While somemovie franchisesseem to keep going on forever, others knew precisely when to stop. This is especially true for horror movies, sci-fi, and the action genre. TheNightmare on Elm StreetandFriday the 13thfranchiseshave a combined total of 21 movies.AlienandPredatorhave 16 combined movies between those two franchises.
However,several franchises stopped as a trilogyand didn’t move on because their story was told.Other franchises might have reached four movies, but they knew when the story was complete and didn’t push on to make more money at the box office. These franchises often leave lasting memories because they stopped before things got old.
Back to the Future
Back to the Futurewas a huge hit when it was released, thanks to the fun time-travel plotand the breakout star, Michael J. Fox.The first film featured Fox as Marty McFly, a young man who traveled back in time with Doc Brown’s (Christopher Lloyd) DeLorean. He then has to figure out a way to return without altering the timeline and erasing his existence.
This led to obvious sequels, given the first movie’s huge success. The next two movies saw McFly go into the future and then far into the past, having fun adventures along the way. By the time things were done, McFly had changed the timeline for the better, for the worse, and ultimately came out with the life he deserved.
While there was always a desire for more movies in the series,this franchise knew when to call it quits,stopping after the third movie. There was an animated series and a later short film shot for fun, butdirector Robert Zemeckis holds the rightsand has stated that he will block all attempts to remake or reboot the series.
The Dark Knight
TheBatmanfranchise will likely never end. There was a campy TV show and several cartoons. Tim Burton had two movies, followed by two sequels with Joel Schumacher.The Zack Snyder era didn’t feature a solo Batman film, but he brought the character back in other films.A new Batman franchise is ongoing,and a different one will appear in James Gunn’s DCU.
However, the best Batman film franchise of all time was by director Christopher Nolan, whomade what is known asThe Dark Knighttrilogy.Batman Begins,The Dark Knight, andThe Dark Knight Risesstarred Christian Bale as Batman and told his story from his origin to his eventual realization that it was time to move on.
This was a self-contained trilogy, and while there was a chance to move on with a new Batman series in the same world,Nolan knew he was finished with the story. Instead, Zack Snyder rebooted the Batman universe with an older Bruce Wayne, allowing Nolan’s trilogy to exist in its own world with a complete story.
It might not have been done on purpose at the start, butEdgar Wright’sThree Flavours Cornettotrilogyoffered fans three films with the same director and leading actors, but in different genres with a similar feel. By the time the third movie was finished, the series was complete,and none of the three felt the desire to add on more.
Shaun of the Deadwas a zombie movie starring Simon Pegg as the titular character and Nick Frost as his best friend, who try to survive.Hot Fuzzwas a buddy cop movie, with Pegg playing a highly decorated police sergeant sent to work in a small town alongside a young partner played by Frost.The World’s Endis a sci-fi end-of-the-world movie.
All three movies are completely different and stand on their own.
Each movie aligns with a different color of Cornetto ice cream (red for horror, blue for buddy cop, and green for sci-fi),and each features characters in similar situations,repeating similar gags, and even eating the ice cream. At the same time, all three movies are completely different and stand on their own.
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost saidthat they will work together again, and likely with Edgar Wright. However, they said it would be very different from the Cornetto trilogy. Pegg also emphasized there will never be sequels to the movies, despite the fan love for the three films in the trilogy.
Before Trilogy
TheBeforetrilogy is a film franchisedirected by Richard Linklater, starring Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke. InBefore Sunrise(1995), Hawke is Jesse, an American student traveling through Europe, while Delpy is Céline, a French student visiting relatives.They meet on a train to Paris, spend time together in Vienna, and fall in love.
However, the movie ends with them going their separate ways and promising to meet up again in the future. It was a perfect setup for a sequel, but it didn’t arrive for nine years. InBefore Sunset, Jesse, now a married father, reconnects with Céline while on tour promoting his new book, which retells the story of the first movie.
There were nine years between each movie in theBeforetrilogy.
The second film ends with Jesse choosing to leave his family to be with Céline. The third film,Before Midnight, arrived nine years later. Jesse and Céline are married and have twin daughters. Taking place over one day, they argue about where to live (Jesse’s son still lives in America), but they ultimately decide to stick together.
TheBeforetrilogy is a slice-of-life story about destiny, and each movie takes place over a short period, with a gap of almost a decade between movies. There were plans for a fourth movie, butDelpy said they couldn’t come up with a good storyto continue, and decided that ending it after three films was the best idea.
While everyone is familiar with Martin Scorsese’sThe Departed, a film that earned several Oscars, it is worth noting that this Oscar-worthy crime drama wasa remake of a South Korean thrillerthat was just as good, if not better, in some ways.Scorsese remadeInfernal Affairs, and he even copied some shots from the original into his movie.
Infernal Affairs follows a cop named Chan Wing-yan (Tony Leung), who goes undercover in a triad. Meanwhile, a triad member named Lau Kin-ming (Andy Lau) infiltrates the Hong Kong Police Force. The two moles leak information, and it becomes clear that there is a problem in both organizations, with the two moles struggling to maintain their cover.
UnlikeThe Departed,which ended after just one movie and eliminated both moles at the end,Infernal Affairswas a trilogy.The second movie is a prequelshowing the two moles earlier in their lives (with younger actors cast to play them).Infernal Affairs IIIreunites everyone, serving as both a sequel and a semi-prequel, and wraps up the story perfectly, with no need for more.
Park Chan-wook’sVengeance Trilogyis similar to what Edgar Wright did with his Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy. It tells three stories with similar themes, but they are not connected in other ways. The three films in this franchise areSympathy for Mr. Vengeance(2002),Oldboy(2003), andLady Vengeance(2005).
All three films look at a different form of vengeance.
The three movies explore the idea of seeking vengeance and the consequences of making this decision. They are also very visceral and dark, with intense violence and psychological drama. All three films look at a different form of vengeance through the main character’s eyes, and each one offers social commentary on what this means in the world.
Oldboy, the middle movie, remains the most well-known and is recognized as one of the best South Korean thrillers ever made.Lady Vengeanceis also highly praised, and all three films deserve their reputation.It is also smart that Chan-wook chose to move on after thisand approach other stories, ending this franchise with three masterpieces.
One of the lesser-known, yet equally brilliant franchises came from French comedy director Jacques Tati. The brilliant auteur created one of cinema’s most celebratedcharacters in Monsieur Hulot (played by Tati himself).Hulot is a clumsy and naive man, with a good nature and kind heart, who often finds himself struggling with current (for the time) technological advances.
Tati created four movies with Hulot as the main character:Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot(1953),Mon Oncle(1958),Playtime(1967), andTrafic(1971). All four are comedy masterpieces, featuring a man who can’t be missed but is someone that no one notices. He influenced several comic actors, most specifically Rowan Atkinson, and the franchise ended without a bad entry.
Guardians of the Galaxy
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is ongoing with no signs of stopping anytime soon. However,inside the MCU, there are smaller franchisesthat contribute to the overarching storylines. Of these,Guardians of the Galaxymight be the best, and it concluded with just a trilogy (although the characters also appeared outside their franchise).
James Gunn introduced the Guardians of the Galaxy in their first movie as outsiders who found a family in each other. The second movie continued the idea of being a family, and the third finally wrapped up their story, sending them on their way to whatever the world has in store for them next. It was a perfect self-contained story.
The James Gunn trilogy ended at the perfect time.
There is always a chance that Marvel will bring back the team members for more. However,with James Gunn now at DCand several actors already moving on, Guardians of the Galaxy, as it was known, has come to an end. Anything that comes later is a new team, and the James Gunn trilogy ended at the perfect time.
Magic Mike
TheMagic Miketrilogy is an interesting story, as it was created by Channing Tatum based on his experience as a male dancer before his acting breakout. Steven Soderbergh directed all three movies, with the first followingMike Lane (Tatum) as a man with big dreams to create an empire of male strip clubs.
However, he finds numerous obstacles in his way and realizes that this dream has many dark, seductive aspects to it. The first film featured an impressive cast of actors playing the strippers, including Matthew McConaughey, Alex Pettyfer, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, and Kevin Nash. While he quit at the end of that movie, there was more story to tell.
Magic Mike’s Last Dancehit theaters in 2023, as Mike entered the world of theater.
InMagic Mike XXL,the rest of the Kings of Tampa (the dance crew) plan to end their career with a bang at a male stripping convention in California. Mike decides to join them and gets pulled back into the world of dance. Finally,Magic Mike’s Last Dancehit theaters in 2023, as Mike entered the world of theater, bringing his dance style with him.
TheMagic Mikefranchise took Mike from his younger daysof aspiring to be the leader of a male stripper franchise to working on a prestigious stage show, and it was a perfect end to his story.Channing Tatum said the third moviewould be the end, and if anything else happened, it would be nothing more than a reboot.
The Godfather
While somebelieveThe Godfathershould have endedafter just two movies, the third installment was still necessary.The firstGodfathermovie saw Michael Corleone(Al Pacino) return as a war hero, but he ends up getting sucked into the world of his father’s (Marlon Brando) mafia empire. He then becomes the new don upon his father’s death.
The Godfather, Part IIis the masterpiece of the trilogy, showing Michael’s rise to prominence as the head of his mafia family, while intercut with scenes from his father’s rise as a young man (played by Robert De Niro). The third movie came many years later and showed Michael as an older man who was on top, but had lost what was most important.
The third film was the weakest, but it was necessary to show what happened to Michael Corleone later in his life, thanks to decisions made beyond his control. That third movie concluded the story, andThe Godfatherwas a perfectly contained tale that knew not to overstay its welcome, one reason it remains a masterpiece.
