10 Movies That Almost Killed Successful Franchises

As much as we all long for novel ideas and brand-new IPs, there can be something very satisfying—and even comforting—about revisiting a beloved franchise. However, it’s not always easy for studios to keep these franchises feeling fresh. Often, recognizing the potential to make a quick buck, studios have focused on quantity over quality and have rushed sequels, spin-offs, and reboots to market without paying any mind to script quality.

Here, we’re looking at movies that were such disasters—either critically, commercially, or both—that they caused what seemed like irreparable damage to their respective franchises, seemingly killing them off for good. Fortunately, though, by the grace of God, they have managed to claw their way back into the public consciousness and find their stride again.

Here are 10 movies that almost killed successful movie franchises.

10

‘The Matrix Revolutions’ (2003)

Challenging our entire collective perceptions of reality, The Matrix revolutionized sci-fi with its groundbreaking special effects and mind-bending narrative. A solid fixture in popular culture for over 25 years, it was a critical and commercial success. Unable to resist the temptation of capitalizing on this popularity, the world was hit with a double whammy, back-to-back franchise returns in 2003, with The Matrix Reloaded being released in May and Revolutions in November.

‘Matrix Revolutions’ Was Anti-Climactic

Reloaded picked up where The Matrix left off, continuing its predecessor’s penchant for stylized action sequences and thought-provoking story themes. While it failed to have the same impact as the original, it was still generally positively received, scoring a respectable 74% on Rotten Tomatoes. Marketed as the epic conclusion to the Matrix saga, Revolutions, however, left a bad taste in the mouths of many viewers who felt extremely disappointed by the movie’s ambiguous, seemingly unresolved conclusion and underwhelming final battle—reflected in its poor 33% Rotten Tomatoes score.

The original Matrix remains such a timeless classic that its influence and iconic status ensured the franchise never truly faded, sparking continued interest and an eventual revival in the form of The Matrix Resurrections in 2021, which attempted to address some of the original trilogy’s unresolved questions (though how successfully varies massively from person to person).

9

‘Terminator Salvation’ (2009)

Released in 1984 and directed by James Cameron, The Terminator seamlessly blends science fiction with intense action, creating a gripping narrative that has stood the test of time. Schwarzenegger’s iconic portrayal of the relentless and virtually indestructible Terminator remains etched in cinematic history.

Following its success, the now more experienced Cameron was given more creative freedom and a greater budget. The result? One of the most visually impressive, action-packed, thought-provoking sci-fi movies ever made in Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Drawing inspiration from horror and action movies, this genre-bending masterpiece cemented Cameron as one of the industry’s most exciting directors and Arnold Schwarzenegger as the biggest action star in the biz. Schwarzenegger returned once again in 2003’s Rise of the Machines, which, while it certainly couldn’t compete with the first two, still held its own.

The Series Suffered Following the Departure of Its Star Actor

Unfortunately, 2009’s Terminator Salvation decided to take the series in a completely new direction—a gamble that didn’t pay off. Schwarzenegger was noticeably absent, and in his place was Christian Bale. While his performance wasn’t bad, the story—which was set primarily in a post-apocalyptic future and shifted the focus away from the time travel element so central to the previous entries—failed to resonate with audiences and critics. As a result, the movie currently holds the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score in the franchise at just 33%.

There has since been renewed interest in the franchise, with Schwarzenegger returning to the fold and the most recent entry, Terminator: Dark Fate, being considered a return to form, scoring 70% on Rotten Tomatoes.

8

‘Planet of the Apes’ (2001)

The movies of the first Planet of the Apes trilogy, in which humans and intelligent apes clash for control, are among the most iconic films within the sci-fi genre. In 2001, Tim Burton attempted to reboot the franchise, but his ambitious project—which involved making significant changes to the established Planet of the Apes lore, such as altering the social structure and the world-building—upset many existing fans. As a result, it failed to recapture the same magic, and the poor response led to any plans for further sequels being abandoned.

Fortunately, the Franchise Has Since Been Revived

Thanks to the subsequent 2011 reboot and its sequels, Planet of the Apes is once again one of the best franchises in Hollywood—one where audiences can get incredible action, but also thoughtful character moments and philosophical questions.

7

‘Jurassic Park 3’ (2001)

Jurassic Park 3

Release Date

July 18, 2001

Runtime

92 minutes

Director

Joe Johnston

Directed by the legendary Steven Spielberg and starring Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, and Sam Neill, it’s hard to believe that Jurassic Park is now over 30 years old. At the time of its release, it quickly became the highest-grossing movie of all time—a record it held until 1997’s Titanic. Its sci-fi story of dinosaur chaos was captivating and compelling, the acting was top-notch, and the effects were utterly jaw-dropping and groundbreaking.

The Franchise Faced Extinction Following the Critical Failure of ‘Jurassic Park III’

Retreading much of the same ground, the sequel, The Lost World, failed to recapture the original’s magic—but by the time of the third installment, they seriously seemed to be running out of ideas. Not only was it unoriginal and lacking the innovation of the original, it was also devoid of any relatable characters worth rooting for. Garnering the worst critical feedback of the series to date, the franchise was seemingly abandoned, lying dormant for 15 years.

It was resurrected, however, in 2015 with Jurassic World, which became one of the highest-grossing movies of all time, saving the franchise from extinction and spawning a further two mega-successful sequels.

6

‘Ghostbusters’ (2016)

Directed by Ivan Reitman, Ghostbusters is a timeless classic that seamlessly blends supernatural spookiness with laugh-out-loud humor. It follows a team of eccentric ghost hunters who become the city’s first line of defense when it comes to the paranormal. Ghostbusters and its sequel have firmly secured themselves as all-time comedy classics that have truly stood the test of time.

Many Weren’t Open to Change

In 2016, a reboot featuring an all-women Ghostbusters team was released, offering a fresh take on the beloved concept. However, it failed to capture audiences’ imaginations in the way it had hoped, and the new direction became the subject of much controversy. Becoming one of the most polarizing movies in Hollywood history, it sparked debates over gender representation in Hollywood and online harassment directed at the cast.

Despite being a moderate success at the box office, the backlash seemingly put a halt to any further plans involving the franchise—until fans were treated to a legacy sequel in the form of the well-received Ghostbusters: Afterlife and its sequel, Frozen Empire.

5

‘Lara Croft: Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life’ (2003)

Based on one of the best-selling and most beloved video game franchises of all time, the first Tomb Raider movies hit theaters in 2001, with Angelina Jolie donning the iconic cargo shorts, utility belt, and ponytail as Lara Croft. Despite poor critical reception, the sequel Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life was released in 2003 and fared even worse with critics.

‘Cradle of Life’ Suffered from Its Style-Over-Substance, Action Approach

The movie was criticized for relying too heavily on action sequences and special effects in place of character development and a compelling story. Fortunately, many of these pitfalls were avoided in the more grounded 2018 reboot. Fans of the iconic IP are currently waiting with bated breath as news regarding the troubled production of a new movie, television series, and game slowly trickles out.

4

‘Batman & Robin’ (1997)

Batman is arguably DC Comics’ biggest and most enduring superhero in terms of popularity, and he has been brought to the screen in many iterations. The first big-screen, live-action adaptation came in the form of the critically acclaimed, blockbuster hit Batman. Directed by Tim Burton, Batman marked a darker and edgier take on the hero, breaking away from the campy 1960s series. Michael Keaton’s brooding Batman and Jack Nicholson’s iconic Joker helped redefine superhero films, blending style, grit, and psychological depth. Burton took things even darker with Batman Returns in 1992, which again received critical acclaim and was a hit at the box office.

Joel Schumacher Brought an Unwanted Layer of Lightness to Batman’s Dark Knight Persona

The tides began to change, though, when Joel Schumacher took the reins and followed it up with Batman Forever, which adopted a slightly lighter approach. It was Batman & Robin, though, that seemingly put the final nail in the coffin. The movie undid everything Tim Burton had brought to the franchise and was a campy farce that is considered among the worst superhero movies ever made. It suffered from an uneven tone that verged on parody, with poor attempts at humor, campy action sequences, and unconvincing special effects—despite a huge budget.

As a result, the franchise lay dormant for 10 years before it was resurrected by Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, which is widely considered the greatest era in the franchise’s history—as well as being the most financially successful.

3

‘Halloween: Resurrection’ (2002)

Released back in 1978, John Carpenter’s Halloween is one of the most beloved and iconic horror movies of all time, practically writing the blueprint for the slasher genre and influencing countless films that followed. Unfortunately, many of the movies that followed within its own franchise served mostly as pale imitations of the original masterpiece. With that being said, the series did develop a strong cult following among horror buffs, with one movie standing out in particular among these fans.

Halloween H20 was considered by many as a return to form for the series, with particular praise directed at Jamie Lee Curtis’s powerful and grounded performance and the novel and brutal kills.

‘Resurrection’ Was a Disappointing Sequel to the Best Halloween Entry in Years

After once again piquing the interest of the franchise’s fanbase, it was all the more disappointing when they were met with such an appalling follow-up. Resurrection adopts a cheesy, campy tone and introduces a gimmicky reality TV show premise, which feels out of place and inconsistent in tone with the rest of the series. Fans were also, understandably, devastated by the swift killing of Laurie Strode early in the movie, which felt like a disservice to the iconic character and her long-standing arc in the franchise.

The franchise took years to fully recover from the poor reception of Resurrection. Rob Zombie attempted to reboot the series in 2007, but many diehard fans of the original were disappointed with his new direction. He did return to direct a sequel, but it was a critical and commercial disappointment, and the franchise was once again in limbo. It wasn’t until 2018’s legacy sequel Halloween that the franchise finally found its mojo again.

2

‘Godzilla’ (1998)

Godzilla

Release Date

May 20, 1998

Runtime

139 Minutes

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With over 20 Japanese movies already under its belt, Godzilla was one of the most renowned and iconic ‘creature feature’ franchises in the world. But believe it or not, it wasn’t until 1998 that Hollywood sank its claws into the IP and decided to create a big-budget adaptation of its own. With a gargantuan budget of around $140 million, expectations were sky-high—but instead of the roaring success we all hoped for, the movie was, instead, a colossal disaster.

‘Godzilla’ Holds the Record for the Longest Continuously Running Film Series

The movie was a muddled mess riddled with questionable acting and even more questionable character decisions. Aside from its nonsensical plot and over-reliance on special effects, the film made two fatal mistakes.

Firstly, Godzilla was stripped of any character or identity. This differed from most of the Japanese versions, where—sometimes a villain, sometimes a protector—Godzilla is more than just a giant lizard; it has a personality, giving audiences something to connect with on a deeper level.

Secondly, it chose to wait until the middle of the movie to exposit the characters’ backgrounds instead of doing so in the first act—meaning viewers had already made up their minds about them based on surface-level impressions, making it near impossible to alter those perceptions later on.

The movie was universally panned, resulting in the cancellation of a planned trilogy. Fortunately, the series has since experienced a renewed interest thanks to more recent American adaptations that avoided the aforementioned pitfalls and remained more faithful to the source material.

Related

All 38 ‘Godzilla’ Movies in Chronological Order

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1

‘Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem’

The original Alien and Predator movies are both considered timeless and spawned several successful (and not-so-successful) sequels. Pitting two of Hollywood’s most iconic and terrifying creatures together—tapping into decades of speculation and crossover potential—had all the ingredients for something unforgettable.

A Crossover Was a Great Idea on Paper

The first time the two franchises crossed paths was in 2004’s Alien vs. Predator, but instead of the dark, intense showdown many had hoped for, it leaned into a PG-13 rating and felt tame and watered down, squandering untold potential. Thinking things couldn’t get any worse, Alien vs. Predator – Requiem went on to strip away the epic, otherworldly feel of both Alien and Predator. Instead of exploring the rich lore or raising the stakes, it delivered a bland, generic small-town action horror devoid of any soul.

Maybe one day we’ll get the crossover we’ve all been longing for, but in the meantime, both franchises have been steadily trying to undo the damage done to their legacies in the fallout of Requiem. With Predator‘s Prey and Alien‘s upcoming Romulus serving as returns to form for both IPs, it seems there might just be life left in the franchises after all.