Movie sequels are popular in Hollywood, and for good reason: they give fans more of they want and they can help studios make more money at the box office. The superhero genre alone is a great example of this -- pretty much all Marvel movies are sequels, giving us gems like Avengers: Infinity War and plenty of action from fan-favorite heroes like Captain America and Spider Man. And while not all of them are major winners, plenty of great movie sequels have entered the discussion as being among the best sequels in cinema history.
Hoping to enter that discussion soon is Twisters, arriving 28 years after the first film, Twister, was a hit. This time it's Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Anthony Ramos who are looking to survive the big storm, and perhaps even make this a sequel trilogy.
We polled thousands of Fandango movie fans about their favorite sequels, and the responses covered superhero movies, animated fun, action legends and everything in-between. Here is Fandango's list of the best sequels of all time, according to you.
Too Long, Didn't Read Summary:
• Movie sequels don't always equal success, but when done right they can be better than the original film.
• With familiar franchises like Mad Max, Star Wars, Captain America, Spider Man, Harry Potter and Blade Runner represented, this list captures the greatest sequels of all time.
28. Paddington 2 (2017)
99% on Rotten Tomatoes
174 votes
This sequel to 2014's Paddington features the return of Ben Whishaw as the voice of the titular animated bear, with Hugh Grant, Sally Hawkins, Hugh Bonneville and Brendan Gleeson starring on the live action side. The film follows Paddington after he is framed and imprisoned for a burglary that he did not commit, while he and his family and friends try to uncover the real culprit. But perhaps the real story is that Paddington 2 was at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes for quite some time, notching hundreds of consecutive Fresh reviews before its first Rotten in 2021.
27. Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn (1987)
88% on Rotten Tomatoes
243 votes
Also known as Evil Dead II to the hardcore fans of the franchise, this sequel to the 1981 classic The Evil Dead features the return of director and co-writer Sam Raimi, along with Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams. Following a similar premise to the original film, the sequel ultimately netted the same result: much critical acclaim and a cult following. The success of Evil Dead II helped right the ship that was Raimi’s career at the time, and got the wheels really moving toward future films and a full-on media franchise that is still going strong over 40 years later.
26. Creed (2015)
95% on Rotten Tomatoes
236 votes
The seventh installment in the Rocky franchise stars Michael B. Jordan as the late Apollo Creed's son, who ends up training under retired champ Rocky Balboa. Sylvester Stallone reprised his iconic role, and also wrote his own dialog. Creed reunited Jordan with writer and director Ryan Coogler after they worked together on 2013's Fruitvale Station. (In 2018, they would team up again for Black Panther.) Lending her skills behind the camera was French cinematographer Maryse Alberti, who turned heads by filming an entire two-round boxing match as one single take during production. Stallone was nominated for an Academy Award for his supporting performance, and the film’s success led to two sequels.
25. Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
88% on Rotten Tomatoes
277 votes
This follow up to the 1982 critical success Blade Runner achieved the tall task of living up to its predecessor. Credit goes to director Denis Villeneuve; a cast led by Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford; and the work of the legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins -- the latter of whom won his first and only Academy Award for this film, surprising considering his resume. Along with Deakins’ honor, the film also won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects.
24. Dawn of the Dead (1978)
91% on Rotten Tomatoes
291 votes
George A. Romero wrote, directed and edited this zombie horror film, his follow-up to 1968’s Night of the Living Dead, after waiting a decade to avoid being labeled as "just a horror director". Dawn of the Dead doesn’t contain characters from its predecessor, but does look at the effects of a zombie apocalypse on a larger scale in society after the it was set in motion by the events of the first movie. The critically acclaimed film was followed by four official sequels, and also inspired a 2004 remake directed by Zack Snyder.
23. The Road Warrior (Mad Max II) (1982)
94% on Rotten Tomatoes
310 votes
Long before anyone knew anything about a Fury Road, George Miller co-wrote and directed this second installment in the Mad Max franchise, once again starring Mel Gibson as Mad Max. Due to the first film's lack of popularity in the U.S., Warner Bros. chose to release this film as The Road Warrior instead of its original title, Mad Max II. But after it went on to make $36 million at the U.S. box office on a $4.5 million budget, a franchise was officially born and a fury road mapped out.
22. Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
76% on Rotten Tomatoes
342 votes
342 votes
Not long after the success of 2009’s Avatar, director James Cameron announced that the first sequel would be slated for a 2014 release. But due to the director’s perfectionist tendencies, he ultimately waited until the technology was able to deliver his vision -- similar to what he did when planning out the previous movie. In this case, Cameron needed to be able to depict an Avatar world that’s also completely under water. After nearly a decade and a reported budget of $250 million – one of the highest ever - shooting began for two sequels, and Avatar: The Way Of Water finally arrived 13 years after the first film.
21. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
91% on Rotten Tomatoes
387 votes
Directed by Matt Reeves, this is the second offering in the Planet of the Apes reboot film series, coming after Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), and the eighth overall in the franchise. Dawn takes place ten years after the events of the first film, and finds human survivors played by Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell and others trying to survive a deadly pandemic and a potential war with the apes, led by Andy Serkis as Caesar.
20. Shrek 2 (2004)
89% on Rotten Tomatoes
435 votes
The second installment in what has become a money-making, multimedia franchise, Shrek 2 features the return of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz as lead characters, joined by new voice cast members like Antonio Banderas, Julie Andrews, John Cleese and Rupert Everett. The sequel follows the events of Shrek (2001), as a Fairy Godmother tries to stop Shrek and Fiona's marriage. Shrek 2 went on to become the highest-grossing film of 2004 and was followed by two more sequels: Shrek the Third (2007) and Shrek Forever After (2010). A fifth Shrek movie was recently announced; it's currently slated for July 2025.
19. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)
84% on Rotten Tomatoes
439 votes
Originally, director Quentin Tarantino planned for a single Kill Bill release. However, a runtime of over four hours forced Tarantino to break up the movie into two sections, released six months apart. Both parts earned positive reviews from critics as a continuation of Tarantino's tribute to grindhouse cinema, martial art films, blaxploitation and spaghetti westerns -- but Uma Thurman’s revenge-seeking Bride character is even more bad-ass in the second film.
18. Logan (2017)
93% on Rotten Tomatoes
441 votes
Logan marked the tenth film in the X-Men movie series and was the last film in the Wolverine trilogy. It was directed and co-written by James Mangold, who also helmed 2013’s The Wolverine. Taking inspiration from the “old man Logan” comics storyline, based in an alternate future, Logan follows an aged Wolverine, once again played by Hugh Jackman. As he is caring for an ailing Professor X, played by a returning Patrick Stewart, Wolverine meets a young mutant who is much like him and needs his protection. Reportedly, Jackman took a pay cut to help ensure that the movie would receive an R-rating, which was still considered a bit of a risk for superhero films at the time. But it worked: Logan was praised for its ability to tell a grittier story, and ultimately became the first live-action superhero movie to be nominated for the Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award.
17. X2: X-Men United (2003)
85% on Rotten Tomatoes
446 votes
X-Men director Bryan Singer returned for this sequel, as did the ensemble cast including Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, James Marsden, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos and Anna Paquin. This time around, the gang is forced to team up with some not-so-trustworthy characters in order to stop a common enemy from ridding the world of all mutants. The first cut of this film was rated R by the MPAA due to violence, so a few seconds were ultimately cut to secure a PG-13 rating. X2 was one of the highest-grossing movies of 2003, which helped open the floodgates for more franchise offerings.
16. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)
90% on Rotten Tomatoes
483 votes
This dystopian sci-fi film, based on the 2009 Suzanne Collins novel of the same name, is the sequel to 2012's The Hunger Games. The two lead characters – played by Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson – now have major targets on their backs after their victory in the first movie inspired uprisings. The budget for Catching Fire was rumored to be twice as high as the first movie, with J-Law’s paycheck going from $500,000 to $10 million from one movie to the next. Catching Fire was the fifth-highest-grossing film in North America in 2013, and would be the biggest earner of the whole franchise.
15. Toy Story 3 (2010)
98% on Rotten Tomatoes
563 votes
This Pixar film was directed by Lee Unkrich, who served as the editor of the first two Toy Story movies and as co-director of Toy Story 2 back in 1999. In Toy Story 3, Andy is 17 and getting ready to leave for college when Woody, Buzz and the rest of the crew are accidentally donated to a daycare center. This third installment features a number of new cast members like Ned Beatty, Michael Keaton, Whoopi Goldberg, Timothy Dalton, Bonnie Hunt and Jeff Garlin, joining an already-stacked cast led by Tom Hanks and Tim Allen. Toy Story 3 won Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song, and became the first animated film to gross over $1 billion worldwide -- the highest-grossing animated film ever at the time -- on its way to becoming the highest-grossing film of 2010.
14. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
93% on Rotten Tomatoes
565 votes
Star Tobey Maguire and director Sam Raimi reunited for this second installment in the first Spider-Man trilogy. (Although it could have looked a bit different: Maguire sustained a back injury filming Seabiscuit in late 2002, and Sony was in negotiations with Jake Gyllenhaal to replace him if necessary.) Raimi's inspiration for Spider-Man 2 came from various story arcs from the comics in the 1960s, including the comic book debut of Doctor Octopus in 1964. This sequel became the fourth-highest grossing film of 2004, and picked up an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. Raimi, Maguire and others would return one more time for a third movie in 2007.
13. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
90% on Rotten Tomatoes
569 votes
The third installment in the Harry Potter film series finds Daniel Radcliffe’s Harry Potter in his third year at Hogwarts. Things start off badly when Harry learns that the deranged killer Sirius Black, played by Gary Oldman, has escaped from Azkaban prison and is coming after him. With Chris Columbus stepping down after directing the first two films, Alfonso Cuarón took over, shooting with wider lenses and changing the shape of Harry’s wand, among other visual tweaks. Security was tight with this sequel: Warner Bros. provided theaters with night vision goggles to make sure nobody was illegally filming the movie. Instead, they wanted people to wait until it came out on DVD -- or on VHS, considering it was the last in the series to be released in the taped format -- to watch at home. (Ask your parents about it, kids.)
12. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
93% on Rotten Tomatoes
606 votes
This sequel to Thor (2011) and Thor: The Dark World (2013) marked the 17th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, arriving midway through the MCU's Phase Three. In this chapter, Thor works to escape the alien planet Sakaar in time to save his planet, Asgard, from the big baddie Hela – played by Cate Blanchett – and a series of catastrophic events known as a Ragnarök. The film was directed by Taika Waititi, who also plays Korg, a Kronan gladiator who befriends Thor. The director said he wanted to showcase star Chris Hemsworth's comedic talent in this film, which was made easier when Mark Ruffalo reprised his role as Hulk for this film.
11. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
70% on Rotten Tomatoes
609 votes
Brightening up this list with 25,000 incandescent bulbs is tentry in National Lampoon’s Vacation film series. Christmas Vacation was written and co-produced by John Hughes, and features Chevy Chase reprising his role as Clark Griswold from the other movies. alongside Beverly D'angelo as Clark's wife Ellen. The actors playing the Griswold kids changed from movie to movie; this particular installment features future stars Juliette Lewis and Johnny Galecki as Audrey and Russ, respectively. This is one of the great sequels of all time because it’s one of the great Christmas movies of all time, reaching a cult status that keeps it on many a must-watch list every December.
10. The Godfather Part II (1974)
96% on Rotten Tomatoes
615 votes
This epic crime drama, produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, is technically both a sequel and a prequel to The Godfather (1972). Not only does it pick up with the 1958 story of Michael Corleone, the new Don of the Corleone family, played by Al Pacino -- but it also looks at the early journey of Vito Corleone, played by Robert De Niro. The Godfather Part II was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and won six, including Best Director for Coppola and Best Supporting Actor for De Niro, and was the first sequel ever to win the Best Picture Oscar. And that alone is why many argue that this is the best sequel of all time.
9. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
87% on Rotten Tomatoes
622 votes
Besides being a sequel to Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), this move is also a sequel to the 1967 episode “Space Seed” from the original Star Trek TV series. Ricardo Montalbán reprises his role as Kahn, who is seeking revenge against Admiral James T. Kirk, played by William Shatner, and the rest of the USS Enterprise crew. Star Trek II is considered one of the best films in the series and is credited for revitalizing the franchise, while kicking off a three-film story arc that spans Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986).
8. Aliens (1986)
98% on Rotten Tomatoes
634 votes
Writer and director James Cameron had only directed two features when he was hired on, but his success directing The Terminator (1984) was enough to earn him the Aliens job. The sequel to Alien (1979), Aliens is the second movie in a franchise that has continued to grow through the decades. Reportedly, Alien star Sigourney Weaver was reluctant to return, and had to be convinced that Aliens was not being made exclusively for financial reasons. Ultimately, the compelling story and strong performances helped Aliens to become one of the highest-grossing films of 1986 and earned Weaver an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress -- no small thing at a time when performances in science fiction and action genres were generally overlooked.
7. Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
91% on Rotten Tomatoes
652 votes
James Cameron co-wrote, produced and directed this sequel to his 1984 film The Terminator, and its wild success paved the way for the larger Terminator franchise. Terminator 2's visual effects employed breakthrough use of computer-generated imagery, including the first use of natural human motion for a computer-generated character. With a budget somewhere between $95 million and $105 million, this was the most expensive film ever made at the time of its release. It would go on to gross $520 million worldwide, making the highest-grossing film of 1991 and of Arnold Schwarzenegger's career to that point. Besides making kids slightly terrified of the local shopping mall, Terminator 2 was nominated for six Academy Awards and won four, including Best Makeup and Best Visual Effects.
6. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
90% on Rotten Tomatoes
681 votes
The ninth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the direct sequel to Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), Captain America: The Winter Soldier was directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, who explored ways to use Captain America’s shield as more of an offensive weapon this time around, not just a defensive object. And the man with the shield, played by Chris Evans, was joined by Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow and Anthony Mackie’s Falcon to go up against an internal conspiracy and a mysterious assassin known as the Winter Soldier, played by Sebastian Stan. With a notably darker tone than its predecessor, producer Kevin Feige once described this film as “a 1970s political thriller,” so it seems fitting that he orchestrated Washington, D.C.'s Theodore Roosevelt Bridge being shut down to shoot a movie for the very first time.
5. Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
96% on Rotten Tomatoes
711 votes
This was a sequel 36 years in the making, with Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer reprising their roles from 1986’s Top Gun. This time around, Cruise’s Maverick character is tasked with training a group of younger Top Gun graduates -- including Rooster, played by Miles Teller, the son of Maverick’s late best friend and co-pilot, Goose. Cruise insisted that no green screen or CGI aerial shots be used in the film, so even the close-up cockpit shots were filmed during actual in-flight sequences -- a new experience for director Joseph Kosinski, previously best known for his work on CGI-heavy films like Tron: Legacy (2010). After production and pandemic delays, Top Gun: Maverick finally opened in 2022 to rave reviews and nearly $1.5 billion in ticket sales worldwide.
4. The Dark Knight (2009)
94% on Rotten Tomatoes
764 votes
The Dark Knight is the second installment of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, following 2005's Batman Begins, and is one of the most critically-acclaimed movies on Nolan's resume. This was the first major motion picture to be filmed with high-res IMAX cameras, with Nolan preferring to use practical effects over CGI whenever possible. Despite featuring Christian Bale as the Dark Knight alongside an ensemble cast that includes Gary Oldamn, Michael Caine, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman and Maggie Gyllenhaal, it was the late Heath Ledger’s Academy Award-winning performance as Joker that captivated audiences. It all added up to the highest-grossing film of the year with over $1 billion earned, and just the second superhero film to be selected for the National Film Registry after 1978's Superman.
3. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
94% on Rotten Tomatoes
772 votes
772 votes
The final film in the Lord of the Rings trilogy wraps up the story in epic fashion, leading up to the final confrontation between the forces of good and evil, with the future of Middle-Earth at stake. Peter Jackson returned to direct the script based on J.R.R. Tolkien's novel of the same name, which was preceded by The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) and The Two Towers (2002). This sequel would reach a high point of success for New Line Cinema, winning 11 Academy Awards on 11 nominations, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay, tying it with Ben-Hur (1959) and Titanic for the most Oscar wins ever.
2. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
84% on Rotten Tomatoes
828 votes
The third movie in the Indiana Jones franchise sets the tone early with an opening prologue featuring River Phoenix as a young Indy, giving a short origin story for the character. From there, present-day Indy (a returning Harrison Ford) embarks on a search for the Holy Grail. In the process, he stumbles across another archaeologist who had disappeared during his own search: His own father, played by Sean Connery. Last Crusade was directed by Steven Spielberg, who called this sequel his favorite in the franchise. It went on to become the highest-grossing movie of 1989.
1. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
95% on Rotten Tomatoes
1086 votes
This Star Wars sequel was directed by Irvin Kershner and written by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan, while the writer/director of the original film, George Lucas, is credited for the story. Filming began in September of 1979 and faced numerous difficulties, including actor injuries, a set fire, fines from the Writers and Directors Guilds of America and a budget that ballooned to $33 million, making it one of the most expensive films ever made at the time. On top of all that, part of the reason Han Solo was frozen in carbonite toward the end of this film is because producers were not sure if Harrison Ford would return for a third movie. It all worked out though, as Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back became the highest-grossing film of 1980, raking in $440 million at the box office, and would become hailed by many as the best film in the original trilogy, the Star Wars saga as a whole and one of the greatest films ever made.
