Movies don’t last forever, but sequels can make it seem that way. In today’s short-attention-span theater, a franchise that doesn’t crank out new content can often be left behind. A great companion film can sometimes be the secret ingredient to turning a summer blockbuster into a global juggernaut.

Some movie sequels seem like “sure things.” The moment the credits roll on the original incarnation, fans are already clamoring for a follow-up. Much like the floating message at the end of Back to the Future promised “To Be Continued…”, these beloved movies all had that longing for further storytelling. Whether it was budget, timing, or internal strife, it just wasn’t in the cards. Still, it’s fun to play what-if.

So…what if? What if these films all received their rightful next chapter? Would we see their stories differently today? Grab some popcorn. These are the top sequels that never happened.

7 Gump & Co.: Forrest Gump 2

     Paramount Pictures

Sequels are like a box of chocolates. Sometimes a massive global tragedy comes along and stomps away its hope of being made. Based upon the book, Forrest Gump was a massive movie success. The Oscar-winning drama not only rocked the box office, but the critical world alike. A follow-up was all but assured in the minds of many. After all, what’s not to love? The new version of Forrest was poised to be the same old, same old. Gump found himself entwined with newer pop-culture stories like OJ Simpson’s Bronco chase. It was all corny fun, right?

Then, just as the script was written up for the sequel, 9/11 happened. How close in proximity were they to each other? One day. As Eric Roth, the writer of both the original and ill-fated sequel, explained to Variety, “I turned in the script the night before 9/11. And we sat down, Tom (Hanks) and Bob (Zemeckis) and I, looked at each other and said, we don’t think this is relevant anymore. The world had changed. Now time has obviously passed, but maybe some things should just be one thing and left as they are.”

6 Who Discovered Roger Rabbit?

     Buena Vista Pictures Distribution 

A true you-had-to-be-there moment in movie history, Who Framed Roger Rabbit? gave viewers a chance to see cartoons and people co-exist in the same world. The end result was an unforgettable film that saw its titular bunny star skyrocket to the top of Disney. So, how do you tank such a project? Perhaps by setting the sequel, Who Discovered Roger Rabbit?, in a 1940s World War II backdrop. The idea was so bizarre that Steven Spielberg noped his way right out of it and Disney followed suit. Who blew it, Roger Rabbit? You did. You did.

5 Ghostbusters 3

     Columbia Pictures

The third installment of Ghostbusters is unique in that there was no one set movie or project. Rather, Ghostbusters 3 was an institution in and of itself. There were three known drafts in 1999, three more in 2008, and one in 2012. The roster of supporting players had all the original favorites along with names like Judd Apatow, Eliza Dushku, Bill Hader, and Anna Farris. Even a possible Rick Moranis involvement couldn’t get things off the ground. In the end, Ghostbusters would have to wait until 2021 for its true afterlife.

4 E.T. 2: Nocturnal Fears

     Amblin Entertainment

Yes, the real name was E.T. 2 Nocturnal Fears. It is right up there with Cheech Marin’s Eddie Torres parody of the franchise. The plot saw Elliot, the flying bike boy from the first movie, kidnapped as E.T. must play hero to bring him home. No word on Reece’s Pieces being involved, but it would only make sense. When asked about it, apparently Steven Spielberg said it would “rob the original of its virginity.” That all but tanked the hopes for a true E.T. sequel. With that, the Extra Terrestrial would be forced to keep his nocturnal fears to himself.

3 Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian

     Warner Bros.

OK, these are starting to feel like parodies now. Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian couldn’t be real. Yet, it almost was. After ABC and Fox milked the original Beetlejuice for all its sweet animation, Broadway musical, and video game money, the next logical step was a sequel. Then, the next step after that is obviously Hawaii. Makes sense, no?

To say the story is simple would be too simple. The Deetz Family move to Hawaii. Beetlejuice shows up. The end. Sequel. Warner Brothers ultimately passed on this piece of island gold in favor of a Batman movie instead. In the end, they didn’t even send Bruce Wayne to Hawaii, so how good could it really be?

2 Finding Nemo 2

     Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

Before Dory hogged the glory, Finding Nemo 2 was supposed to be about Nemo. After all, it’s his name on the marquee. They pay for Nemo, people. Originally titled Finding Nemo 2: Escape from Oilglobs, this follow-up on the Nemo family was set to follow Nemo’s long-lost twin Remy. This new brother would help the fish save Marlin…or someone. They’re fish who have to find someone. That’s the plot. It’s why “Finding” is in the titles. Disagreements in 2005 caused this potential toy store money-grab to shut down prematurely. It would be another ten years before Dory was crowned the heir apparent to Nemo’s throne.

1 Scoob! Holiday Hunt

Leading the pack of canceled sequels is the haunted production of Scoob! Holiday Haunt. This campy prequel to the 2020 movie Scoob! was set to come to HBO Max on December 22. It appears that is not going to happen as the film itself has been shelved, despite being “95%” finished. The team was in post-production when they heard the news. Warner Brothers, embarrassed over this leak, contacted director Michael Kurinasky to apologize over the mix-up. They wanted to release it but, you know, taxes. “In our phone calls that we had with people, they explained that this is what’s happening,” Kurinsky told Variety. “And because we are taking this tax write-off, we can’t monetize it. That’s how it was explained to me.” And he would have gotten away with it too, if it were for you meddling kids!