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{{short description|Continuation of a previous work}}
{{other uses}}
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[[File:Return of Tarzan.jpg|thumb|''[[The Return of Tarzan]]'', official sequel to ''[[Tarzan of the Apes]]'']]
A '''sequel''' is a work of [[literature]], [[film]], [[theatre]], [[television]], [[music]], or [[video game]] that [[continuity (fiction)|continues the story of]], or [[expanded universe|expands upon]], some earlier work. In the common context of a [[narrative]] work of [[fiction]], a sequel portrays events set in the same [[fictional universe]] as an earlier work, usually [[chronological]]ly following the events of that work.<ref>{{cite news|title= Sequels of Hit Films Now Often Loser|work= The New York Times|date=March 12, 1991|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1991/03/12/movies/sequels-of-hit-films-now-often-loser.html?scp=9&sq=robocop&st=cse|access-date=2010-08-09 | first=Geraldine | last=Fabrikant}}</ref>
In many cases, the sequel continues elements of the original story, often with the same characters and settings. A sequel can lead to a [[film series|series]], in which key elements appear repeatedly. The difference between more than one sequel and a series is somewhat arbitrary.
Sequels are attractive to creators and publishers because there is less risk involved in returning to a story with known popularity rather than developing new and untested characters and settings. Audiences are sometimes eager for more stories about popular characters or settings, making the production of sequels financially appealing.<ref>{{cite news|title= Creative Bankruptcy|work= Call It Like I See It|date= June 15, 2011|url= http://www.callitlikeiseeit.com/?p=230|first= David|last= Rosen|access-date= June 23, 2011|archive-date= December 3, 2013|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131203065748/http://www.callitlikeiseeit.com/?p=230|url-status= dead}}</ref>
In film, sequels are very common. There are many name formats for sequels. Sometimes, they either have unrelated titles or have a letter added to the end. More commonly, they have numbers at the end or have added words at the end.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Word Sequel |url=https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WordSequel |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=TV Tropes}}</ref> It is also common for a sequel to have a variation of the original title or a subtitle. In the 1930s, many musical sequels had the year included in the title. Sometimes sequels are released with different titles in different countries, because of the perceived brand recognition. There are several ways that subsequent works can be related to the [[chronology]] of the original. Various [[neologism]]s have been coined to describe them.
==Classifications<span id="Classifications"></span>==
{{cleanup-rewrite|section=yes|most, if not all, examples fail [[WP:NOR]] and should be based on those included in reliable sources|date=April 2025}}
The most common approach for a sequel<ref>{{Cite web |last=Levine |first=Adam |date=2022-07-28 |title=Every Kind Of Sequel Explained |url=https://www.looper.com/945058/every-kind-of-sequel-explained/ |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=Looper |language=en-US}}</ref> is for the events of the second work to directly follow the events of the first one, either continuing the remaining plot threads or introducing a new conflict to drive the events of the second story. Examples include ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]'' (1980), ''[[Aliens (film)|Aliens]]'' (1986), ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day]]'' (1991), and ''[[Toy Story 2]]'' (1999).{{fact|date=February 2024}} Though most sequels begin some time after the events of the first work ended, some sequels pick up shortly after the first work, with the same story arc spanning over both parts. This is often called a '''direct sequel'''. Examples include ''[[Halloween II (1981 film)|Halloween II]]'' (1981), ''[[The Matrix Revolutions]]'' (2003), ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End|Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End]]'' (2007), and ''[[Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse]]'' (2027).{{citation needed|date=June 2025}}
A '''[[prequel]]''' is an installment that is made following the original product which portrays events occurring chronologically before those of the original work.<ref name=Silverblatt>{{cite book|last=Silverblatt|first=Art|year=2007|title=Genre Studies in Mass Media: A Handbook|publisher=[[M. E. Sharpe]]|isbn=9780765616708|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=R7ixUTC8EpwC&pg=PA211 211]|quote=Prequels focus on the action that took place ''before'' the original narrative. For instance, in ''Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith'' the audience learns about how Darth Vader originally became a villain. A prequel assumes that the audience is familiar with the original—the audience must rework the narrative so that they can understand how the prequel leads up to the beginning of the original.}}</ref> Although its name is based on the word ''sequel'', not all prequels are true prequels that are part of a main series. Prequels that are not part of a main series are called '''spin-off prequels''', while prequels that are part of a main series are called '''true prequels'''. Examples of true prequels include the [[Star Wars prequel trilogy|''Star Wars'' prequel trilogy]] (1999–2005), ''[[Tremors 4: The Legend Begins]]'' (2004) which took place chronologically before the events of the previous [[Tremors (franchise)|''Tremors'' films]], ''[[Better Call Saul]]'' (2015–2022) taking place mainly before ''[[Breaking Bad]]'' but also having some scenes after and during it,{{fact|date=February 2024}} and ''[[The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning]]'' (2008) occurring chronologically before the events of [[The Little Mermaid (TV series)|''The Little Mermaid'' TV series]] (1992–1994), [[The Little Mermaid (1989 film)|the animated ''Little Mermaid'' film]] (1989) and ''[[The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea]]'' (2000). Examples of spin-off prequels include ''[[Puss in Boots (2011 film)|Puss in Boots]]'' (2011) and ''[[Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga]]'' (2024).<!--Do NOT add any more examples without providing a source.-->{{citation needed|date=May 2025}}
A '''{{visible anchor|midquel|Midquel}}''' is a work which takes place between events. Types include interquels and intraquels.<ref name="Wolf2017">{{cite book|last=Wolf|first=Mark J.P. |title=The Routledge Companion to Imaginary Worlds|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BHE3DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT82|year=2017|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-1-317-26828-4|pages=82–}}</ref> An '''{{visible anchor|interquel|Interquel}}''' is a story that takes place in between two previously published or released stories. For example, if 'movie C' is an interquel of 'movies A' and 'B', the events of 'movie C' take place after the events of 'movie A', but before the events of 'movie B'. Examples include ''[[Rogue One: A Star Wars Story|Rogue One]]'' (2016) and ''[[Solo: A Star Wars Story|Solo]]'' (2018) of the ''[[Star Wars]]'' franchise, ''[[Saw X]]'' (2023)'', [[Alien: Romulus]]'' (2024), and ''[[Ballerina (2025 film)|Ballerina]]'' (2025). An '''{{visible anchor|intraquel|Intraquel}}''', on the other hand, is a work which focuses on events within a previous work. Examples include ''[[Bambi 2]]'' (2005) and ''[[Black Widow (2021 film)|Black Widow]]'' (2021).<ref>William D. Crump, ''How the Movies Saved Christmas: 228 Rescues from Clausnappers, Sleigh Crashes, Lost Presents and Holiday Disasters''; 19</ref><ref>Jack Zipes; ''The Enchanted Screen: The Unknown History of Fairy-Tale Films''</ref><ref>Mark J.P. Wolf; ''The Routledge Companion to Imaginary Worlds''</ref>
A '''{{visible anchor|legacy sequel|Legacy sequel}}''' is a work that follows the continuity of the original works, but takes place much further along the timeline, often focusing on new characters with the elderly original characters still present in the plot.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://filmschoolrejects.com/6-films-that-are-waiting-for-their-legacy-sequels-5851c0912005/|title=6 Films That Are Waiting for Their Legacy Sequels|date=4 August 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.flickeringmyth.com/2016/12/do-legacy-sequels-fail-if-they-pander-to-the-fans/|title = Do legacy sequels fail if they pander to the fans?|date = 30 December 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/us/movies/creed/251731/creed-2-loses-sylvester-stallone-as-director|title=Creed 2 Loses Sylvester Stallone as Director|work=Den of Geek |date=12 December 2017}}</ref> They are often made many years after the original works were made. Legacy sequels are sometimes also direct sequels that ignore previous installments entirely, effectively [[Retroactive continuity|retconning preceding events]]. Examples include ''[[Rocky Balboa (film)|Rocky Balboa]]'' (2006), ''[[Halloween (2018 film)|Halloween]]'' (2018), ''[[Candyman (2021 film)|Candyman]]'' (2021), ''[[Cobra Kai]]'' (2018–2025), ''[[Blade Runner 2049]]'' (2017), the [[Star Wars sequel trilogy|''Star Wars'' sequel trilogy]] (2015–2019), ''[[Ghostbusters: Afterlife]]'' (2021), ''[[Terminator: Dark Fate]]'' (2019), ''[[Tron: Legacy]]'' (2010), ''[[Top Gun: Maverick]]'' (2022), the [[Creed (film series)|''Creed'' films]] (2015–present), ''[[Bad Boys for Life]]'' (2020), ''[[The Matrix Resurrections]]'' (2021), ''[[Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull]]'' (2008), and the ''[[Jurassic Park (franchise)#Jurassic World (2015)|Jurassic World]]'' quadrilogy (2015–2025). Film journalist Pamela McClintock describes a legacy sequel as something that "exploits goodwill toward the past while launching a new generation of actors and stories".<ref>{{Cite web |last=McClintock |first=Pamela |date=2016-03-30 |title='Batman v. Superman,' 'Star Wars' and Hollywood's New Obsession With the "Requel" |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/batman-v-superman-star-wars-879197/ |access-date=2023-03-19 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref>
A '''{{visible anchor|standalone sequel|Standalone sequel}}''' is a work set in the same universe, yet has little or no narrative connection to its predecessor, and can stand on its own without a thorough understanding of the series. ''[[A Shot in the Dark (1964 film)|A Shot in the Dark]]'' (1964), ''[[Big Top Pee-wee]]'' (1988), ''[[Halloween III: Season of the Witch]]'' (1982), ''[[All Dogs Go to Heaven 2]]'' (1996), ''[[Home Alone 3]]'' (1997), ''[[The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift]]'' (2006), ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides]]'' (2011),<ref>{{Cite news |last=Galloway |first=Stephen |date=May 10, 2011 |title=The Making of 'Pirates of the Caribbean' |work=The Hollywood Reporter |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/making-pirates-caribbean-186743 |url-status=dead |access-date=July 29, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110808044437/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/making-pirates-caribbean-186743 |archive-date=August 8, 2011}}</ref> ''[[Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance]]'' (2011), ''[[Mad Max: Fury Road]]'' (2015), ''[[The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water]]'' (2015), ''[[A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon]]'' (2019), ''[[Spirit Untamed]]'' (2021), ''[[Space Jam: A New Legacy]]'' (2021), ''[[Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery]]'' (2022),<!-- And yes, Glass Onion is a standalone sequel--Benoit Blanc is in both of them, but where's the Thrombey family in Glass Onion? Please don't remove this. --> ''[[Twisters (film)|Twisters]]'' (2024), and ''[[Jurassic World Rebirth]]'' (2025) are examples of standalone sequels.<ref>{{cite book |last=Andre-Driussi |first=Michael |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9neV_vyIX14C&pg=PP21 |title=Lexicon Urthus, Second Edition |date=1 August 2008 |publisher=Sirius Fiction |isbn=978-0-9642795-1-3 |page=21 |access-date=30 July 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://cinematicslant.com/2018/08/14/five-films-show-how-2008-redefined-the-movies/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180912091932/https://cinematicslant.com/2018/08/14/five-films-show-how-2008-redefined-the-movies/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=September 12, 2018|title=Five Films Show How 2008 Redefined the Movies|date=14 August 2018|publisher=Cinematic Slant|access-date=September 11, 2018}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=December 2022}}
A '''plot reset''', or '''{{visible anchor|resetquel}}''' is a work set in the same universe of its predecessor that resets the plot in a different premise or setting of the work's predecessor with more than one of the same predecessor characters to appease the audience due to extremely negative reception of the predecessor. An example: ''[[The Suicide Squad (film)|The Suicide Squad]]'' (2021) to ''[[Suicide Squad (2016 film)|Suicide Squad]]'' (2016).{{cn|date=January 2025}}
A '''[[spiritual sequel]]''', also known as a '''spiritual successor''' is a work inspired by its predecessor. It shares the same styles, genres and elements as its predecessor, but has no direct connection to it at all. Most spiritual sequels are also set in different universes from their predecessors, and some spiritual sequels aren't even a part of their predecessor's franchise, making them ''non-franchise sequels''. Spiritual sequels can sometimes be repurposed from material originally intended to be direct sequels. Examples of this include ''[[Superman Returns]]'' (2006), a spiritual sequel to ''[[Superman (1978 film)|Superman]]'' (1978) and ''[[Superman II]]'' (1980), and ''[[Mute (2018 film)|Mute]]'' (2018), a spiritual sequel to the film ''[[Moon (2009 film)|Moon]]'' (2009).{{citation needed|date=July 2025}}
A '''parallel''', '''{{visible anchor|paraquel|Paraquel}}''', or '''sidequel''' is a story that runs at the same point in time as the original story.<ref>"What is a Paraquel?", ''[[The Storyteller's Scroll]]''; Sunday, March 27, 2011</ref><ref>Mark J.P. Wolf, ''Building Imaginary Worlds: The Theory and History of Subcreation''; 210</ref> For instance, three different novels by [[John Morressy]]—''Starbrat'' (1972), ''Stardrift'' (1973; also known as ''Nail Down the Stars'') and ''Under a Calculating Star'' (1975)—involve different lead characters, mostly in different places, but overlap at one dramatic event to which each novel provides a different perspective.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Morressy, John |encyclopedia=[[The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction]] (SFE) |url=https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/morressy_john |date=September 12, 2022 |access-date=February 13, 2023 |quote=[T]he Del Whitby trilogy... intriguingly tells the same noisy tale of interstellar intrigue and revolution from three partial points of view; none of the protagonists (orphans or impostors all) knows the whole story.}}</ref> Strict legacy parallels are [[Kirill Eskov]]'s novel ''[[The Last Ringbearer]]'' (1999) retelling the events of [[J. R. R. Tolkien]]'s ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' (1955) from the viewpoint of benevolent Mordorians combatting the malevolent West. Likewise, [[Alice Randall]]'s novel ''[[The Wind Done Gone]]'' (2001), contemporary to [[Margaret Mitchell]]'s ''[[Gone with the Wind (novel)|Gone with the Wind]]'' (1936), tells the life story of a mulatto woman born enslaved on the O'Hara plantation and ''[[The Lion King 1½]]'' (2004), featuring the origins of characters [[Timon and Pumbaa]] occurring simultaneously within [[The Lion King|the original 1994 film]]. Another example is the [[Marvel Cinematic Universe|MCU]] films ''[[The Incredible Hulk (film)|The Incredible Hulk]]'' (2008), ''[[Iron Man 2]]'' (2010) and ''[[Thor (film)|Thor]]'' (2011), which were all happening at the same time period, and there are characters that overlap between them.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kuroranj |date=December 7, 2012 |title=Sidequel |url=https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Sidequel |access-date=November 15, 2024 |website=Urban Dictionary}}</ref>
==Relatives==
Alongside sequels, there are also other types of continuation or inspiration of a previous work.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Levine |first=Adam |date=2022-07-28 |title=Every Kind Of Sequel Explained |url=https://www.looper.com/945058/every-kind-of-sequel-explained/ |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=Looper |language=en-US}}</ref>
A [[Spinoff (media)|spin-off]] is a work that is not a sequel to any previous works, but is set in the same universe. It is a separate work-on-its-own in the same franchise as the series of other works. Spin-offs are often focused on one or more of the minor characters from the other work or new characters in the same universe as the other work. ''[[The Scorpion King]]'', ''[[Planes (film)|Planes]]'', ''[[Minions (film)|Minions]]'', ''[[Hobbs & Shaw]]'' and ''[[Lightyear (film)|Lightyear]]'' are examples of spin-off movies while ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'', ''[[Torchwood]]'' and ''[[CSI: NY]]'' are examples of spin-off television series.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Levine |first=Adam |date=2022-07-28 |title=Every Kind Of Sequel Explained |url=https://www.looper.com/945058/every-kind-of-sequel-explained/ |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=Looper |language=en-US}}</ref>
A [[crossover (fiction)|crossover]] is a work where characters or events from two previous works from different franchises are meeting in the same universe. ''[[Alien vs. Predator (film)|Alien vs. Predator]]'' (2004), ''[[Freddy vs. Jason]]'' (2003) and ''[[The Lego Movie]]'' (2014) are examples of a crossover film. Crossovers can also function as sequels if plotlines from the two previous works continue into them, like with ''[[Deadpool & Wolverine]]'' (2024) and ''[[Rugrats Go Wild]]'' (2003).<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-11-10 |title=The 17 greatest crossover and team-up films |url=https://www.yardbarker.com/entertainment/articles/the_most_memorable_crossover_and_team_up_movies/s1__40549154#slide_16 |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=Yardbarker |language=en}}</ref>
A [[reboot (fiction)|reboot]] is a start over from a previous work. It could either be a film set in a new universe resembling the old one or it could be a regular spin-off film that starts a new film series. Reboots are usually a part of the same media franchise as the previous works, but not always. ''[[Batman Begins]]'' (2005), ''[[Casino Royale (2006 film)|Casino Royale]]'' (2006), ''[[Star Trek (2009 film)|Star Trek]]'' (2009), ''[[Børning]]'' (2014), ''[[Man of Steel (film)|Man of Steel]]'' (2013) and ''[[Terminator: Genisys]]'' (2015) are examples of reboot films. Kathleen Loock has written that traditional reboots tended to stray away from depicting direct narrative or stylistic correlations to the previous versions of the franchise. Contemporary reboots lean into the nostalgia factor and create new stories that simultaneously revel in the aspects of the original franchise that made it notable in the first place.<ref name="Loock 173–188">{{Citation |last=Loock |first=Kathleen |title=Reboot, Requel, Legacyquel: Jurassic World and the Nostalgia Franchise |date=2020-09-15 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.3366/edinburgh/9781474451369.003.0012 |work=Film Reboots |pages=173–188 |access-date=2023-03-11 |publisher=Edinburgh University Press|doi=10.3366/edinburgh/9781474451369.003.0012 |isbn=9781474451369 |s2cid=236796220 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>
==History==
In ''The Afterlife of a Character'', David Brewer describes a reader's desire to "see more", or to know what happens next in the narrative after it has ended.<ref>Brewer, David A. ''The Afterlife of Character, 1726–1825.'' Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, 2005. Print.</ref>
[[Akira Kurosawa]]'s ''[[Sanshiro Sugata Part II]]'' (1945) was the earliest-numbered sequel in the [[history of cinema]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Hall |first=Sheldon |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jhvrSwOOsRgC&pg=PA298 |title=Epics, Spectacles, and Blockbusters: A Hollywood History |last2=Neale |first2=Stephen |date=April 30, 2010 |publisher=[[Wayne State University Press]] |isbn=978-0814330081 |pages=298 |via=Google Books}}</ref> Film director [[Francis Ford Coppola]] claims to have popularized the trend of including numbers in film sequel titles with ''[[The Godfather Part II]]'' (1974).<ref>{{cite news |last=Yuan |first=Jada |date=2024-12-02 |title=Francis Ford Coppola found himself outside Hollywood. He's okay with that. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/movies/2024/12/02/francis-ford-coppola-kennedy-center-honors/ |access-date=2024-12-11 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |quote=[Coppola] told <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[Paramount Pictures]]<nowiki>]</nowiki> he wanted to name it 'The Godfather Part II,' an idea he'd gotten from the Russians who'd done ''[[Ivan the Terrible (1945 film)|Ivan the Terrible]]'' in two parts, at a time when no one had done a numbered sequel in Hollywood. The studio thought he was nuts, that people would think it was the same movie they'd already seen. But Coppola threatened to walk off the project if he didn't get his way. 'So I'm the jerk that started numbers on movies,' he says. 'I'm embarrassed, and I apologize to everyone.'}}</ref>
===Sequels of the novel===
[[File:Marvelous land of oz.jpg|''[[The Marvelous Land of Oz]]'', sequel to ''[[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz]]'', was an official sequel novel written to satisfy popular demand.|thumb]]
The origin of the sequel as it is conceived in the 21st century developed from the [[novella]] and [[Romance (heroic literature)|romance]] traditions in a slow process that culminated towards the end of the 17th century.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Literary |first1=Brink |last2=Sullivan |first2=Amber |date=2024-02-28 |title=A Brief History of the Romance Novel |url=https://frictionlit.org/a-brief-history-of-the-romance-novel/?srsltid=AfmBOop127lpKMWJT9D8StJgiiZIP6G3CM0dySm0njjv6AXouYmysZnS |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=F(r)iction |language=en-US}}</ref>
The substantial shift toward a rapidly growing [[print culture]] and the rise of the market system by the early 18th century meant that an author's merit and livelihood became increasingly linked to the number of copies of a work he or she could sell. This shift from a text-based to an author-centered reading culture<ref name=":0">
{{cite book |last=Schellenberg |first=Betty A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sxTF344zjTUC |title=On Second Thought: Updating the Eighteenth-century Text |date=2007 |publisher=University of Delaware Press |isbn=9780874139754 |editor1-last=Taylor Bourdeau |editor1-first=Debra |page=27 |chapter=The Measured Lines of the Copyist: Sequels, Reviews, and the Discourse of Authorship in England, 1749–1800 |quote=Of particular interest to me in this essay is the shift from a text-based to an author-based culture, accompanied by a developing elevation of the original author over the imitative one. |access-date=2014-11-14 |editor2-last=Kraft |editor2-first=Elizabeth}}
</ref> led to the "professionalization" of the author—that is, the development of a "sense of identity based on a marketable skill and on supplying to a defined public a specialized service it was demanding."<ref name="Schellenberg, Betty A 1998"/> In one sense, then, sequels became a means to profit further from previous work that had already obtained some measure of commercial success.<ref>Budra, Paul, and Betty Schellenberg. "Introduction." ''Part Two: Reflections on the Sequel (Theory / Culture)''. New York: University of Toronto, 1998. Print.</ref> As the establishment of a readership became increasingly important to the economic viability of authorship, sequels offered a means to establish a recurring economic outlet.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lawson |first=Mark |date=2012-03-09 |title=To be continued … the grand tradition of prequels and sequels |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/mar/09/prequels-sequels-books |access-date=2024-11-15 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
In addition to serving economic profit, the sequel was also used as a method to strengthen an author's claim to his literary property. With weak [[copyright]] laws and unscrupulous booksellers willing to sell whatever they could, in some cases the only way to prove ownership of a text was to produce another like it. Sequels in this sense are rather limited in scope, as the authors are focused on producing "more of the same" to defend their "literary paternity".<ref name="Schellenberg, Betty A 1998">Schellenberg, Betty A. "'To Renew Their Former Acquaintance': Print, Gender, and Some Eighteenth-Century Sequels." ''Part Two: Reflections on the Sequel (Theory / Culture)''. Ed. Paul Budra and Betty A. Schellenberg. New York: University of Toronto, 1998. Print.</ref> As is true throughout history, sequels to novels provided an opportunity for authors to interact with a readership. This became especially important in the economy of the 18th-century novel, in which authors often maintained readership by drawing readers back with the promise of more of what they liked from the original. With sequels, therefore, came the implicit division of readers by authors into the categories of "desirable" and "undesirable"—that is, those who interpret the text in a way unsanctioned by the author. Only after having achieved a significant reader base would an author feel free to alienate or ignore the "undesirable" readers.<ref name="Schellenberg, Betty A 1998"/>
This concept of "undesirable" readers extends to unofficial sequels with the 18th-century novel. While in certain historical contexts unofficial sequels were actually the norm (for an example, see [[Arthurian literature]]), with the emphasis on the author function that arises in conjunction with the novel many authors began to see these kinds of unauthorized extensions as being in direct conflict with authorial authority. In the matter of ''[[Don Quixote]]'' (an early novel, perhaps better classified as a satirical romance), for example, [[Miguel de Cervantes|Cervantes]] disapproved of [[Alonso Fernández de Avellaneda]]'s use of his characters in ''Second Volume of the Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'', an unauthorized sequel. In response, Cervantes very firmly kills the protagonist at the end of the Second Part to discourage any more such creative liberties.<ref>Riley, E.C. "Three Versions of Don Quixote". ''The Modern Language Review'' 68.4 (173). JSTOR. Web.</ref> Another example is [[Samuel Richardson]], an 18th-century author who responded particularly strongly against the appropriation of his material by unauthorized third parties. Richardson was extremely vocal in his disapproval of the way the protagonist of his novel ''[[Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded|Pamela]]'' was repeatedly incorporated into unauthorized sequels featuring particularly lewd plots. The most famous of these is [[Henry Fielding]]'s parody, entitled ''[[Shamela]]''.<ref>Brewer, David A. ''The Afterlife of Character, 1726–1825''. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, 2005. Print.</ref>
In ''To Renew Their Former Acquaintance: Print, Gender, and Some Eighteenth Century Sequels'', Betty Schellenberg theorizes that whereas for male writers in the 18th century sequels often served as "models of paternity and property", for women writers these models were more likely to be seen as transgressive. Instead, the recurring readership created by sequels let female writers function within the model of "familiar acquaintances reunited to enjoy the mutual pleasures of conversation", and made their writing an "activity within a private, non-economic sphere". Through this created perception women writers were able to break into the economic sphere and "enhance their professional status" through authorship.<ref name="Schellenberg, Betty A 1998"/>
Dissociated from the motives of profit and therefore unrestrained by the need for continuity felt by male writers, Schellenberg argues that female-authored sequel fiction tended to have a much broader scope.<ref name=":0"/> He says that women writers showed an "innovative freedom" that male writers rejected to "protect their patrimony". For example, [[Sarah Fielding]]'s ''Adventures of David Simple'' and its sequels ''Familiar Letters between the Principal Characters in David Simple'' and ''David Simple, Volume the Last'' are extremely innovative and cover almost the entire range of popular narrative styles of the 18th century.<ref>Michie, Allen. "Far From Simple: Sarah Fielding's Familiar Letters and the Limits of the Eighteenth-Century Sequel" in ''Second Thought'', Edited by Bourdeau and Kraft. Cranbury, NJ: Rosemont, 2007. Print.</ref>
===Video games===
The cost of developing [[AAA video game]]s has increased significantly over recent years,<ref>{{cite web |last=Koster |first=Raph |date=January 23, 2018 |title=The cost of games |url=https://venturebeat.com/2018/01/23/the-cost-of-games/ |access-date=June 20, 2019 |publisher=VentureBeat |quote=The trajectory line for triple-A games ... goes up tenfold every 10 years and has since at least 1995 or so ...}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Takatsuki |first=Yo |date=December 27, 2007 |title=Cost headache for game developers |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7151961.stm |work=BBC News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Mattas |first=Jeff |date=12 January 2010 |title=Video Game Development Costs Continue to Rise in Face of Nearly 12K Layoffs Since '08 |url=http://www.shacknews.com/article/61911/video-game-development-costs-continue |publisher=Shacknews}}</ref> often reaching tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars due to high expectations for detailed graphics, expansive worlds, and advanced gameplay. Video game companies have turned to sequels as a dependable business strategy.<ref>{{cite news |last=Taub |first=Eric |date=September 20, 2004 |title=In Video Games, Sequels Are Winners |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/20/technology/in-video-games-sequels-are-winners.html |access-date=June 20, 2019 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> Sequels are now a dominant trend in the industry, making up a large proportion of new releases from major publishers.<ref name=":1">{{cite news |last=Richtel |first=Matt |date=August 8, 2005 |title=Relying on Video Game Sequels |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/08/technology/relying-on-video-game-sequels.html |access-date=June 20, 2019 |work=The New York Times}}</ref>
One reason they are prevalent is their ability to provide a stable revenue stream in a volatile market. Building on an existing brand with an established fan base, sequels are perceived as safer investments than new [[Intellectual property|intellectual properties]] (IP). They allow companies to capitalize on previous successes, ensuring a built-in audience and reducing the financial risk associated with launching a new and unproven concept. Additionally, sequels of a formula that players already enjoy, balancing familiarity with new features or improvements, can increase player retention and positive reception.<ref name=":1"/>
==Media franchises==
{{Main|Media franchise}}
In some cases, the characters or the settings of an original film or video game become so valuable that they develop into a series, lately referred to as a [[media franchise]]. Generally, a whole series of sequels is made, along with [[merchandising]]. Multiple sequels are often planned well in advance, and actors and directors may sign extended contracts to ensure their participation. This can extend into a series/franchise's initial production's plot to provide story material to develop for sequels, called sequel hooks. Examples of major media franchises include the [[Marvel Cinematic Universe]], [[Pokémon]], [[Harry Potter]], and [[Disney Princess]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Zaheer |first=Minal |date=February 15, 2024 |title=30 Highest-Grossing Media Franchises of All Time |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/30-highest-grossing-media-franchises-133420902.html |access-date=November 15, 2024 |work=Yahoo Finance}}</ref>
===Box office===
Movie sequels do not always do as well at the box office as the original, but they tend to do better than non-sequels, according to a study in the July 2008 issue of the ''Journal of Business Research''. The shorter the period between releases, the better the sequel does at the box office. Sequels also show a faster drop in weekly revenues relative to non-sequels.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Researchers Investigate Box Office Impact Vs. Original Movie |url=https://www.newswise.com/articles/researchers-investigate-box-office-impact-vs-original-movie |access-date=June 19, 2008 |website=Newswise |language=en}}</ref> A quantitative mega-analysis of box office earnings from all the major movie studios revealed that franchise movies dominate the highest-grossing films lists, establishing sequels as a reliable kind of movie to make. All studios have come to rely on releasing sequels as they increase the studios' profitability, yield to the consumer demand for simultaneous novelty and familiarity, and help manage risk and uncertainty within studio production and release.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Pokorny |first1=Michael |last2=Miskell |first2=Peter |last3=Sedgwick |first3=John |date=February 2019 |title=Managing uncertainty in creative industries: Film sequels and Hollywood's profitability, 1988–2015 |journal=Competition & Change |language=en |volume=23 |issue=1 |pages=23–46 |doi=10.1177/1024529418797302 |s2cid=158819120 |issn=1024-5294|doi-access=free }}</ref>
===Sequels in other media===
{{see also|List of television programs based on films|List of films based on television programs}}
Sequels are most often produced in the same medium as the previous work (e.g., a film sequel is usually a sequel to another film). Producing sequels to a work in another medium has also become common, especially when the new medium is less costly or time-consuming to produce.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Woehle |first=Dietz |date=2023-08-13 |title=10 Best Movies That Were Sequels To TV Shows, Ranked |url=https://screenrant.com/best-movies-tv-show-sequels/ |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=[[Screen Rant]] |language=en}}</ref>
A sequel to a popular but discontinued television series may be produced in another medium, thereby bypassing whatever factors led to the series' cancellation, such as [[Serenity (2005 film)|''Serenity'']] (sequel to [[Firefly (TV series)|''Firefly'']]), ''[[Downton Abbey: A New Era]]'' (sequel to ''[[Downton Abbey]]''), and [[Veronica Mars (film)|''Veronica Mars'']] (sequel to ''[[Veronica Mars]]'').<ref name=":2"/>
Some highly popular movies and television series have inspired the production of multiple novel sequels, sometimes rivaling or even dwarfing the volume of works in the original medium.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-11-23 |title=Movie sequels that were released in other mediums |url=https://uk.movies.yahoo.com/movies/movie-sequels-that-were-released-in-other-mediums-123057564.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAALvCyxF3JgvNrYXEVGZnqDC5Jvcu0UyDSZ5JP6KMw9vjm94402QCBmG3qIX5i-KVbSjqRWA6N-Ms6L7BXTGDwnmCruZmstANOpZAcMjag2O1N0WNXgiaU9eMzRvw1oqci32fZct-y5zH-TL3PU1TVdXhvg0PGbrfE41GpKjSsCcG |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=[[Yahoo! Movies]] UK |language=en-GB}}</ref>
For example, the 1956 novel ''[[The Hundred and One Dalmatians]]'', its [[One Hundred and One Dalmatians|1961 animated adaptation]], and that film's [[101 Dalmatians (1996 film)|1996 live-action remake]] each have a sequel unrelated to the other sequels: respectively, ''[[The Starlight Barking]]'' (1967), ''[[101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure]]'' (2003, [[Direct-to-video|direct to video]]), and ''[[102 Dalmatians]]'' (2000).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Every 101 Dalmatians Movie, Book, and TV Show |url=https://www.listchallenges.com/every-101-dalmatians-movie-book-and-tv-show |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=List Challenges}}</ref>
==Unofficial sequels==
{{further|Pastiche}}
[[File:New-adventures-of-alice-cover-1917.png|''[[New Adventures of Alice]]'', 1917, John Rae|thumb]]
Sometimes sequels are produced without the consent of the creator of the original work. These may be dubbed unofficial, informal, unauthorized, or illegitimate sequels. In some cases, the work is in the [[public ___domain]], and there is no legal obstacle to producing sequels. An example would be books and films serving as sequels to the book ''[[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz]],'' which is in the public ___domain (as opposed to [[The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|its 1939 film adaptation]]). In other cases, the original creator or their heirs may assert [[copyright]]s, and challenge the creators of the sequels.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Patten |first=Dominic |date=2015-05-22 |title='Mr. Holmes' Lawsuit: Arthur Conan Doyle Estate Sues Bill Condon & Distributors |url=https://deadline.com/2015/05/mr-holmes-lawsuit-arthur-conan-doyle-estate-sues-bill-condon-1201431854/ |access-date=2022-07-18 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref>
===Literary===
{{further|Continuation novel|Parallel novel}}
*''[[Old Friends and New Fancies]]: An Imaginary Sequel to the Novels of Jane Austen'' (1913) is a novel by Sybil G. Brinton that is generally acknowledged to be the first sequel to the works of [[Jane Austen]] and as such the first piece of [[Jane Austen fan fiction|Austen fan fiction]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Romano |first=Aja |date=23 July 2012 |title=Austen mashups are nothing new to Janeites |url=https://www.dailydot.com/culture/austen-mashups-fanfiction-jaff/ |access-date=22 July 2025 |website=The Daily Dot}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Morrison |first=Ewan |author-link=Ewan Morrison |date=13 August 2012 |title=In the beginning, there was fan fiction: from the four gospels to Fifty Shades |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/aug/13/fan-fiction-fifty-shades-grey |access-date=22 July 2025 |work=The Guardian}}</ref>
*''[[Porto Bello Gold]]'' (1924), a [[prequel]] by [[A. D. Howden Smith]] to ''[[Treasure Island]]'' that was written with explicit permission from [[Robert Louis Stevenson]]'s executor, tells the origin of the buried treasure and recasts many of Stevenson's pirates in their younger years, giving the hidden treasure some [[Jacobitism|Jacobite]] antecedents not mentioned in the original.<ref>{{cite news |title=Piratical prequels |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/piratical-prequels-38lfhs6jcrf |language=en}}</ref>
*''[[Harold Augustin Calahan|Back to Treasure Island]]'' (1935) is a sequel by H. A. Calahan, the introduction of which argues that Robert Louis Stevenson wanted to write a continuation of the story.
*''[[Heidi Grows Up]]'' (a.k.a. ''Heidi Grows Up: A Sequel to Heidi'') is a [[1938 in literature|1938]] novel and sequel to [[Johanna Spyri]]'s 1881 novel ''[[Heidi]]'', written by Spyri's French and English translator, Charles Tritten, after a three-decade-long period of pondering what to write, since Spyri's death gave no sequel of her own.<ref>''"Heidi Grows Up"'' - foreword, by Charles Tritten</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=2010-04-30 |title=Heidi has a secret past: she sneaked in over the border |url=https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/uk-travel/heidi-has-a-secret-past-she-sneaked-in-over-the-border-8wgjptcjrhc |access-date=2025-07-22 |work=thetimes.com |language=en}}</ref>
*[[Manly Wade Wellman]] and his son Wade Wellman wrote ''[[Sherlock Holmes's War of the Worlds]]'' (1975), which describes [[Sherlock Holmes]]'s adventures during the Martian occupation of London. This version uses [[H. G. Wells]]'s short story "[[The Crystal Egg]]" as a prequel (with Holmes being the man who bought the egg at the end) and includes a crossover with [[Arthur Conan Doyle]]'s [[Professor Challenger]] stories. Among many changes the Martians are changed into simple vampires, who suck and ingest human blood.<ref>{{cite news |title=War of the Worlds gets a sequel 119 years on – but what about all the unofficial ones? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2015/dec/08/war-of-the-worlds-hg-wells-massacre-of-mankind-unofficial-sequels |work=The Guardian |date=8 December 2015 |language=en}}</ref>
* In ''[[The Space Machine]]'' (1976), [[Christopher Priest (novelist)|Christopher Priest]] presents both a sequel and prequel to ''The War of the Worlds'' (due to time travel elements), which also integrates the events of ''[[The Time Machine]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Steampunk |url=https://www.avclub.com/steampunk-1798217167 |website=The A.V. Club |date=16 July 2009 |language=en-us}}</ref>
* [[György Dalos]] wrote the novel ''[[1985 (Dalos novel)|1985]]'' that was intended as a direct sequel to [[George Orwell]]'s work.
* ''[[Alice Through the Needle's Eye]]'' (1984) by [[Gilbert Adair]] – a sequel to [[Lewis Carroll]]'s [[Alice in Wonderland]] books<ref>{{cite news |last=Fuller |first=John |title=LEWIS CARROLL IS STILL DEAD (Published 1985) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/05/05/books/lewis-carroll-is-still-dead.html |work=The New York Times |date=5 May 1985}}</ref>
* The novelist [[Angela Carter]] was working on a sequel to ''[[Jane Eyre]]'' at the time of her death in 1992. This was to have been the story of Jane's stepdaughter Adèle Varens and her mother Céline. Only a synopsis survives.<ref>{{cite news |last=Clapp |first=Susannah |author-link=Susannah Clapp |date=2006-01-29 |title=Theatre: Nights at the Circus | The Observer |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2006/jan/29/theatre.angelacarter |access-date=2010-03-30 |work=The Guardian |___location=London}}</ref>
* ''Mrs. Rochester: A Sequel to Jane Eyre'' (1997) by [[Hilary Bailey]]
*''[[The Last Ringbearer]]'' ({{langx|ru|Последний кольценосец|italic=yes}}, ''Posledniy kol'tsenosets'') (1999) is a fantasy book by Russian author [[Kirill Eskov]]. It is an [[parallel novel|alternative account]] of, and an informal sequel to, the events of [[J. R. R. Tolkien]]'s ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Smith |first=Kevin |title=One ring to rule them all? |url=https://blogs.library.duke.edu/scholcomm/2011/02/23/one-ring-to-rule-them-all/ |website=Scholarly Communications @ Duke |date=23 February 2011}}</ref>
==See also==
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
* [[
* [[
* [[Crossover (fiction)]]
* [[
* ''[[Klinger v. Conan Doyle Estate, Ltd.]]''
* [[List of video game franchises]]
* [[List of film sequels by box-office performance]]
* [[Pentalogy]]
* [[Prequel]]
* [[List of
* [[Reboot (fiction)]]
* [[Remake]]
* [[Shared universe]]
* [[Spin-off (media)]]
* [[Spiritual successor]]
* [[Standalone film]]
* [[Tetralogy]]
* [[Trilogy]]
{{div col end}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==Further reading==
*{{cite book | last=Henderson | first=Stuart | year=2017 | title=The Hollywood Sequel: History & Form, 1911-2010 | publisher=[[Bloomsbury Publishing]] | isbn=978-1-84457-843-6 }}
*{{cite book | last=Jess-Cooke | first=Carolyn | year=2012 | title=Film Sequels | publisher=[[Edinburgh University Press]] | isbn=978-0-7486-8947-7 }}
*{{cite book | last1=Jess-Cooke | first1=Carolyn | last2=Verevis | first2=Constantine | year=2012 | title=Second Takes: Critical Approaches to the Film Sequel | publisher=[[SUNY Press]] | isbn=978-1-4384-3031-7 }}
==External links==
{{Wiktionary|sequel|threequel|interquel}}
* [http://www.slate.com/id/2119701/ ''Slate'': "The Midas Formula (How to create a billion-dollar movie franchise)"]
* [http://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchises/ ''Box Office Mojo'': Film franchise earning comparison]
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Narrative forms]]
[[Category:Film and video terminology]]
[[Category:Sequels|*]]
[[Category:Continuity (fiction)]]
[[Category:Television terminology]]
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