The reason why Hollywood cranks out so many sequels and adaptations is because the audience is so overwhelmed with choices, the only way to get them in the theater is to give them something familiar.
Sequels face the risk of being constantly compared to the first film.
I’ve just written a very gritty, non-magical take on the King Arthur legend, ‘Here Lies Arthur,’ and I’m currently toying with some other historical ideas, as well as working with the illustrator David Wyatt on some sequels to my Victorian space opera ‘Larklight.’
Sequels are hard. What people want is to see the first film again for the first time and that simply isn’t possible.
I like to write about a lot of things, which is why my books are different. This is probably why I don’t like to write sequels, but chiefly I like to write about people.
People make sequels a lot in Hollywood, and sometimes it feels like there’s never an original thought.
I’m not a huge fan of prequels and sequels and the cynical rush to make money on the back of books by other writers who are now dead.
We wanted to do a sequel with Jim and Jeff. They said that the word was that Jim didn’t want to do any sequels. We approached him and he said he would do it, but not until next year. New Line said it was too long to wait.
Believe me, sequels are just as hard to make as original films.
I like to leave a film open-ended, with a lingering feeling. I’ll not do sequels of any of my films till I have subjects to explore.
I don’t have a specific message for ‘The Grace of Kings’ and the sequels in mind other than wanting to challenge some of the source material I was working from as well as some of the assumptions of epic fantasy.
‘Troll 2’ is one of the rare sequels where you don’t have to waste time watching the first one, since the films have absolutely nothing to do with one another.
I pointedly avoid doing sequels, since for the most part I find that a sequel rarely stands up to the original.
The best sequels throughout time keep what you really like about the first thing, but they aren’t afraid to do their own thing for the next season and kind of grow, in a way.
I think repetition is the hardest thing to avoid with sequels, because you’ve told a story and now you’re adding more story to the story.
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