If you look at the top 20 highest-grossing movies of the 21st century, 13 are sequels.
At this point, if a sequel doesn't make more than the original, it could even be considered a failure.
But Hollywood wasn't always this way. "Star Wars," for example, was a huge phenomenon when it came out in 1977, making $307 million domestically for its initial release, according to Box Office Mojo. But even though they were also huge hits, making $209 million and $252 million respectively, neither "The Empire Strikes Back" nor "Return of the Jedi" was able to outgross it.
But the sequels on this list are part of why the expectation has now changed.
Here are some of the most iconic sequels that outperformed the originals.