Hollywood has been churning out numerous sequels in recent past but 2016 is going to see the mother of all sequel sprees. In fact, it has pretty much become customary to follow up a hit movie with a sequel. Interestingly, such has been the craze of these movies in India that Hollywood movies are beginning to threaten the collections of domestic movies. And with the alarming success of Deadpool and Spectre, Bollywood has the writing on the wall – Get your act together.
Meanwhile, here are 18 sequels of Hollywood movies that will be releasing in India this year:
1. Jason Bourne (US release date: July 29)
This action spy thriller is the fifth installment in the Bourne franchise and the sequel to The Bourne Ultimatum (2007). The film stars Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, Alicia Vikander, Tommy Lee Jones, and Vincent Cassel. Bourne escaped unscathed in the previous one and is all geared up for the next adventure.
Watch the teaser trailer of the film here.
2. The Conjuring 2 (US release date: June 10)
This horror film is the sequel to the 2013 film, The Conjuring. Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson will reprise their roles as Lorraine and Ed Warren. The first one was quite scary so we can only hope that this installment will be even better.
Watch the trailer here.
3. London Has Fallen (India release date: March 4)
Gerard Butler! Need I say more? This is a sequel to Antoine Fuqua’s 2013 film, Olympus Has Fallen. Directed by Babak Najafi, also stars Aaron Eckhart, and Morgan Freeman. The secret service team has to save the American President after several world leaders are attacked in London.
Watch the trailer here.
4. Now You See Me 2 (US release date: June 10)
It is the sequel to Now You See Me (2013) and stars Mark Ruffalo, Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Sanaa Lathan, Dave Franco, Daniel Radcliffe, Jay Chou, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Lizzy Caplan. The Four Horsemen resurface for a comeback performance in the hope of exposing the unethical practices of a tech-magnate. Their only hope is to perform one last unprecedented stunt to clear their names and reveal the mastermind behind it all.
Watch the trailer here.
5. Finding Dory (US release date: June 17)
It is the sequel to Finding Nemo (2003) and will be about Dory trying to re-unite with her family. It has also been confirmed that characters from the first film will appear in the sequel, including Dory, Nemo, Marlin and the Tank Gang. The film will take place six months after the events of Finding Nemo and will be set off the coast of California.
6. Alice Through the Looking Glass (US release date: May 27)
Johnny Depp will reprise his role as the Mad Hatter in the sequel of Alice in Wonderland (2010). The Mad Hatter has to be saved in this one and only Time (a peculiar creature who is part human, part clock) can do that. The sequel is based on the novel, ‘Through the Looking-Glass’ by Lewis Carroll. The film stars Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Mia Wasikowska, Rhys Ifans, Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen and features the voices of Alan Rickman, Stephen Fry, Michael Sheen, and Timothy Spall.
Watch the trailer here.
7. The Purge: Election Year (US release date: July 1)
This is a sequel to The Purge: Anarchy (2014) and the third installment in The Purge series. The Purge event is an annual event in which all crime is legal and all police, fire, and medical emergency services remain unavailable for 12 hours. Although, it is thought to be used as an act of catharsis for the U.S. populace, it is in reality used as a method of artificial population control as the unemployed poor in slum neighborhoods are usually the main targets. Frank Grillo will reprise his role in the film but will have to survive the final purge event before the new anti-purge government comes into place.
Watch the trailer here.
8. Underworld: Next Generation (US release date: October 14)
It is the fifth installment in the Underworld film series and the sequel to Underworld: Awakening (2012), with Kate Beckinsale reprising her role as Selene. In the last film, Selene was determined to reunite with Michael and take back the world from the humans and lycans, which will probably be the plot of this film.
9. Ice Age: Collision Course (US release date: July 22)
This is the fifth installment in the Ice Age film series and a sequel to 2012’s Ice Age: Continental Drift. Denis Leary, Ray Romano, Queen Latifah, John Leguizamo, Keke Palmer, Jennifer Lopez and Chris Wedge are set to reprise their roles from the previous installment. Scrat’s adventure into space sets off a series of events that threaten Manny and the rest of the herd down on Earth, forcing them to leave behind their home. On their journey, they discover an exotic place, led by its spiritual leader Shangri Llama.
Watch the trailer here.
10. Independence Day: Resurgence (US release date: June 22)
This is a sequel to the 1996 film, Independence Day. Using recovered alien technology, the nations of Earth have collaborated on an immense defense program to protect the planet. The aliens were able to send a distress signal to their other battalions before their final defeat while others went into hiding elsewhere around the world. The aliens in deep space receive the signal and send a larger battle fleet, threatening the human race once more.
Watch the trailer here.
11. Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (US release date: May 20)
It is a sequel to the 2014 film Neighbors. Seth Rogen, Zac Efron and Rose Byrne will reprise their roles in this film. Mac (Seth Rogen) and Kelly Radner (Rose Byrne) are expecting their second child. They soon reunite with Teddy (Zac Efron) to help battle the sorority sisters of Kappa Kappa Nu led by Shelby (Chloë Grace Moretz) who moved in to their neighboring house after they branched off from Phi Lamba Phi led by Madison (Selena Gomez).
Watch the trailer here.
12. Mechanic: Resurrection (US release date: August 26)
This film is the sequel to the 2011 film The Mechanic. After the demise of his partner-turned-enemy, Steve McKenna; Arthur Bishop (Jason Statham) retires his status as a contract killer. But when his most formidable foe kidnaps the love of his life, he is forced to travel the globe to complete three impossible assassinations, and do what he does best, make them look like accidents.
13. Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (US release date: October 21)
It is a sequel to 2012 film Jack Reacher. Tom Cruise will be reprising his role as Jack Reacher, a former U.S. Army Military Police Corps officer, in the film. The films also stars Cobie Smulders, Danika Yarosh, Aldis Hodge, Patrick Heusinger, and Holt McCallany.
14. The Huntsman: Winter’s War (US release date: April 22)
This film is a sequel to Snow White and the Huntsman (2012). As two evil sisters prepare to conquer the land; two renegades – Eric the Huntsman – who previously aided Snow White in defeating Ravenna, and his forbidden lover, Sara set out to stop them. Chris Hemsworth and Charlize Theron will be reprising their roles as Eric and Ravenna.
Watch the trailer here.
15. Bad Santa 2 (US release date: November 23)
It is the sequel to the 2003 film Bad Santa. The con men from the first film will probably reprise their roles in this one too and Brett Kelly will be back in this one as Thurman. The film also stars Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox, Kathy Bates, and Christina Hendricks.
16. Barbershop: The Next Cut (US release date: April 15)
It is a direct sequel to the 2004 film Barbershop 2: Back in Business and the fourth film in the Barbershop film series. The gang must work together to save the shop and the neighborhood from gang members that roam the streets. Ice Cube and Cedric the Entertainer will be reprising their roles from the previous one in this film.
Watch the trailer here.
17. My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (US release date: March 25)
It is the sequel to My Big Fat Greek Wedding, which was released in 2002. The big, crazy Greek family is back and there’s another wedding. Nia Vardalos is back as Toula and John Corbett will be back playing Ian.
Watch the trailer here.
18. Inferno (US release date: October 28)
The film is the sequel to Angels & Demons, and stars Tom Hanks, reprising his role as Robert Langdon. It is the third film of the series. In this one, Robert Langdon awakens in a hospital room in Florence, Italy, with no memory as to what has transpired over the last few days. He suddenly finds himself, again, the target of a major manhunt. Inferno also stars Irrfan Khan.
