13 Fantasy Movies That Deserved Sequels But Never Got Them

Fantasy movies have huge potential for creating immersive worlds and long-running series thanks to their detailed stories and settings. However, many attempts to start a new fantasy franchise fail, either commercially or during production. Fans often get excited about characters and worlds, only to be disappointed when the story ends after a single movie. Here’s a list of fantasy films that showed promise but, unfortunately, never got the sequels they deserved to finish their stories.

‘The Golden Compass’ (2007)

This movie is based on Philip Pullman’s novel and follows Lyra Belacqua and her shape-shifting companion, Pantalaimon, as they journey north to rescue children taken by a shadowy group called the Magisterium. The film creates a large and imaginative world with creatures like armored bears and witches, leaving viewers wanting more. It concludes with an unresolved ending, hinting at the events in the rest of the book series. Unfortunately, due to financial problems and disagreements over its religious themes, the planned sequels were never made.

‘Eragon’ (2006)

Young farm boy Eragon’s life takes an unexpected turn when he finds a dragon egg. He becomes a Dragon Rider and gets involved in a fight against the cruel King Galbatorix. The movie quickly covers the events of the first book in the series, leaving many fans wanting more. While they hoped for a sequel to flesh out the detailed world of Alagaësia and improve the story’s pacing, the franchise unfortunately didn’t continue, despite being based on four large novels.

‘John Carter’ (2012)

John Carter, a Civil War soldier, unexpectedly finds himself on Mars, a world with lower gravity that gives him incredible strength and speed. The story follows his involvement in the planet’s political conflicts and his love for a Martian princess. Although the film was meant to be the first in a series of movies based on Edgar Rice Burroughs’ books, poor marketing led to disappointing ticket sales and the cancellation of any sequels.

‘Warcraft’ (2016)

When the orc homeworld faced destruction, its warriors escaped through a magical portal, seeking a new home in the human realm of Azeroth. The film depicts the first clashes between the forces of the Alliance and the Horde. Director Duncan Jones created a beautiful and immersive world, staying true to the beloved video game series. The story also introduced the character of Go’el, with plans for his story to continue in future movies. Unfortunately, the film didn’t earn enough money in the US to warrant making those sequels.

‘King Arthur: Legend of the Sword’ (2017)

Guy Ritchie’s new film reimagines the Arthurian legend with his fast-paced, energetic style. It shows Arthur as a street kid in Roman London who unexpectedly becomes king by pulling the sword from the stone. Unlike traditional versions, this story includes magic and monstrous creatures. Warner Bros. originally hoped to build a whole series of six films around this take on the legend, but disappointing reviews and ticket sales unfortunately ended those plans before they could get off the ground.

‘The Black Cauldron’ (1985)

Taran is a young assistant pig-keeper with big dreams of becoming a hero. He’s tasked with protecting a special pig named Hen Wen from the dangerous Horned King, who wants to use a powerful artifact called the Black Cauldron to build an unstoppable army and take over the world. This dark fantasy adventure was inspired by Lloyd Alexander’s five-book series, The Chronicles of Prydain. Unfortunately, the movie wasn’t a financial success, which led Disney to abandon plans to adapt the rest of the books.

‘Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant’ (2009)

When teenager Darren Shan attends a mysterious and unlawful freak show, he meets the vampire Larten Crepsley and becomes his apprentice. He makes this deal to save his best friend’s life. The movie draws from the first three books of Darren Shan’s twelve-book series, revealing a detailed world of vampire groups and their conflicts – a world that hasn’t been seen in films before. Unfortunately, the movie didn’t attract many viewers and only showed the very beginning of Darren’s adventure.

‘Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events’ (2004)

After losing their parents in a fire, the Baudelaire children find themselves in constant danger. A greedy relative, Count Olaf, repeatedly tries to steal their fortune by disguising himself. This film covers the stories from the first three books of the series and has a distinctive, dark visual style. Jim Carrey gives a standout performance as the over-the-top villain. However, due to the child actors getting older and issues with production, the series was eventually restarted instead of continuing with sequels.

‘The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones’ (2013)

Clary Fray learns she comes from a family of demon hunters. She’s drawn into a hidden, magical version of New York filled with creatures like warlocks and vampires. The story revolves around finding a powerful artifact called the Mortal Cup, and it was intended to be the first in a series of films based on Cassandra Clare’s popular books. However, because the first movie didn’t perform well in theaters, plans for a sequel were put on hold.

‘Beautiful Creatures’ (2013)

Ethan Wate longs to leave his quiet southern town, but his life changes when he meets Lena Duchannes, a girl with a secret. Lena comes from a family with magical powers and is facing a dangerous curse as she turns sixteen. Their story is about fate, a love that shouldn’t be, and a magical world connected to the history of the Civil War. The movie is based on the first book in a four-part series, but it ends with some storylines left unfinished, as a sequel was never made.

‘The Last Witch Hunter’ (2015)

I was completely captivated by Kaulder, this incredible witch hunter who’s been alive forever because of a curse from the Witch Queen! It’s fascinating to see him working with a hidden group, trying to maintain balance between humans and witches right here in modern New York. The movie built such a rich and detailed world, full of magic and history, that I immediately wanted more. Vin Diesel is eager to come back and delve even deeper into Kaulder’s story, which is fantastic, but sadly, the studio hasn’t given the green light for a sequel yet, despite a dedicated fanbase. I really hope they change their minds!

‘Dracula Untold’ (2014)

Vlad the Impaler makes a desperate deal to gain the strength to protect his family and country. He becomes the infamous vampire Dracula to fight off an invading Ottoman army. The movie explores the heartbreaking story behind the creation of the classic monster. The ending hints that Vlad’s story continues even today. Originally intended to launch a shared cinematic universe, the film was later removed from those plans.

‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ (2023)

A lovable rogue and a quirky team of adventurers embark on a grand quest to steal back a legendary artifact. Their journey takes them through a world filled with dragons and magic, all while dodging a powerful and dangerous Red Wizard. The movie perfectly captures the fun and unpredictable energy of the original game, using amazing real-world effects. Everyone loved the actors’ chemistry and how accurately the film portrayed the game’s story. Unfortunately, the movie didn’t make much money at the box office, which means a follow-up film is now uncertain.

Let us know in the comments which fantasy world you’d most like to return to!

2025-11-26 03:46