are those that barely acknowledge that they are sequels. These films avoid the number "2" in their title, obscure their predecessor's name, and sidestep conventional marketing as if uncertain of their ability to meet expectations. 'Shock Treatment' is undoubtedly the spiritual successor, the sibling, or even the offbeat offshoot of the extraordinary phenomenon that was (and still is) 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show.' Yet, its creators felt no need to broadcast that connection. They trusted that viewers already inducted into that eclectic, underground cult would recognize the return of Brad and Janet and an expected mix of operatic villains, blood, glitter, androgyny, sarcasm, audacity, and creative madness. While it never achieved the legendary status of its predecessor, 'Shock Treatment' demonstrates that certain whimsical, cardboard-cutout universes are so enticing and well-crafted that they can continue growing without risk of collapse.IFTN (United Archives/IFTN / Cordon Press)

DEEP THROAT, PART II (1974) – The sequel to the most iconic pornographic film in history featured no actual sex scenes. In a bold move, the producers aimed to release the film in mainstream theaters and surpass the nearly $50 million grossed by its predecessor. Joe Sarno, the mastermind behind this audacious plan, transformed what had been a groundbreaking and comically risqué erotic tale into a B-movie erotic comedy. To liven up the plot, he concocted an absurd story in which Linda Lovelace's character, a nurse unable to enjoy traditional coitus due to having a clitoris at the entrance to her trachea, became the target of intrigue and desire for both CIA and KGB agents. Unsurprisingly, this second attempt earned only a fraction of the original's revenue. LMPC (LMPC via Getty Images)

RAMBO (1985) – Ted Kotcheff's 'First Blood' (1982) may not have been a masterpiece, but it was an impressive film. It told the story of John Rambo, a troubled soul, a broken veteran with a shattered psyche who, when provoked by a group of gum-chewing, small-town cops, ends up taking down helicopters with nothing but stones. Three years later, the character was stripped of his last vestiges of defiance, complexity, and moral ambiguity to become a brutal instrument of Ronald Reagan's grandiose, jingoistic neo-imperialism. This shift in meaning birthed one of the most profitable — and, it must be said, notorious — franchises of the late 20th century. Jt Vintage (ZUMAPRESS.com / Cordon Press)

THE TWO JAKES (1990) – Some films are perfect as they are and don't deserve to be burdened with the weight of a sequel. 'Chinatown' (1974) is one such film: raw, concise, and magnificent in its bleak nihilism, a self-contained universe that needed no additions. Yet, screenwriter Robert Towne felt compelled to write a new story featuring detective Jake Gittes, and producer Robert Evans was eager to bring it to the screen. The result was a thick, slow-cooked narrative that Roman Polanski and John Huston both declined to direct, while stars like Dustin Hoffman, Kelly McGillis, Dennis Hopper, Harrison Ford, Joe Pesci, and Cathy Moriarty all passed on roles. In the end, Jack Nicholson directed the movie — perhaps for better or worse — after growing tired of following the perfectionist, tyrannical directions of filmmakers like Huston and Polanski. The tumultuous shoot in Los Angeles during the spring of 1989 led to a rift between Towne and Nicholson, while Evans ended up in a psychiatric clinic. Despite all this, the film holds a certain interest. Critic Roger Ebert called it a “deep movie, and a thoughtful one.”IFA Film (United Archives / Cordon Press)

SHOWGIRLS 2: PENNY'S FROM HEAVEN (2011) – A project so dubious that only one original team member, Rena Riffel, was willing to take part. By 2008, the idea that 'Showgirls' (1995), one of Paul Verhoeven’s most reviled films, was in fact a misunderstood masterpiece began to take root. In this context, Riffel — who had been rejected for a leading role in the original film because Verhoeven deemed her “too young and not bawdy enough” — wrote a script for a sequel with hopes of turning it into a franchise, even attempting to fund it through Kickstarter. She raised a respectable $30,000, which she used to create this awkward example of guerrilla filmmaking. Despite its rough edges, she managed to recruit some established actors, such as Glenn Plummer and Peter Stickles. If you decide to watch it, do so with a fair amount of indulgence and a sense of irony.

STAYING ALIVE (1983) – According to many experts in the realm of "bad cinema," this is one of the worst sequels in history. The original 'Saturday Night Fever' (1977) was already flawed in many ways, but it now seems like cinematic gold compared to its flat, crass, and opportunistic younger sibling. Directed, co-written, and produced by Sylvester Stallone — by then the ubiquitous presence in all things mediocre — the film stars John Travolta, who was lured by the promise of a shiny new project, despite his reluctance to slip back into the skin (and toupee) of the once-iconic Tony Manero. Featuring music by the Bee Gees and Frank Stallone, Sylvester's music-loving brother, the film attempted to depict Manero's transition from a troubled dancer to a more sensible and sensitive young adult. However, time has not been kind to this example of early 1980s commercial cinema, which feels both dated and painfully opportunistic.United Archives/Impress (United Archives / Cordon Press)

BASIC INSTINCT 2: RISK ADDICTION (2006) – Few contemporary subgenres have aged as poorly (and as quickly) as the erotic thriller, the cinematic relic that dominated the late 1980s and 1990s, only to be wiped out within five years by the rise of blockbuster franchises, especially superhero films. Despite this, the temptation to revive those glory days has not gone away. This is how Sharon Stone, who reached her zenith in 1992 with 'Basic Instinct,' found herself agreeing, a decade and a half later at the age of 47, to reprise her role as the twisted and perverse Catherine Tramell, the seductive mantis created for her by screenwriter Joe Eszterhas. The sequel was handed to Scottish filmmaker Michael Caton-Jones, while Paul Verhoeven, Michael Douglas, and Eszterhas (three of the original film’s key players) all stayed on the sidelines. Over $70 million was invested in the painstaking creation of this cinematic artifact, but the result was a complete disaster. Eighteen years later, it remains one of the lowest-rated films on digital review aggregators like Rotten Tomatoes.BWP/Cordon Press

JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX (2024) – Todd Phillips injected new life into the Batman universe with his 2019 spin-off 'Joker,' taking one of its most iconic characters to a darker, more unsettling dimension. Continuing from that point was a colossal challenge, and Phillips and his team approached it boldly and with no hesitation. They dimmed some lights and turned on others, transforming the grim drama of the first film into a delirious musical — an eerie and cold reverie where Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga lead us even further down into an abyss of emotional numbness and sociopathy. No one can accuse Phillips of retreating into safe territory to produce a predictable or formulaic film, but the sharp turn in tone has proven too jarring for many critics and fans.©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection / Cordon Press