The long-awaited lightning-in-a-bottle ceremony has finally arrived. For Hollywood's top executives, a successful film sequel is like capturing the elusive spark of genius – it's what separates the champions from the also-rans.
This year promises to be no different. As the industry continues its relentless pursuit of franchise gold, there are three sequels worth watching in 2026 and three that you'd do well to avoid at all costs.
First up, "The Devil Wears Prada 2," which has had a long time brewing in development hell. But with Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci back on board, this one's got promise – as long as they get the title right. Will David Frankel's follow-up to the iconic original capture lightning in a bottle or fizzle out? Only time will tell.
Next, we have "Focker-in-Law," the fourth installment in the Meet the Parents franchise. With Robert De Niro reprising his role as the cantankerous Jack Byrnes and Ben Stiller back as the hapless Greg Focker, this one feels like a lazy cash-grab. The question on everyone's mind is: will it finally get anything right?
Then there's "Scary Movie 6," which brings back Anna Faris and Regina Hall as Cindy Campbell and Brenda Meeks in a new installment of the horror-comedy franchise. With its long hiatus, this one could be either a hilarious return to form or a desperate attempt at recapturing past glory. One thing's for sure – it'll be a wild ride.
On the flip side, we have "The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping," which feels like a unnecessary prequel that's more concerned with prop up its star-studded cast than telling an actual story. Will this one rise to the challenge of exploring Woody Harrelson's backstory or will it fall flat?
Finally, there's "Ready or Not 2: Here I Come," which brings back Samara Weaving and Kathryn Newton in a sequel that promises to be just as bloody good as its predecessor. With Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Cronenberg on board, this one could be the dark horse of the year.
Last but not least, we have "Toy Story 5," which feels like more of the same old, same old from Pixar – big swings and diminishing returns. Will the toy cowboy Woody and his extraterrestrial companion Buzz Lightyear contend with a new tablet in their lives or will this one fizzle out?
In short, while there are three sequels worth watching in 2026, three that you'd do well to avoid at all costs – the key question is: can anyone capture lightning in a bottle twice?
This year promises to be no different. As the industry continues its relentless pursuit of franchise gold, there are three sequels worth watching in 2026 and three that you'd do well to avoid at all costs.
First up, "The Devil Wears Prada 2," which has had a long time brewing in development hell. But with Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci back on board, this one's got promise – as long as they get the title right. Will David Frankel's follow-up to the iconic original capture lightning in a bottle or fizzle out? Only time will tell.
Next, we have "Focker-in-Law," the fourth installment in the Meet the Parents franchise. With Robert De Niro reprising his role as the cantankerous Jack Byrnes and Ben Stiller back as the hapless Greg Focker, this one feels like a lazy cash-grab. The question on everyone's mind is: will it finally get anything right?
Then there's "Scary Movie 6," which brings back Anna Faris and Regina Hall as Cindy Campbell and Brenda Meeks in a new installment of the horror-comedy franchise. With its long hiatus, this one could be either a hilarious return to form or a desperate attempt at recapturing past glory. One thing's for sure – it'll be a wild ride.
On the flip side, we have "The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping," which feels like a unnecessary prequel that's more concerned with prop up its star-studded cast than telling an actual story. Will this one rise to the challenge of exploring Woody Harrelson's backstory or will it fall flat?
Finally, there's "Ready or Not 2: Here I Come," which brings back Samara Weaving and Kathryn Newton in a sequel that promises to be just as bloody good as its predecessor. With Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Cronenberg on board, this one could be the dark horse of the year.
Last but not least, we have "Toy Story 5," which feels like more of the same old, same old from Pixar – big swings and diminishing returns. Will the toy cowboy Woody and his extraterrestrial companion Buzz Lightyear contend with a new tablet in their lives or will this one fizzle out?
In short, while there are three sequels worth watching in 2026, three that you'd do well to avoid at all costs – the key question is: can anyone capture lightning in a bottle twice?
think we should be more careful with sequels these days. so many are just rehashing old ideas instead of trying something new. and honestly, i'm not even sure if it's worth the hype anymore... 
what was it doing exactly btw? anyway this movie stuff sounds kinda meh to me. why do they need so many sequels? and what's with all the celebrities being in them? like isnt anna faris busy enough already 
- Meryl Streep is a national treasure and if Anne Hathaway can bring that same fire from the first movie, it could be magic 
. But, honestly, I'm not feeling "Focker-in-Law" 
- it sounds like more of the same old Jack Byrnes antics. 
. But let's be real, David Frankel needs to step up his game or else we'll all be left feeling like fashion disasters 
. The only one that's got me genuinely curious is "Ready or Not 2: Here I Come" - with Sarah Michelle Gellar on board, this could be dark horse contender 
. And can we just get some actual plot development in "The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping"? Like, what's the point of a prequel that doesn't even tell a new story? 
. And can we talk about how unnecessary the next Hunger Games movie is? Woody Harrelson's backstory? Give me a break. But hey, if anyone can make it happen, it's Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Cronenberg – they're like the ultimate horror-comedy duo 
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I am literally SO done with these movie franchises and how they're milking them for every last penny! "The Devil Wears Prada 2" sounds like a total snooze fest to me 
Samara Weaving is EVERYTHING and if this one lives up to its predecessor's hype... game. chnaged. 
And what's up with "The Hunger Games" prequel?! Like, can't they just leave the original series alone? It feels like they're trying to cash in on Woody Harrelson's fame instead of actually crafting a compelling story.
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. But let's be real, it's hard to recapture past glory, and if this one falls flat, it'll be a major disappointment.
. With Sarah Michelle Gellar on board, I'm intrigued - can she bring the necessary level of menace to make this sequel work? And what about "Toy Story 5" 
? Is it time for Woody and Buzz to retire their toys or continue to get old?
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. i mean, "Focker-in-Law" seems like a total lazy grab at easy merch and laughs. but on the other hand, having anna faris and regina hall back in scary movie 6 is pretty appealing 
But with all these big names, the pressure is on... 
And let's not forget about "Ready or Not 2: Here I Come" and its super talented cast... I'm all for more Samara Weaving, tbh 
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. And of course, who can resist another installment of the Toy Story franchise? 
. Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep are like a match made in heaven - but we'll just have to wait and see how this one plays out 
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. On the other hand, "The Devil Wears Prada 2" has got some big names attached but it's also been in development hell for ages - we'll see if it lives up to its promise 
- the franchise is already a bit of a joke, and I don't think they can salvage that with just another installment 
. Give me some fresh ideas and original storytelling any day!