Film sequels, prequels and reboots are hugely popular right now, but some franchises have kept their fans waiting years for a new instalment. The following are three examples of much-loved film series whose future is still shrouded in secrecy.
Sherlock Holmes 3
2009’s Sherlock Holmes by Guy Ritchie brought the private detective back into the spotlight and was followed a couple of years later by Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Both these films were well received, so many are wondering — why hasn’t a third instalment been delivered yet? The truth is that Robert Downey Jr’s career took off spectacularly from this point, making it more difficult to create a third film. However, the actor appears keen to make Sherlock Holmes 3 at some point.
Holmes is one of the most famous characters in popular culture, so even if Sherlock Holmes 3 isn’t released soon, fans can enjoy the likes of the upcoming Watson TV series from CBS, with Morris Chestnut playing Dr John Watson. The detective also pops up in other areas such as Sherlock Holmes: The Exhibition and related artwork. We can see Holmes featured in several online slots such as the Shamrock Holmes title listed among these Megaways games. Other slots like Sherlock of London and Sherlock & Moriarty Wowpot use the same theme. With easily recognisable characters and an atmospheric setting, it’s easy to see why this franchise is used as a slot theme.
Cloverfield 2
2008’s Cloverfield was an unexpected success in the found footage genre. The success of the untitled trailers and a viral marketing campaign helped to build up anticipation levels for the release date and it was well received when it finally hit cinemas. This film has been described as the first part of a franchise, with 10 Cloverfield Land and The Cloverfield Paradox both released since, but fans are still awaiting the promised direct sequel.
Director Matt Reeves has been speaking about a direct sequel since the original was released, but the details have changed over time, with ideas including a direct sequel and something completely different. The latest official news came in 2021 when it was announced that Joe Barton would be writing the Cloverfield 2 script. With everything else being kept under wraps, it wouldn’t be a major surprise if the next signs of life from this franchise came from another clever marketing campaign.
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Star Trek 4
This will be the 15th film in the franchise and the fifth since it was rebooted. Star Trek 4 had been in the pipeline since even before the last film, titled Star Trek Beyond, was released in 2016. One of the most interesting ideas was for a Quentin Tarantino-led movie that would have taken the series in a completely new direction, but that the director abandoned it as he wasn’t convinced it should be his tenth and final film. The December 2023 release date given by Paramount has come and gone, with still no definitive word on whether this is going to be a direct sequel or another reboot.
It seems likely that all these movies hit our screens at some point in the future, but it still isn’t clear when this will happen or in which direction they take the much-loved franchises.
