Franchise filmmaking is all the rage now, with almost every big-budget release expected to spawn a franchise. Inevitably this leads to a smorgasbord of great successes and terrible failures. Some franchises are dead on arrival and fail to get off the ground, dying a quick death after just the first movie.
But others are luckier and gain a second film, as part of a planned trilogy, only for the climactic third installment to be put on ice. There are numerous reasons why this happens, including bad reviews, underwhelming box-office figures, or dramatic behind-the-scenes drama. With this in mind here are 10 trilogies that were never finished.
Hellboy
Though never as big as other more mainstream superhero movies the Hellboy franchise earned a cult following. Directed by Guillermo del Toro, Hellboy and the other monster were brought to life with the best make-up and prosthetics available, and the results still hold up today.
The cliff-hanger ending of Hellboy 2: The Golden Army left fans hungry for a third film, but alas the franchise went on to be rebooted in 2019. The resulting film pales in comparison to the original offering.
Percy Jackson
Based upon the books of the same name Harry Potter franchise, and hoped to launch a film series to rival it. Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, the franchise made money.
A third film was planned based upon The Titans Curse, but it never materialized. The series made numerous changes from the source material that only served to displease fans, a more faithful adaptation is set to hit Disney+.
Tron
The original Tron released way back in the distant past of 1982, and although the visual effects were groundbreaking at the time, the film hasn't aged well and is something of an eyesore today.
28 years later Tron: Legacy was released and gave the franchise a new coat of paint. The results were one of the more visually unique films Disney has ever produced. A third film has been rumored for some time, but audiences may be left waiting.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The modern reboot of Transformers movies had enjoyed and saw Michael Bay return to direct. Despite being one of the most recognizable and beloved novelties from the '80s the franchise ran out of gas after only its second entry.
Audiences clearly have grown tired Bay's bag of tricks, and the Turtle movies failed to impress old and new fans alike. Despite this, the franchise continues to enjoy great success as a cartoon.
Clash of the Titans
The original Greek mythological monsters to life with charming stop motion and is still a fun watch today. The 2010 reboot used cutting edge visual effects to reinterpret the story for a new generation.
Although featuring an all-star cast, the films failed to impress critics, and the 3D was criticized was being poorly implemented. A third film was planned, Revenge of the Titans, but was never made.
Sin City
The original Sin City: A Dame to Kill For was released.
It failed to capture the magic of the original and flopped at the box-office. A third installment was discussed by creator Frank Miller and director Robert Rodriguez but never materialized.
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four franchise was a moderate success, while not beloved by audience or critics they were by no means terrible and did a competent job of adapting the comics. A third film and even a Silver Surfer spin-off were planned, but after the second film earned less than expected those plans were dashed.
The superhero family was rebooted in 2015, resulting in one of the worst superhero films the decade had to offer. With the rights not back with Marvel we can only hope that hey get it right next time.
The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man remains on the most cautionary tales when it comes to cinematic universe filmmaking. Numerous spin-offs and sequels were planned including The Amazing Spider-Man 3 and a Sinister Six movie.
Despite these lofty intentions, the franchise buckled under its own weight. Leaving many underwhelmed by its focus on building a franchise over telling a compelling story. The franchise went on to rebooted and Spider-Man found a new home in the MCU to great success.
Batman
Although technically Tim Burton's His vision for the third and final installment in the trilogy never came to be.
The third film in the franchise would have brought back fan-favorite characters such as Cat Woman and planned to use Robin Williams as The Riddler. The dark tone of Batman Returns proved to be controversial and the franchise was taken in a more kid-friendly direction.
Scooby-Doo
The live-action adaption of the classic cartoon saw Mystery Inc. brought to life like never before with some truly great casting. While never a critical darling the films channeled the same sense adventure and camp fun as the cartoon.
A third installment was planned which would have seen the gang travel to Scotland to investigate supernatural goings-on. With the second film making less money than the first, it seems likely this is the reason the sequel was scrapped.
