By Dustin Rowles | Lists | May 11, 2011 |
By Dustin Rowles | Lists | May 11, 2011 |
2011 is the year of the sequel. Like most years, it seems. But this year, it really is. There will be 27 sequels released this year, topping the record of 24 sequels set in 2003. And why not? Back in the day (and by the day, I mean: The 90s), I remember hearing something along the lines of, “If the sequel does 70 percent of what the original made, then it’s considered a success.” Now? The sequel needs to make more money than the original, and that’s very often the case. There tends to be a drop-off after the second film, but it’s not atypical now for the second film to improve upon the first film’s box office gross.
And that’s why there are 27 sequels this year.
But historically, which movie franchises fared better their second time out? Here’s a list of the ten movies with the biggest box-office improvement.
The Ten Biggest Box Office Improvements from the Original to the Sequel (Whole Dollar)
1. Batman Begins ($205 million) —> The Dark Knight ($533 million): $328 million
2. Terminator ($38 million) —-> Terminator 2 ($204 million): $166 million
3. Shrek ($267 million) —-> Shrek 2 ($441 million): $174 million
4. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery ($53 million) —-> Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me ($206 million): $153 million
5. Tron ($33 million) —-> Tron Legacy ($177 million): $144 million
6. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl ($305 million) —-> Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest ($423 million): $118 million
7. Meet the Parents ($166 million) —-> Meet the Fockers: ($279 million): $113 million
8. The Matrix ($171 million) —-> The Matrix Reloaded: ($281 million): $1`0 million
9. Twilight ($192 million) —-> New Moon ($296 million): $104 million
10. First Blood ($47 million) —-> Rambo: First Blood Part 2 ($150 million): $103 million
The Ten Biggest Box Office Improvements from the Original to the Sequel (By Percentage)
1. The Boondock Saints ($30,000) —-> Boondock Saints: All Saints Day ($10 million): 33,248%
2. Clerks ($3.1 million) —-> Clerks 2 ($24 million): 677%
3. The Hustler ($7.6 million) —-> The Color of Money ($52 million): 588%
4.. Tron ($33 million) —-> Tron Legacy ($177 million): 436%
5. Terminator ($38 million) —-> Terminator 2 ($204 million): 434%
6. . Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery ($53 million) —-> Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me ($206 million): 282%
7. . First Blood ($47 million) —-> Rambo: First Blood Part 2 ($150 million): 219%
8. Mad Max ($8.75 million) —-> Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior ($23 million): 170%
9. Highlander ($5.9 million) —-> Highlander II: The Quickening ($15.5 million): 164%
10. Batman Begins ($205 million) —> The Dark Knight ($533 million): 160%