The long-awaited Top Gun: Maverick continues to break box office records left and right. The sequel has defied all expectations, raking in over $1 billion to become the highest-grossing movie of 2022, the highest-grossing movie of Tom Cruise’s career, and easily the biggest blockbuster surprise of the year so far.
It’s only a matter of time before every Hollywood studio starts dusting off their beloved 1980s properties for similar nostalgic legacy sequels hoping to replicate its success. Redditors have a few ideas for legacy sequels they’d like to see.
E.T. 2
Back in 1982, Steven Spielberg’s heartwarming sci-fi gem E.T. the Extra Terrestrial broke the record for the highest-grossing movie ever made (the second of three times Spielberg broke that record), and u/Rufus2fist thinks it’s high time for a sequel.
In a sequel to E.T., the titular alien could bring an adult Elliott to his planet, or get stranded on Earth again while trying to visit his old friend.
Tim Burton’s Batman 3
After revolutionizing the comic book genre with his grim, gloomy Batman movies, Tim Burton never got to complete his trilogy. Burton’s third movie was called off after Batman Returns garnered controversy for its dark, violent content. The director was replaced by Joel Schumacher, who revamped the franchise with a hypercamp Adam Westian tone. According to Redditor u/Creepy_Ratio_9308, Burton should be allowed to finally make his Batman threequel.
Michael Keaton is reprising his role as Bruce Wayne in a couple of upcoming DCEU projects. A third Keaton-led solo movie could follow a grizzled veteran Batman at the end of his road like The Dark Knight Returns, or adapt Batman Beyond with the story of an older Bruce training his teenage successor in a futuristic Gotham.
Flash Gordon 2
The first Flash Gordon movie didn’t make a huge splash at the box office, but it’s been venerated as a beloved cult classic in the decades since it hit theaters. It was even homaged in Seth MacFarlane’s buddy comedy Ted, complete with a cameo appearance by Sam J. Jones.
According to Redditor u/Mister_Doctor_0127, it’s time for a Flash Gordon sequel. Jones could play an older Flash who has retired from the NFL but hasn’t retired from intergalactic adventures.
King Conan
The Conan the Barbarian films were among the early movies that made Arnold Schwarzenegger an A-list star. A third movie has been in and out of development for decades. Redditor u/AnotherJasonOnReddit thinks a third Conan movie could do wonders in today’s blockbuster landscape.
Dubbed King Conan, a third Conan movie could tell an “Old Man Conan” story. The Conan threequel could be the movie that Schwarzenegger retires on.
The Princess Bride 2
Rob Reiner’s fairy tale satire The Princess Bride is a near-perfect movie, and one of the most beloved cinematic gems of the 1980s. Redditor u/JohnnyTroubador believes it’s time for a legacy sequel.
In a potential follow-up to The Princess Bride, Peter Falk’s grown-up grandson could recount the sequel story to his own ailing grandson. The sequel could see Westley and Buttercup’s kids going off on their own adventure.
The Goonies 2
Redditor u/Rufus2fist thinks a sequel to The Goonies would be a good idea. In a potential follow-up to the Amblin classic, the grown-up Goonies could reunite for one last adventure when they find another treasure map. They might face foreclosure on their homes once again, this time due to the onslaught of gentrification.
A sequel to The Goonies could follow the same franchise revamp formula as Ghostbusters: Afterlife, as a new generation of Goonies are helped out by their parents.
Back To The Future Part IV
There’s a school of thought that Back to the Future shouldn’t have been given one sequel, let alone three, but Redditor u/ravatos626 thinks there’s a fourth story to tell in this universe. A fourth Back to the Future movie set today could involve Doc and Marty going back in time to 1985.
It’s been so long since the original Back to the Future trilogy that real time has surpassed the movies’ hilariously inaccurate vision of the distant future. A fourth movie could open in the Back to the Future version of the modern day, even more technologically advanced than its version of 2015.
Big Trouble In Little China 2
Redditor u/Marty-the-monkey believes that John Carpenter’s cult classic action comedy Big Trouble in Little China deserves its own legacy sequel. With recent roles in the Marvel and Fast & Furious franchises, Kurt Russell’s star is back on the rise.
Big Trouble in Little China’s Jack Burton is one of Russell’s most underrated roles. Jack is a hysterical subversion of Russell’s usual Snake Plissken antihero archetype. It would be fun to see him reprise the role in a sequel.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off 2
John Hughes passed away over a decade ago, so making a sequel to one of his old classics would venture into dangerous territory. But according to Redditor u/Rufus2fist, there’s another Ferris Bueller story to tell.
In a potential sequel to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Ferris might be an adult in a bored office job who takes another day off so he can “stop and look around” to avoid missing out on life.
Spaceballs 2
Redditor u/pieter1234569 would like to see a sequel to Mel Brooks’ universally adored Star Wars spoof Spaceballs. Since Disney acquired Lucasfilm, there have been plenty of new Star Wars stories to parody.
The title suggested by Yogurt in the original movie – Spaceballs 2: The Search for More Money – would be perfect for a satire of the Disney era of a galaxy far, far away.