Which A-List Stars Have Never Made a Sequel?
The story that Shia LaBeouf may be down for another Indiana Jones sequel got me thinking: Are today's stars too franchised out? LaBeouf already has a three-film commitment to Transformers, while Christian Bale was all too willing to add several Terminator movies to his already hefty Batman obligations. We decided to take a look at twenty of today's current top stars (as ranked this year by Forbes) to find out whether it's possible to remain an A-lister without ever undertaking a megabudget franchise. So who's stayed sequel-immune? The answers may surprise you.
1) Will Smith: Has made two different sequels, Men in Black 2 and Bad Boys 2, and is developing a prequel to I Am Legend.
2) Johnny Depp: Completed the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy and is currently set to return for a fourth film in the franchise.
3) Leonardo DiCaprio: Has never made a sequel (discounting an appearance in Critters 3).
4) Angelina Jolie: Made two Tomb Raider films.
5) Brad Pitt: Starred in three Ocean's caper films.
6) Tom Hanks: In addition to his recent Da Vinci Code sequel, has lent his voice to three Toy Story films.
7) George Clooney: Besides his Ocean's franchise, appeared in two Spy Kids films and graced a few standalone sequels (such as Return of the Killer Tomatoes).
8) Denzel Washington: Has never made a sequel (though he's attached to a potential Inside Man follow-up).
9) Matt Damon: Has both the Ocean's and Bourne franchises on his resume.
10) Jack Nicholson: Sequelized Chinatown (with The Two Jakes) and, briefly, Terms of Endearment (with The Evening Star).
11) Julia Roberts: You're so close, Jules -- it's a shame about that return appearance in Ocean's Twelve.
12) Adam Sandler: Has never made a sequel, shockingly.
13) Tom Cruise: Mission: Impossible is his money-making franchise.
14) Russell Crowe: Has never made a sequel (though Master and Commander was intended to be a franchise, and a Gladiator sequel has been in development).
15) Will Ferrell: Costarred in the first two Austin Powers films, and has sequels in various stages of development.
16) Meryl Streep: Has never made a sequel, though she has threatened us with Mamma Mia 2!
17) Robert De Niro: Sequelized both Analyze This and Meet the Parents.
18) Ben Stiller: In addition to Meet the Parents, has the Night at the Museum and Madagascar franchises to his name.
19) Jim Carrey: After reprising Ace Ventura, meant for Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events to augur his primary career franchise. It didn't.
20) Clint Eastwood: Five Dirty Harry films and one sequel alongside an orangutan (Any Which Way You Can).
The Verdict? Only five of the twenty biggest stars have never made a sequel to a film they starred in -- and for some, it's not for lack of trying. Spearheading a franchise is a simple fact of life for A-listers in the modern era, unless you're driven to do something different every time out like Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, and, uh, Adam Sandler (sorry, still not quite over that one). Shia and Christian, enjoy your careers -- they're all plotted out for you until the year 2015.
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Comments
Nice list. This topic actually came up on the Twitters when Angels & Demons came out, which I was shocked to discover was Hanks' first live-action sequel. (It seems actors all feel like lending their voice differs from lending their face and voice. Clooney, Gene Hackman, and Patrick Dempsey leap to mind.)
I'll attribute Adam Sandler's lack of sequel to the fact his films are completely realized confections of pure storytelling. Right? Guys?
BTW, MovieLine tech folk: Comment integration with Movable Type and Typepad is one bag of fail for me. At least on Firefox. Movable Type won't send me the confirmation e-mail and Typepad gives me an error and doesn't redirect back to Movieline (even though it shows me signed in).
Opps, addendum to my thought above about actors lending their face and voice. I was referring to Clooney, Hackman, and Dempsey lending their voices to commercials.
Reese Witherspoon is really not in the top twenty? Who knew.
Adam Sandler has never done a sequel because none of his films are good enough to warrant one.
By the way, could you fathom Little Nicky 2? I choose death.
Would you count Eastwood playing "The Man With No Name" in at least 3 films as sequels?
Russell Crowe did make a sequel - "3:10 To Yuma."
Sorry - in my last comment on the Russell Crowe choice I was thinking remake instead of sequel.
Yes! And, really, they're all the same movie, anyway.
Legally Blonde?
What do you mean Sandler hasn't been in any sequels?
Airheads (aka Adam Sandler I)
Mixed Nuts (aka Adam Sandler II)
Billy Madison (aka Adam Sandler III)
Happy Gilmore ((aka Adam Sandler IV)
etc....
I would posit that Sandler is the one A list star who has done sequels almost exclusively.
Did you really just call Shia Labeouf an A-lister? AND put him in the same league as Christian Bale?
I would hardly call Will Ferrel's roles in Austin Powers "co-starring"
I'm actually surprised so many of the top stars are very limited in their sequels, especially actors like Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp. It's also surprising that such amazing actors as DiCaprio, Denzel, and Crowe have stayed away from them. Great article.
The actress who immediately came to mind for me, and who I believe should be on this list, is Kate Winslet. To my knowledge she has never been in a sequel and definitely holds her own amongst this crowd of A-listers.
Nicole Kidman have never appeared in a sequel either.
"NO no no no no"
---The Zohan
Batman Forever
I would argue that EVERY Adam Sandler film is a sequel. He plays the same one-dimensional character over and over. Just because they change the characters name doesn't mean it's not a sequel. When you walk into an Adam Sandler movie, you know the basic story, the protagonists character arc, and how it will end. How is that NOT a sequel.
Quite interesting, but a sequel doesn't necessarily mean you sold out.
She has only played that character once though. Besides. it was part of a franchise anyway, not a sequel.
Remake > Sequel.
Don't forget, De Niro was also in The Godfather Part II.
Also, Jack, Shia LeBeouf starred in Transformers and Indiana Jones 4, respectively the 20th and 23rd highest domestic grossing movies of all time. I'm not sure what your definition of A-lister is if that doesn't qualify.
I'm actually surprised so many of the top stars are very limited in their sequels, especially actors like Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp. It's also surprising that such amazing actors as DiCaprio, Denzel, and Crowe have stayed away from them. Great article..
I know Sean Penn doesn't make money at the box office, but wouldn't he be an A-lister (I mean he has one two oscars?) If Merrill Streep is there, then he should. No sequels that I can think of.
What about Dustin Hoffman? I can't think of any sequels for him either.
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