Fright Night 2
We weren't aware that the new take on Fright Night had done particularly well, but it's clearly picked up interest somewhere along the line. A straight to DVD sequel has been commissioned, with a new cast brought in. Work is underway on the project, which will now star Chris Waller, Will Payne and Sean Power.
Ghostbusters 3
It seems as though the much talked about third Ghostbusters movie will finally press ahead this year. The movie is expected to shoot before 2013 is out, without any involvement from Bill Murray. Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis have been working on the film for some time, which Ivan Reitman is expected to direct. The idea will be to hand the mantle over to a new team of Ghostbusters, who will then take the franchise forward. That said, there have been that many twists and turns to get the film this fire, we wouldn't be in the slightest bit surprised if it all fell apart again.
The Girl Who Played With Fire
The second part of the English language take on Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy appears stuck at the moment. David Fincher's film of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo did solid, if not exceptional business, but both Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara are contracted for two further films. Sony keeps making noises that it's looking to press ahead with the other two films, but last we heard, it was in their court, and there wasn't a screenplay in place the studio was happy with. Don't be surprised if this one fizzles out...
Goon 2
The ultra-violent ice hockey comedy Goon has no shortage of fans, and Jay Baruchel and Jesse Chabot are now working on a screenplay for a second movie. Expect Seann William Scott to return, and Michael Dowse will be directing again. The film is currently in the writing stages.
Hancock 2
Director Peter Berg, while promoting his more-commercially-successful-than-you-might-think blockbuster Battleship last year admitted that a second Hancock film was still a distinct possibility. He's still interested in making another one, and reports that Will Smith is up for it too. It's finding a space in everyone's schedule that's apparently the ongoing problem.
The Hobbit
As you more than likely very well know, as well as a further Hobbit film this year, The Desolation Of Smaug, Peter Jackson has another lined up for the summer of 2014, There And Back Again. Given that the splitting of The Hobbit into three films has already been widely debated, it's probably best if we move on...
Hot Tub Time Machine 2
It might not have done amazing business at the box office, but Hot Tub Time Machine proved to be a sizeable DVD and Blu-ray hit, and MGM has put the wheels in motion for a sequel. Early reports suggest that John Cusack won't be involved with this one, although director Steve Pink is likely to return. So are the rest of the key cast: Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson and Clark Duke. Pink and Corddry are on scripting duties.
Hotel Transylvania 2
The autumn of 2012 saw a trio of horror-related animated movies go head to head, with Hotel Transylvania doing battle with Frankenweenie and ParaNorman. Sadly, you can't help but feel that the weakest film won, with the sizeable gross for Hotel Transylvania leading Sony Pictures Animation to greenlight a sequel.
How To Train Your Dragon 2 and 3
Two sequels are well in the works to one of DreamWorks Animation's finest films, How To Train Your Dragon. Dean DeBlois, who co-directed the first film with Chris Sanders, is taking the helm for both movies. The first is due in June 2014, the second arrives in June 2016. After which, Mr DeBlois might just need a bit of a rest...
The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is already scheduled for release this coming November, but there are two films left to come after that. The final book in Suzanne Collins' trilogy, Mockingjay, has been split into two films, and Francis Lawrence has been confirmed as directing them both (he's currently in post-production on Catching Fire). Mockingjay Part One is set for release in 2014, and Part Two will follow in 2015.
The Inbetweeners Movie 2
After initially being reluctant to commit to a film sequel, The Inbetweeners creators Iain Morris and Damon Beesley are apparently closing in on a follow-up. They're taking their time about it, and Morris told us last summer that "we've got an idea, think we'd like to do it if we can make it good, but we're a long way from it really happening". That still sounds a lot closer than they originally were, and we wouldn't be surprised in The Inbetweeners Movie 2 moves forward this year, with an eye on a summer 2014 release. That's speculation on our part, though.
Independence Day 2 and 3
The abandoning of the plans for a big screen re-release of Roland Emmerich's Independence Day, due for later this summer, has led to some concern that the planned sequels were now off the cards. It's long been known that Emmerich and writer Dean Devlin were planned two follows, under the name ID4EVER (yikes). But apparently, there's still life in the project. Bill Pullman has, for instance, said that he'd be returning, and presumably we need to wait for Emmerich to finish up White House Down before getting any kind of progress.
Indiana Jones 5
Disney now owns the rights to the Indiana Jones franchise, and when it bought Lucasfilm, it said that it had attributed no value to it. Take that to mean that the chances of Indiana Jones 5 have slimmed out a lot, and while they're not completely dead, George Lucas' retirement from mainstream filmmaking suggests that they may be as good as. Throw in the fact that Steven Spielberg has said that he's not interested in making action movies any more, and Indy's days may well be finally numbered. After Crystal Skull, that's arguably no bad thing...
Insidious Chapter 2
A sequel is on the way to the insanely profitable Insidious, with both Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne signing on to reprise their roles from the first film. Production is starting imminently, with director James Wan at the helm again. Wan has taken his time before committing to the new film, so hopefully it'll be up to the standard of the first. The film is set for release at the end of August.
James Bond 24
Skyfall, as you probably know, broke no shortage of box office records. It's the first James Bond film to break $300m at the US box office, it's the biggest film of all time at British cinemas, and worldwide, it's taken more than $1bn. The first Bond film, or Sony movie, to do so. No pressure then for the next James Bond film, which John Logan is penning the script for (without Robert Wade and Neal Purvis). Logan is also likely to pen Bond 25, but the 24th movie, which Sam Mendes may direct, is currently being targeted for a late 2014 release. Daniel Craig will return.
Journey 3
Warner Bros has greenlit a third film in the Journey series, following the surprising success of Journey 2: The Mysterious Island in early 2012. That said, when you've got Sir Michael Caine riding on the back of a giant bee, decent box office is the least you can expect. Journey 3: From The Earth To The Moon is expected to shoot this year, with a release planned for 2014. Josh Hutcherson and Dwayne Johnson are expected to return, with Brad Peyton once again directing.
Jurassic Park 4
It's finally been confirmed that a fourth Jurassic Park movie is heading to cinemas, and we've got a release date for it too. Jurassic Park 4 has been scheduled for June 13th 2014, with Steven Spielberg producing. That's about all that's known about the film thus far, though.
The King's Speech 2
Colin Firth is reportedly set to reprise his Oscar-winning role as King George VI in a follow-up to The King's Speech. The new movie is in very early development apparently, and Geoffrey Rush would also be set to return. The new movie will be set during the Blitz, and director Tom Hooper - currently enjoying success with Les Miserables - is reportedly interested too.
Kung Fu Panda 3
Jennifer Yu is returning to direct for the third time, as Kung Fu Panda is set to become a trilogy. Jack Black is once more on voicing duties, and presumably, the film will pick up from the teasing ending at the end of Kung Fu Panda 2. The film is set for release in March 2016.
The Legend Of Conan
Arnold Schwarzenegger has confirmed that he's set to reprise the role of Conan on the big screen for the third time, in The Legend Of Conan. Shooting is planned to start later this year, with Chris Morgan working on the screenplay. The idea is to basically ignore the Jason Momoa-headlined reboot, and follow Arnie's take on the character as he hits his senior years. A 2014 release is likely.
Machete Kills Again... In Space!
The second Machete movie, Machete Kills, is now inked in for release in September 2013. Danny Trejo is back in the title role, and Robert Rodriguez is directing. The pair are set to make one further Machete movie though, with the previously announced Machete Kills Again... In Space! set to complete the B-movie trilogy. Rodriguez won't get to that until he's done with his Sin City sequel though.
Mad Max: Fury Road
After what seems like an exhaustive collection of delays, George Miller has finally shot his long-mooted fourth Mad Max movie. What we don't know at the moment is when it's set for release, but there had been talk of getting Mad Max 5 moving quite quickly. Don't be surprised if the latter, as usual, depends on the success of the former...
Magic Mike 2
A low budget film that turned into a sizeable hit, Steven Soderbergh's Magic Mike - which he developed alongside star Channing Tatum - took $167m worldwide, and sequel talk has inevitably followed. One possibility this time around is that Channing Tatum will direct as well as star in Magic Mike 2, although he's since said that he'd look to tackle a smaller film first. Development continues on Magic Mike 2 though.
Major League 3
A belated Major League sequel continues to be developed, one that will involve Charlie Sheen and quite possibly Wesley Snipes, if he's out of prison in time. David S Ward has penned the script again, but until financing is secured for the project, there are no further details available.
Man Of Steel 2
Early story work has begun, we understand, on a second adventure for Henry Cavill's take on Superman. The Zack Snyder-directed reboot hits the big screen this summer, and Warner Bros is presumably keen to have a second film in cinemas by 2016 at the latest. It's unlikely to target 2015, given that's when it's scheduling its Justice League movie.
The Mechanic 2
All we have for this one is a sales document from Nu Image and Millennium Films that lists The Mechanic 2 as one of its current projects. Jason Statham starred in the first film (a remake of the Charles Bronson-headlined original), which Simon West directed. We've no idea at all if they're both going to return for another go.
Men In Black 4
Sony spent a lot of money to revive the Men In Black cinematic franchise, and given the film's $600m-plus worldwide take, it won its gamble. So much so that the studio has already revealed that it plans to make a fourth adventure, with Will Smith presumably courted to headline again. Whether he'll be accompanied by Tommy Lee Jones or Josh Brolin remains to be seen. Expect Barry Sonnenfeld to be given first refusal to direct.
Mission: Impossible 5
The franchise that keeps delivering Tom Cruise impressive box office results, no matter what's happening with the rest of his films, work is afoot on a fifth Mission: Impossible movie. This time around, the mooted director is Christopher McQuarrie, who impressively handled the Christmas 2012 Tom Cruise vehicle, Jack Reacher. We'd reckon that M:I 5 could be on cinema screens for Christmas 2014, but don't hold us to it...
Monsters 2
Gareth Edwards' Monsters remains a low budget sci-fi gem, and Vertigo Films has confirmed that it's got a sequel in the works. Edwards is busy rebooting Godzilla, and thus the directorial mantle has passed over to Tom Green. Green has directed many episodes of the TV show Misfits, and Monsters 2 will mark his big screen directing debut. We've no further details on the film at the moment, but we're watching eagerly.
The Muppets 2
After the hugely successful big screen resurrection of The Muppets, director James Bobin and co-writer Nicholas Stoller are hard at work on another Muppets adventure. There's no Jason Segel this time around, with Ricky Gervais set to star. It's going to be Europe-set this time around too, with early reports suggesting a road movie in the style of The Great Muppet Caper. It's set for release in March 2014.
Nativity 3
The first Nativity saw Martin Freeman getting some little cherubs to sing sweetly. The second Nativity handed over the mantle to David Tennant. Both proved to be sizeable hits at the British box office. So much so that director Debbie Isitt has been invited to make a third in her series of improvised comedies, with Nativity 3 likely to be released towards the end of 2014. Can she unite Martin Freeman and David Tennant in the same film? That appears to be the plan...
Night At The Museum 3
The first two Night At The Museum movies, directed by Shawn Levy and starring Ben Stiller, were sizeable worldwide hits, and it's been known for some time that a third movie in the series was in the planning stages. The latest we hear is that Levy won't be directing this one, instead choosing to produce. Ben Stiller is likely to take the lead role once again though. A new director has not yet been confirmed.
Pacific Rim 2
One of the big gambles of summer 2013 is Pacific Rim, a massive and expensive blockbuster that doesn't have the safety blanket of a franchise of any kind behind it. It does have Guillermo del Toro behind the camera though, and he's keen to do a second instalment should the box office for Pacific Rim measure up. Outline work has begun on Pacific Rim 2, but del Toro has no shortage of other projects on his slate.
Paranormal Activity 5
Ah, you know the drill here. The annual appearance of a new Paranormal Activity film is once more scheduled for October, although there appears to be a case of diminishing returns at the box office if Paranormal Activity 4 is anything to go by. That said, the movies are incredibly cheap to make by modern standards, and the ending of the fourth film does suggest one or two more interesting directions for the fifth to follow. We'll find out on October 25th if it does.
The Penguins Of Madagascar
Spin-off or sequel? Either way, a movie focusing on the chortlesome penguins from the Madagascar movies is underway at DreamWorks Animation. It's scheduled for March 2015, and is being put together under the supervision of Bee Movie director Simon J Smith.
Pirates Of The Caribbean 5
Disney has officially earmarked its fifth Pirates Of The Caribbean movie for the summer of 2015. Johnny Depp is definitely returning too, although the identity of the film's director remains unknown. The last we heard, Jeff Nathanson (Catch Me If You Can) had been hired to do screenplay work. Hopefully, there will be sizeable changes this time around, to put the once-promising franchise back on track.
Pitch Perfect 2
A surprise sleeper hit for Universal last year, the Anna Kendrick-headlined Pitch Perfect has grossed over $100m worldwide, and it was announced at the end of 2012 that a sequel was moving into development. Rebel Wilson and Skylar Astin are both apparently in talks to return, although it's unclear if Jason Moore will direct again. Expect Pitch Perfect 2 potentially next year.
Project X 2
We'll keep the words to a minimum on this one. The cheap and shoddy Project X made lots of money. Warner Bros has commissioned a sequel. Michael Bacall and Matt Drake were reportedly working on the treatment for it. That'll do.
Prometheus 2
If Prometheus was set at least one film away from the beginning of Alien, then Prometheus 2 will presumably be the movie to plug the gap and join all the films together. Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender both have contracts in place securing their return, and Fox is planning to have the movie in cinemas in either 2014 or 2015. As things stand, Sir Ridley Scott will be back to direct again, although it's been confirmed that Damon Lindelof isn't involved with the script this time around.
Puss In Boots 2
Guillermo del Toro, who has an ongoing consulting role with DreamWorks Animation, revealed towards the end of 2012 that a follow-up to Shrek spin-off Puss In Boots is still apparently a possibility. He revealed that a few drafts of the screenplay have been done, and it seems the plan is to press ahead with another film. That said, given that DreamWorks has announced its slate through to 2016, it might be 2017 before we see it.
The Raid 2
Going by the name of Berandal, director Gareth Evans is already deep into work on a follow-up to his astonishing action movie, The Raid. It's going to be set just two hours after the events of the first movie, and Berandel is before the cameras right now. Iko Uwais is returning, and the budget has jumped from $1m to $3m for this follow-up.
Rambo 5
Sylvester Stallone remains keen to put one final adventure for Rambo on the big screen, but he's aware that time may not be on his side. He's looking to send the character out on a high, with the variable being whether his body could hold up to the strain of the movie. Various different treatments for Rambo 5 have mooted over the past few years. We suspect that Stallone may look to it once The Expendables 3 is sorted.
Real Steel 2
Robot boxing movie Real Steel didn't make masses of money at the box office, but it did seem to make enough ($300m worldwide). As such, director Shawn Levy has been insistent from the start that he's planning to make a follow-up. Last we heard, work was underway on the script, although Levy is a busy man, so further updates have been thin on the ground. It still appears to be an active project though. And Hugh Jackman isn't averse to sequels.
Resident Evil 6
Paul W S Anderson originally planned to shoot two Resident Evil movies back to back, but instead focused on just getting Resident Evil: Retaliation in the can. That film made sufficient cash to keep the franchise going, and Anderson has suggested in the past that he might like to round things off in a sixth and potentially final film. Whether that turns out to be the case or not remains to be seen, but expect Milla Jovovich back as Alice either way. Autumn 2014 seems a logical time to expect the movie.
Rio 2
Carlos Saldanha is working away on a follow-up to the hit animated movie Rio, which will once again feature the voice talent of Jesse Eisenberg. The plot is apparently going to intertwine somehow with the 2014 World Cup (which is taking place in Brazil), and perhaps unsurprisingly, the movie is scheduled for release in April 2014, in the build up to the tournament.
Rush Hour 4
Both Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan are seemingly keen to reprise their roles in the Rush Hour franchise for a fourth instalment in the massively successful franchise. Chan and Tucket are reportedly developing the project, although we're not sure at the moment as to whether director Brett Ratner - who has made all three Rush Hours to date - will return as well. Ratner's immediately priority will be his Hercules movie, which he's making with The Rock for release in 2014.
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