I wish movies would stop with the planned trilogy nonsense.

[noble]

Just watched Rock n rolla (Guy Ritchie's newest flick).

Great movie(if you like that sort of thing that is), but just when the movie was getting really interesting, BAM!

It was over, and the blurb 'will return in The Real Rock N Rolla' popped up on the screen. I had no idea this was part of something bigger, and none of the advertising, or buzz about the movie suggested it was to my knowledge.

Now the movie had a story arc ending, but the overall story was no where near being completed, and again it just hit that ok this is getting really good moment, and just suddenly stopped.

Why do they continue to do this?

If the movie does shit for revenue, and they can't do the next part, then you're never going to know how this turns out.

Which is of course frustrating in and of itself.

I just don't understand the thought process behind planning to do multiple sequels to something that isn't guaranteed to support such a thing.

[Mister Mets]

I could understand why writers want to do it this way.

It's the difference between a novel and a novella.

[noble]

I could understand why writers want to do it this way.

It's the difference between a novel and a novella.

Yeah I see the appeal to doing a larger story arc, and having more than just your standard two hours to work a story, but movies can sometimes take a year or two for the next chapter to arrive, and if sales aren't what they should be, that next chapter never will arrive, leaving your story unfinished.

Just seems to be an unecessary risk from a creative standpoint.

I'd rather have a shortened version of a good story, then only the first third of a really great story.

[evilgenius]

I wish GAMES would stop doing this. Unless you can save your character after the ending to every game and continue on from there in the next iteration.

[noble]

I wish GAMES would stop doing this. Unless you can save your character after the ending to every game and continue on from there in the next iteration.

I'll give you that one as well.

Assassin's creed was REALLY bad about this.

Matter of fact it was pretty much the same thing.

Just when it was getting really interesting, bam over.

Planned sequels are just an overall bad idea.

If you make something great and it deserves/merits a trilogy or sequel then by all means go ahead, but to plan the entire creative process and story flow around something that might not ever be completed seems a bit dumb to me.

[Whip]

Planned sequels are just an overall bad idea.



Agreed.

Has there ever been something like a movie or a game where it purposefully ended with the premise of a sequel...

...but it tanked and a sequel was either scrapped or was released but ignored?

[noble]

Agreed.

Has there ever been something like a movie or a game where it purposefully ended with the premise of a sequel...

...but it tanked and a sequel was either scrapped or was released but ignored?

I'm sure there has been...but it's still pretty early and my brain is in coma mode :D

What about Shenmue 3...obviously it was going to continue from 2, but I never played 2, so I don't know how it ended.

[noble]

Know that I think about it there as an outer space RPG on the PS2...and for the life of me I can't remember the name of it...Xenosaga...I think.

They came out of the gate saying there is going to be six games in the series, and the sales weren't there and only 3 ever came out.

Don't know if it just cut off the story, or if they compressed it to fit into 3 chapters instead of six, but that's one that I know of.

[leviathan]

I wish GAMES would stop doing this. Unless you can save your character after the ending to every game and continue on from there in the next iteration.

And THAT right there is why I still love and adore the Quest for Glory series. Really wish they would come out with another one of those...

[noble]

Mass effect promises to do this(but again we've got the planned trilogy thing going on here).

We'll see if it really does work out that way, because depending on your choices in the original IF 2 does continue using your saved character, there are two vastly different endings to ME1.

Be interesting to see how they present that.

[Pick The System!]

I don't think a lot of writers these days know how to approach writing a story that is not a trilogy. I believe this type of storytelling is very finely woven into our society. I'm not signing off on it, I'm just saying that most people think in trilogy terms now when they write.

[moonspider]

it's all about the CHA-CHING

[Petey Parker]

Unfortunately we probably aren't going to see The Real RockNRolla or the other sequel (which the planned name escapes me at the moment) I guess you can blame it on bad marketing outside the UK. It sucks cause it was a great film.

[HoldFastNow]

I have no problem whatsoever with trilogies, but what I do hate is that every movie that gets to number three nowadays gets marketed as the end of a trilogy when really it's just a series of movies.

For example, does anyone really believe that X3 is the last X-Men film that will ever be made? When it came out the ads were always playing it up that it was the end of the X-Men trilogy, but really it was just another movie in the series.

[Thudpucker]

I don't mind planned sequals as long as they don't end a movie with a cliffhanger. Each movie should have an ending that makes it able to stand on it's own.

[noble]

Unfortunately we probably aren't going to see The Real RockNRolla or the other sequel (which the planned name escapes me at the moment) I guess you can blame it on bad marketing outside the UK. It sucks cause it was a great film.

Exactly my point. Low sales killed this franchise more than likely, and where the first movie ended, it was just starting to get damned interesting.

Now more likely than not, we will never see the full scope of this story, and it pisses me off.

[Rafiennes]

I for one cannot wait for

Hotel For Dogs 2 Kool For Skool

and

Hotel For Dogs Revolutions

[NickT]

I don't mind planned sequals as long as they don't end a movie with a cliffhanger. Each movie should have an ending that makes it able to stand on it's own.
Depends on the cliffhanger though, you can make a standalone movie that ends on one.

[Ultimate Lurker]

Sounds like 1/2 of the tv shows that are on anymore.

Low selling comic series can have the same thing happen.

Nothing new, really.

[Hoggie]

The inevitable trilogy has become the thing I loath most in cinema.

[En Sabah Poo]

Mass effect promises to do this(but again we've got the planned trilogy thing going on here).

We'll see if it really does work out that way, because depending on your choices in the original IF 2 does continue using your saved character, there are two vastly different endings to ME1.

Be interesting to see how they present that.

Unfortunately, I have a feeling most people are going to be very disappointed with how the continuation is going to work. Most likely, it will grab what your character looks like and whether you were Renegade or Paragon. I doubt much else.

[Treacle]

I don't mind planned sequals as long as they don't end a movie with a cliffhanger. Each movie should have an ending that makes it able to stand on it's own.

I think the new Batman franchise does a good job of this.

The first Batman movie could stand on it's own, but it had a tease at the end of what the next movie was going to be.

The second Batman movie stands on it's own too, even though we all know there's going to be a third one.

The first two Spider-Man and X-Men movies were good about being self-contained yet cohesive too, I think.

[c.rob]

Agreed.

Has there ever been something like a movie or a game where it purposefully ended with the premise of a sequel...

...but it tanked and a sequel was either scrapped or was released but ignored?

The Super Mario Bros. movie ended with a 'to be continued'


which ended up being 'continued never' :)

It's still got a high place in my childhood

[Rosemary's Baby]

Having never seen Rocknrolla (although it sounds like it may have been in jest), I can say that I've only ever witnessed the planned trilogy in big-budget films where profit is the purpose. And even then, sometimes there's more story to tell, but this is rarely the case.

[ZombieSpeedball]

The Super Mario Bros. movie ended with a 'to be continued'


which ended up being 'continued never' :)

It's still got a high place in my childhood

I love that movie still, despite all its flaws. I just wish they'd do a Mario movie kind of like the Incredibles.

[Thudpucker]

Depends on the cliffhanger though, you can make a standalone movie that ends on one.

touche.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v605/thudpucker/clipboard2131vq7.jpg

[c.rob]

I love that movie still, despite all its flaws. I just wish they'd do a Mario movie kind of like the Incredibles.

computer animated?

[ZombieSpeedball]

computer animated?

and awesome super heroic time!!!

[BGPu]

Agreed.

Has there ever been something like a movie or a game where it purposefully ended with the premise of a sequel...

...but it tanked and a sequel was either scrapped or was released but ignored?

The Golden Compass ended with the notion that it was just the beginning of the story, since New Line thought it was going to be the next LOTR/Harry Potter. The movie wasn't bad, but it was a financial bomb and I don't think the series is being continued. If it is, it's going to be very stripped down.

[Ben]

I agree with you.

[Ben]

The Golden Compass ended with the notion that it was just the beginning of the story, since New Line thought it was going to be the next LOTR/Harry Potter. The movie wasn't bad, but it was a financial bomb and I don't think the series is being continued. If it is, it's going to be very stripped down.Yeah, that was really sad. The next book has some great visuals. The movie would've looked great.

[NickT]

touche.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v605/thudpucker/clipboard2131vq7.jpg
:lol:



I do think you're right though, if there is any risk in your franchise then your first movie should stand alone somewhat. Star Wars being the obvious example.

[Kurt Russell Crowe]

I'm sure if it sells some dvds the story will change and we'll see a sequel. Or even just if Sherlock Holmes does well.

[snuffy]

Agreed.

Has there ever been something like a movie or a game where it purposefully ended with the premise of a sequel...

...but it tanked and a sequel was either scrapped or was released but ignored?

The Chronicles of Riddick was supposed to be a trilogy, but the first movie barely made bank. they then called the Pitch Black movie and the animated Dark Fury thing as the first two chapters of the triolgy.

[dasNdanger]

I just tend to hate trilogies - period. Usually the first movie is good, the second sucks since it's the bridge between the first and last - and the last can be totally hit or miss. Only a few trilogies have ever really worked, or have been the sort were the middle movie is actually better than the last.

But usually, it would have been best to end with #1.

das

[PeterSparker]

I'm still waiting for the second installment of 'History of the World'! You don't tease Hitler On Ice and then leave us hanging like that for over two decades!

[James H]

I'm still waiting for the second installment of 'History of the World'! You don't tease Hitler On Ice and then leave us hanging like that for over two decades!

Yeah, and where's Spaceballs II: The Search for More Money?

[PatrickA]

I have no problem whatsoever with trilogies, but what I do hate is that every movie that gets to number three nowadays gets marketed as the end of a trilogy when really it's just a series of movies.

For example, does anyone really believe that X3 is the last X-Men film that will ever be made? When it came out the ads were always playing it up that it was the end of the X-Men trilogy, but really it was just another movie in the series.

Well,to be fair, X3 is the last X-Men movie in the X-Men trilogy. If they make another one it isn't a trilogy anymore! :)

[Dave S.]

Well,to be fair, X3 is the last X-Men movie in the X-Men trilogy. If they make another one it isn't a trilogy anymore! :)

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy begs to differ.

[Lyfeforce]

Agreed.

Has there ever been something like a movie or a game where it purposefully ended with the premise of a sequel...

...but it tanked and a sequel was either scrapped or was released but ignored?

shenmue, xenosaga (which in itself was a continuation/part of the same universe as Xenogears) and a few others, i'm sure.

[BWC Boston]

The inevitable trilogy has become the thing I loath most in cinema.

Well, I just hope it doesn't upset you so much that one day you type an absurd overstatement on the internet.

[Mark Mavro (kryptic6)]

Just watched Rock n rolla (Guy Ritchie's newest flick).

Great movie(if you like that sort of thing that is), but just when the movie was getting really interesting, BAM!

It was over, and the blurb 'will return in The Real Rock N Rolla' popped up on the screen. I had no idea this was part of something bigger, and none of the advertising, or buzz about the movie suggested it was to my knowledge.

Now the movie had a story arc ending, but the overall story was no where near being completed, and again it just hit that ok this is getting really good moment, and just suddenly stopped.

Why do they continue to do this?

If the movie does shit for revenue, and they can't do the next part, then you're never going to know how this turns out.

Which is of course frustrating in and of itself.

I just don't understand the thought process behind planning to do multiple sequels to something that isn't guaranteed to support such a thing.

Unfortunately the movie probably won't have any sequels. It didn't really hit a wider mainstream audience. Shame, too, cuz I thought it was fantastic. I would love to see those characters again, especially "The Wild Bunch."

[Donal DeLay]

Wait, what? It ends on a cliffhanger without being a standalone story? (like the Back To The Future movies)

I might as well not watch this, and just wait until the sequels to watch them back-to-back. I hate that shit.

None of Guy Ritchie's movies really do well over here. I've never heard of one being a big hit, even Snatch, which had Brad Pitt. but he still gets to make movies, so I think there will be a sequel.