Hollywood franchises are often known for keeping their audiences hooked to the screen for years. However, at times a few sequels lose their touch and fall apart into the abyss. Nonetheless, some of them manage to return magically and revive their fanbase. Amid such magically revived franchises, Andy Serkis’ Rise of the Planet of the Apes stands tall.
However, there are a few more franchises that deserve a respectful addition to the list, as they returned with full force, to restore their fallen grace. Evidently, long-drawn movie sequels often become victims of an unflattering slump, but the trick is to be able to bounce back from the fallout and forge a journey.
Andy Serkis Revives Planet of the Apes Franchise
It’s a lesser-known fact about the Planet of the Apes franchise, but the original movie was a surprise release in 1968, which was followed by a few sequels. However, decades later rebooting the franchise with an origin story almost sounded like a sick move until Andy Serkis‘ franchise revived the OG movie’s fanbase.
James Bond’s Restoration With Casino Royale
The James Bond franchise based on novelist Ian Fleming’s character and plot line, has been one of the most renowned film series of all time. However, the secret agent 007, working for MI6 almost lost his touch after Pierce Brosnan’s 2002 movie Die Another Day. However, Daniel Craig magically restored the lost fame of the film series with his 2006 iteration, Casino Royale.
A Graceful Return With X-Men: First Class
After the release of X-Men: The Last Stand in 2006, moviegoers couldn’t help but criticize the genuinely bizarre decisions taken into account while making the movie. Blaming the 2006 iteration for ruining the franchise, fans simply hoped for a better return, until X-Men: First Class heard their cries and restored the team’s foundation from the 1960s.
Fast & Furious’ Glorious Return With Fast Five
The Fast & Furious franchise seemed like a done deal after Tokyo Drift (2006) turned Paul Walker and Vin Diesel into distant memories. That’s when the franchise seemed to awake from a deep sleep with its 2009 iteration Fast Five. Without missing a beat, the franchise brought their original cast, together, and served a rapid delight to fans.
The Way Transformers Revived Its Fanbase
Initially introduced in 1986, the Transformers franchise enjoyed its success until Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) committed the biggest sequel sin of completely rehashing the first movie’s plot. Thus, despite Michael Bay’s best efforts, the film franchise struggled to sustain its place. That’s when Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014) successfully brought fan-favorite Dinobots into the fold and slowly revived the fanbase.
Jurassic World Honored Its Predecessors
Jurassic Park (1993) proved to be one of the world’s biggest blockbusters of all time. And certainly, even its two sequels couldn’t match the profits earned by the torch bearer. However, it was disgraceful to let the infamous franchise be forgotten after three installments. That’s when director Colin Trevorrow came up with Jurassic World (2015) to dig up the lost grace of the franchise.
Star Trek’s Franchise Saving Voyage
Good franchises are hard to kill, and certainly so, being one of the most renowned franchises over decades, Star Trek was genuinely difficult to be lost in space. Thus, despite the dreadful installment, Star Trek: Nemesis, the franchise managed to get back its position, with the 2009 Star Trek reboot. The daring, adventurous sci-fi, certainly notched box office and critical success for the franchise.
Batman Begins Brought New Success
DC’s Batman movies were such a box office staple, that they soon turned into an integral part of pop culture. However, the franchise’s future appeared darker than the bat cave, in the wake of Batman & Robin. Evidently, the infamous 1997 flop wrecked the entire franchise beyond repair, until Christopher Nolan took the responsibility to bring back the Caped Crusader with his 2005’s Batman Begins.
