'Coming 2 America' landed on Amazon Prime last weekend. It arrived 33 years after the original movie. Mind you, it’s not the first sequel we’ve had to wait ages to see.
Here's our pick of the best long awaited sequels that were years in the making.
Blade Runner
There were 35 years between 'Blade Runner' and its sequel. Both the original and the sequel flopped at the box office, though the films have a cult following. Many felt a sequel to the original was unnecessary. While occasionally bloated, 'Blade Runner 2049' continued the fascinating exploration of what it means to be human that began in its predecessor.
Harrison Ford returns as Rick Deckard while Ryan Gosling takes the lead as K, whose investigation into a long-buried secret threatens to destabilise society. Other cast members include Dave Bautista, Ana de Armas, Robin Wright and Jared Leto, who are all great in it. There are some brilliant action sequences and the cinematography is nothing short of astounding – Roger Deakins deservedly won his first Oscar for it.
Mad Max Fury Road
The original Mad Max hit screens back in 1979, followed by two sequels, 'Road Warrior' in 1981, and 'Beyond Thunderdome' in 1985. Our next long awaited sequel pick, 'Mad Max: Fury Road', came a full 30 years after its predecessor, hitting cinemas in 2015. It went through years of development hell. Pre-production started as early as 1997. 9/11 was one of the events that postponed the production.
It is an exquisite action movie, a total adrenaline rush of a viewing experience. It took home six Oscars for its impressive production accomplishments for costume, makeup, production design, sound and editing. Tom Hardy plays Max but the real hero of the story is Charlize Theron as the iconic Furiosa.
The Colour of Money
Released in 1986, 'The Colour of Money' continues the story of pool hustler "Fast Eddie" Felson from the 1961 film 'The Hustler'. It is rather unfairly considered one of Martin Scorsese’s lesser works, given it's a highly entertaining feature, even if it’s not of his typical oeuvre. Paul Newman won an Oscar for his performance in it, a victory that is considered to more of a career acknowledgment, as well as an extension of congratulations to his initial performance as Fast Eddie in 'The Hustler'. The film also stars a very young and heavily eyebrowed Tom Cruise, who's is mentored by Newman's Eddie.
Toy Story 3
Fans didn’t have to wait long between the first 'Toy Story' and 'Toy Story 2', but there was an 11 year gap before the threequel hit cinemas. It was the highest grossing movie of 2010, making over $1 billion at the box office.
It’s hard to pick a favourite from the 'Toy Story' bunch as they’re all brilliant, but this one is definitely the biggest tearjerker, between the incinerator scene and Andy playing with his toys one final time in the finale. It was the perfect ending to the Disney Pixar saga and most either ignore 'Toy Story 4', since it’s not as good, or view it more as an epilogue with 'Toy Story 3' being the real final chapter.
Halloween
Though there were other unsuccessful (and generally very silly) sequels in between, 2018’s 'Halloween' is considered a direct sequel to the original 'Halloween' and thus is set exactly 40 years after those events. The film cleverly utilises that kick off point with the heroine Laurie Strobe, played by the ever fabulous Jamie Lee Curtis, still suffering from the trauma of the Michael Myers attack, and having spent years awaiting his return.
It has the biggest debut ever for a movie with a female lead over 55 years old. It was so successful that two more sequels are coming out following the movie. 'Halloween Kills' arrives this October, and 'Halloween Ends' comes out next year.
Bridget Jones's Baby
The third in the Bridget Jones movie series came 12 years after its predecessor, 'The Edge of Reason'. Fans absolutely loved seeing our titular heroine back on the big screen. This time around, she's navigating her 40s and struggling with her first pregnancy, not knowing who the father is.
It was the highest grossing movie in Ireland in 2016, surpassing even family favourite (and fellow long awaited sequel) 'Finding Dory'. It also hailed a major comeback for Renée Zellweger. She’d go on to win her second Academy Award for her performance as Judy Garland in 'Judy' three years later.
Rambo
Our last long awaited movie sequel pick is 'Rambo', following the titular action hero for a fourth time. The simply titled feature came 30 years after 'Rambo 3' and was far better in quality than its predecessor.
It follows John, now in Thailand, as he acts as a guide to a group of Christian missionaries who want to provide aid for locals. After they get captured, he goes out to rescue them. The violence in the third act is so extreme, it’s practically comical. But then what else would you expect of the franchise?
