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7 film franchises that stuck the landing – and 8 that definitely didn't
7 film franchises that stuck the landing – and 8 that definitely didn't
Gabbi ShawJun 28, 2024, 22:04 IST
"Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker"Lucasfilm
Ending a franchise places high pressure on creators to satisfy fans and resolve storylines.
Some high-grossing films like "The Rise of Skywalker" failed to meet fan expectations.
When trying to end a franchise on a successful note, the pressure is on.
Fans will almost always be unsatisfied unless every question is answered or if their favorite characters don't end up in a good place by the end of the story.
For every quality franchise-capper, there's one that didn't quite stick the landing with fans — even ones that make $1 billion at the box office, like "Jurassic World Dominion" or "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker."
Here are some franchises that we think aced the ending … and some that could've used a little more work.
Warning: This list contains spoilers for some of these franchises.
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"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2" gave us the climactic showdown we'd been waiting for for 10 years.
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2."Warner Bros.
"Before Midnight" capped off the best — and perhaps only — romance trilogy of all time.
"Before Midnight."Sony Pictures Classics
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"The Dark Knight Rises" wasn't perfect, but it was nice to see Bruce Wayne happy for once.
"The Dark Knight Rises."Warner Bros.
"War for the Planet of the Apes" concluded Caesar's three-film arc beautifully, if not bittersweetly.
"War for the Planet of the Apes."Fox
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"The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" is epic.
"The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King."New Line Cinema
"Blade Runner 2049" is one of the best sci-fi movies of the 21st century.
"Blade Runner 2049."YouTube/Warner Bros.
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"The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2" ended with an epilogue showing us Katniss and Peeta would be OK.
"The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2."Lionsgate
On the other hand, we'll never know what happens to Tris because "Allegiant" was never supposed to be the final film in the "Divergent" series.
"Allegiant."Lionsgate
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The less we think about "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker," the better.
"Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker."Disney/Lucasfilm
You could call "Dark Phoenix" or "The New Mutants" the last 21st Century Fox "X-Men" movie. Neither one was great.
"Dark Phoenix."Fox
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Why did they decide to conclude the "Jurassic World" trilogy with a film that barely has any dinosaurs in it?
"Jurassic World: Dominion."Universal
The last-ever DCEU movie was "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom," which makes us sad.
Jason Momoa in "Aquaman 2."Christian Black/DC Comics
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"Spider-Man 3" set us up perfectly for a fourth movie, but it wasn't meant to be.
"Spider-Man 3."Columbia Pictures
The last time we'll see Captain Jack Sparrow is most likely "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales," which is bleak.
"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales."Walt Disney Studios
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We should've let the Connor family rest after "Terminator 2: Judgment Day." Instead, we got four more bad films, ending with "Terminator: Dark Fate."