Sequel Bits: ‘Terminator’, ‘Halloween’, ‘Maleficent’, ‘Downton Abbey’, ‘Ghostbusters’, ‘Jumanji’, ‘The Matrix’, ‘A Quiet Place’, ‘The Babysitter’
In this edition of Sequel Bits:
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton are back in these exclusive images from Terminator: Dark Fatehttps://t.co/hKeU8UFcMNpic.twitter.com/fJjvcaSBj7
— Total Film (@totalfilm)July 18, 2025
Terminator: Dark Fatewill attempt to yet-again jump-start the increasingly direTerminatorfranchise. The big selling point on this addition to the series is thatJames Cameronis back as producer, andLinda Hamiltonis back as Sarah Connor. But is that enough? I really don’t know. The trailers have done a lackluster job selling the pic, but maybe these new images will do the trick.Terminator: Dark FateopensNovember 1, 2019.
Halloween Kills, the sequel to last year’sHalloweenreboot/sequel, is already shooting, and the pics above prove it. This is the first of two sequels that will presumably form a solid, conclusive trilogy. Pretty much everyone who survived the previous film, includingJamie Lee Curtis, is coming back to face Michael Myers once again. First up will beHalloween Kills, which arrives Friday,July 30, 2025. Then we’ll getHalloween Endson Friday,July 13, 2025.David Gordon Green, director of the last film, will direct both of the sequels as well.
Is there any real hype forMaleficent: Mistress of Evil? Of all of the many, many upcoming Disney projects, this seems to be the one with the least amount of buzz. But here’s a featurette anyway! The sequel is “a fantasy adventure that picks up several years afterMaleficent, in which audiences learned of the events that hardened the heart of Disney’s most notorious villain and drove her to curse a baby Princess Aurora. The film continues to explore the complex relationship between the horned fairy and the soon to be Queen as they form new alliances and face new adversaries in their struggle to protect the moors and the magical creatures that reside within.” Look for the movie in theatersOctober 18.
Kevin Smithtook to social media to drop the following eloquent, charming message related to his upcomingJay and Silent Bob Reboot:
Yes, that’s right: knock all c**ks, my friends. And I guess win this poster, too.
TheDownton Abbeymovie had an impressive $31 million debut at the box office, strongly suggesting audiencesreallywant more of these tea-drinking characters. So could there be a sequel? Maybe! Speaking withTHR, producerGareth Neamesaid that there’s a chance for moreAbbeyin our immediate future:
Neame says that a year ago, he would not have contemplated the idea of doing another film because of how complicated it was to get all the pieces on theDowntonchess board. (“I described it at the time as being more complicated than Brexit,” he says). Now, however, he says there are some ideas being kicked around for a sequel. The film indeed ends with several avenues to explore, should theDowntonfranchise continue.
A post shared by Jason Reitman (@jasonreitman)
AnyGhostbustersfan worth their salt will remember that Egon Spengler was fond of referencing a book called Tobin’sSpirit Guide. We never really got to see the book in the films (although it did pop up in the cartoon), but that’s going to change withGhostbusters 2020.Jason Reitman, who is directing the new sequel, gave fans a tiny glimpse of the book in question via Instagram. It’s yet another indication that this latest film is going to tie directly into the original twoGhostbustersmovies – even though we still don’t really know how.Ghostbusters 2020opensJuly 10, 2020.
The faces really speak for themselves in this one.
We still don’t know much aboutThe Matrix 4(or whatever it’s going to be called), but one thing we do know: it’s going to be ambitious. At least, that’s whatKeanu Reevessays, and who are we to doubt such a wonderful man? Speaking withEntertainment Tonight, the once and future Neo revealed that he’s read the script at this point, and that “It’s very ambitious, as it should be.“Lana Wachowskiis returning to write and direct the new film, and Reeves will be reunited with co-starCarrie-Anne Moss. There’s still no word on whether or notLaurence Fishburneis coming back as well, but I’m going to just go ahead and guess that yes, he will, in some capacity.
Well… that’s a wrap on#PartIISee you on March 20th!pic.twitter.com/9u4xcFjm5n
— John Krasinski (@johnkrasinski)August 26, 2025
A Quiet Place 2, a sequel we probably didn’t really need, has wrapped filming, as you can see above. The follow-up to the surprise hit starsEmily Blunt,Cillian Murphy,Millicent Simmonds,Noah Jupe, andDjimon Hounsou, and while plot details are still under wraps, you can bet the story will involve more encounters with those sound-attracted monsters. The sequel arrivesMarch 20, 2020.The Babysitter, a rather terrible horror comedy directed byMcG, is getting a sequel, because that’s the kind of world we live in now. But here’s something interesting: according toTHR, almost the entire original cast is returning – even the characters who died in the first film.Bella Thorne,Robbie Amell,Hana Mae Lee, andAndrew Bachelorare all back, even though they met their demises in part one. Also back:Judah Lewis, who played the kid being babysat. The sequel is “set two years after our hero, Cole (Lewis), defeated a satanic cult led by his babysitter. He’s trying to forget his past and focus on surviving high school, but when old enemies unexpectedly return, Cole will once again have to outsmart the forces of evil.”
