10 Planned Sequels That We Never Got to See
GREMLINS 3
If there’s any sequel that horror fans have been itching for over the years it’s Gremlins 3, which has been rumored and teased for as long as Ghostbusters 3 was. It was in 2006 that Joe Dante revealed that a third Gremlins films was in the works, but that he likely wouldn’t be asked to direct it. He also expressed concerns most of us have been expressing since the rumors began circulating, fearing that the incredible animatronics and puppetry that made the first two films so awesome and loveable would be replaced with CGI.
In 2010 rumors picked up again, this time indicating that the sequel was on the fast track, and that it would be Gizmo and pals’ first foray into three dimensions. It was also rumored that original stars Zach Galligan and Phoebe Cates might be returning, which further excited Gremlins fanatics. Unfortunately, it was more recently announced that the sequel was going to be thrown out in favor of a remake, and only time will tell if that project ever actually hatches.
HOUSE OF RE-ANIMATOR
In 2006 it was announced that Herbert West would return in a brand new Re-Animator trilogy, the first installment of which was to be titled House of Re-Animator. Conceived as a satire of then president George W. Bush’s presidency, House was going to feature West being called into the White House to re-animate the dead president, who was set to be played by William H. Macy. Bruce Abbott’s character Dan Cain was going to also be in it, a character that was absent from the previous sequel.
Director Stuart Gordon cited fears of offending the Bush administration as the reason why no studio wanted to fund the project, with the final nail in the coffin coming when the Bush presidency ended. A damn shame, considering all parties involved seemed quite passionate and excited about giving the series a healthy dose of West’s re-agent, and bringing it back to life.
THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT : PART 2
Decades before getting the remake treatment, Krug and his band of murderous slimeballs almost returned to the big screen in the form of a sequel to Wes Craven’s horrifying exercise in exploitation excess. Fresh off of writing/directing Friday The 13th : A New Beginning, the late Danny Steinmann was approached to bring Krug back in the mid-80s, and he quickly set to work on writing the script and scouting for locations. Steinmann’s script took place at a summer camp, where youngsters were being knocked off one by one by an unseen force, which turned out to be none other than Krug Stillo. Though he wasn’t in love with the idea, David Hess had planned on reprising the role that turned him into a horror icon.
The project ultimately fell apart when Steinmann learned that the proper rights to make a sequel hadn’t actually been secured, which meant that all of his work was flushed down the crapper.
MANIAC 2
The return of Frank Zito?! Well, not exactly. Though Maniac director William Lustig had no interest in making a sequel, star Joe Spinell thought otherwise, and many years ago came up with an idea for a sequel that was very much in line with the original film, without being a direct follow-up. Spinell’s idea saw him as the makeup-wearing host of a children’s television show, targeting parents who abuse the kids that watch his show. When funding was finally secured, a promo reel was shot by Combat Shock director Buddy Giovinazzo, but the film never made it past that stage. The death of Joe Spinell in 1989 spelled the end of the production.
Listen to the full story and see the Maniac 2 promo reel above!
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