Summary

• Several highly anticipated movie sequels, such as Legally Blonde 3 and Sherlock Holmes 3, have been stuck in development hell for years, with no release dates announced and various obstacles preventing their progress.
• External circumstances, like changing directors and screenwriters or the COVID-19 pandemic, have hindered the production of movies like World War Z 2, leaving fans waiting for updates and potential release dates.
• While there is a demand for sequels like Incredibles 3 and Zootopia 2, with hints of production and willingness from the cast and crew to return, it remains uncertain whether these films will actually come to fruition.

Even though the 2020s have become known as the era of sequels, there are still quite a few movie continuations that have been stuck in development hell for years or even decades. Some films might have been announced a while back, but they do not seem to be progressing any further, at least not according to the information available in the public domain. For instance, Legally Blonde 3 still has no release date, despite the fact that Reese Witherspoon, who played dashing lawyer Elle Woods in the two previous installments, shared that the movie entered the development stage in 2018.

Some projects may not be doable at the moment because the people attached to them are otherwise occupied or have lost interest. In other cases, everyone is doing their best to get the sequel made, but external circumstances keep getting in the way. This is exactly what seems to be happening with Robert Downey Jr.'s Sherlock Holmes 3, which was first announced in 2011 and has been faced with a myriad of obstacles since then. The third installment in the franchise about the world's best detective isn't the only much-anticipated sequel that is currently trapped in development hell.

9 Sherlock Holmes 3

Previous installment — Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)

The Robert Downey Jr.-led Sherlock Holmes movies are widely regarded as one of the best modern adaptations of Arthur Conan Doyle's works. Both movies were box office successes, and a third installment was announced shortly after the release of Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows in 2011. Since then, the original directors and screenwriter have been replaced, and the film's release window has been pushed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Downey Jr. is reportedly still on board to make a third Sherlock Holmes film, but sadly, no further updates regarding its potential release have been made in recent years.

8 World War Z 2

Previous installment — World War Z (2013)

Back in 2013, World War Z revived the zombie thriller genre and even became the highest-grossing zombie film of all time. The same year, a sequel was announced, but it took four more years for David Fincher to sign on as a director for the next movie. Production was moving slowly, and in February 2019, Paramount reportedly canceled the film due to China's ban on zombie movies. It is a shame that the film never got made, as David Fincher's World War Z 2 plans made it sound like it had a chance at becoming an even bigger hit than its predecessor.

7 Incredibles 3

Previous installment — Incredibles 2 (2018)

Incredibles 2 took 14 years to make, but it was all worth it — the movie was a box office and critical success, even becoming the animated movie with the biggest worldwide opening until Toy Story 4 gained that title the following year. The third installment hasn't been officially confirmed by Pixar, but there have been hints of the movie entering production, and its development is likely in line with the company's current strategy. Even though there is a huge demand for another film and both the director and the cast are open to return, it remains a mystery whether Incredibles 3 will ever happen.

6 The Princess Diaries 3

Previous installment — The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004)

There has been talk of The Princess Diaries 3 since the release of the previous movie, but nothing has been made official until Disney made the announcement in 2022. The late Garry Marshall directed the first two installments, and some cast , including Julie Andrews, are reportedly eager to reprise their roles in a sequel to honor the filmmaker. There is currently no The Princess Diaries 3, and no actors are attached to the project, but Aadrita Mukerji has been hired to write the script, and Debra Martin has been asked to produce the third movie. Hopefully, the film will see the light of day sooner rather than later.

5 National Treasure 3

Previous installment — National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)

The National Treasure franchise looked quite promising for Disney in the early 2000s, but the company isn't rushing to make a third movie just yet. Even though another installment was set up in National Treasure: Book of Secrets, there are currently no concrete plans for it. It has been 16 years since the release of the previous film, and it seems like even the director and the producers have given up. Nicolas Cage's movies haven't been doing well box office-wise, which is likely to be the reason why Disney is hesitant about moving forward with another film starring the actor. In 2022, the company released a TV follow-up, National Treasure: Edge of History, but the show was canceled after season 1.

4 Zootopia 2

Previous installment — Zootopia (2016)

Zootopia took over the world in 2016, and the film even won an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. The movie has already received a TV spinoff, Zootopia+, but a film sequel is still a long way away. Zootopia 2 was announced to have entered production in February 2023, which means that the third installment is still in the earliest development stages, and it could be a while until Zootopia 2 gets a release date. Jared Bush, the original screenwriter, has confirmed that he is working on the movie, and both lead stars, Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman, are open to reprise their roles.

3 Legally Blonde 3

Previous installment — Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde (2003)

Legally Blonde 2's ending teased Elle Woods coming to conquer the White House in a potential third installment, but there was no news about it until Reese Witherspoon's big announcement in 2018. Legally Blonde 3 has been in the works for a while and was even scheduled for a 2020 premiere at some point, but the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted these plans. As of 2023, there is no official release date for Legally Blonde 3, but both Mindy Kaling and Dan Goor are supposedly still attached to the project, with Reese Witherspoon's production company, Hello Sunshine, behind it as well.

2 Frozen 3

Previous installment — Frozen 2 (2019)

The Frozen film franchise has been quite popular, and the second movie even managed to beat the original in of box office numbers and record-setting achievements. Disney has recently announced that there are not one but two Frozen sequels currently in development, back to back. Most of the cast, including Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel, are expected to revisit the magical world of Arendelle in the films. Not much is revealed story-wise, and the first sequel is far away from getting a release date, but it is pleasant to know that the work on the movies has at least started.

1 Men In Black 4

Previous installment — Men in Black 3 (2012)

The Men in Black saga has been one of the defining franchises from the late 1990s to the early 2010s, and there has been a craving for a fourth installment, starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. Men in Black 4 was in development shortly after the release of the third movie, but no updates have been made regarding its status since 2013. The original series' standalone sequel, Men in Black: International, was a disappointment for both critics and viewers, as the title failed to capture the magic that was present in the previous films, likely due to the fact that the original cast were replaced.