4 Awesome 2020s Fantasy Movies That Still Really Need a Sequel

Fantasy is a genre that just keeps getting bigger, so it’s no surprise that it has such a big fanbase. And since the 2020s began, some movies have made such a splash with audiences that people immediately started wondering if they could turn into a franchise or, at the very least, get a sequel. Lately, we’ve seen more and more movies go back to established worlds and find new stories to tell within them, as was the case with Beetlejuice, The Lord of the Rings, or even Wonka, which only recently hit theaters and already has a sequel in development. Sometimes it’s because of a huge universe, a post-credits scene, or characters with more potential to explore — it doesn’t matter; if there’s a good idea and room for it, it’s always interesting to think about another chapter.

That’s why here are 4 fantasy films that came out over the last six years and that many people are still hoping will get a follow-up, since they all have convincing reasons to come back (or at least to be considered for one).

4) The School for Good and Evil

Here we have a case where critics hated it, but audiences had a very different opinion. The School for Good and Evil tells the story of Sophie and Agatha at a school where young people are trained to become heroes and villains of fairy tales. The problem is that Sophie (Sophia Anne Caruso), who has spent her whole life dreaming of becoming a princess, finds herself on the Evil side; Agatha (Sofia Wylie), on the other hand, is sent to the School for Good. With that, the movie plays around with the idea that nobody can be so defined as a hero or a villain. It’s a very creative idea to explore in the fantasy genre, and what really won people over was the universe, which makes you want to know a little more about it.

Based on a book series, there’s certainly no shortage of story to tell, from new conflicts to changes in the dynamic between the schools. Besides, it performed well considering it was a Netflix original (and we all know how much the platform loves canceling projects and stopping investments in them) and had its fair share of problems. But the reason for that was even explained by director Paul Feig, who wanted to turn the adaptation into a franchise and acknowledged that there was just too much material in the first book to comfortably fit into a single movie. Maybe it would have worked better as a series? Probably. But, overall, The School for Good and Evil still works as a feature film, a lot of people loved it, and there’s so much more to explore.

3) Barbie

A huge hit in 2023, Barbie has a very self-contained story, so thinking about a sequel would be something that needs to be carefully considered. This isn’t exactly an easy story to build on, even though Greta Gerwig surprised everyone with what she managed to do with the whole idea. The movie follows the famous doll (Margot Robbie) in Barbieland until she decides to go to the real world after an existential crisis, while Ken (Ryan Gosling) tags along and has to figure out who he is without making Barbie the center of his existence. And by the end, there’s definitely that “I want more” feeling, because the idea of seeing how she handles real life is pretty interesting now that she no longer wants to be a toy. With new ways of exploring that, it looks like the director and the co-screenwriter Noah Baumbach may have come up with an idea.

And reportedly, Warner Bros. is very interested in developing the sequel, but the only thing getting in the way is the negotiations with the cast (and even the director). Naturally, that has gotten audiences pretty excited, but the fact is this has been going on for months now, and if the deal doesn’t happen, we’ll just be left hanging while the project stays on paper. Still, there’s hope, because a Barbie sequel really could have everything it needs to work, giving the character a chance to actually deal with things the first movie only introduced, and Ken could finally have a story of his own. There’s way too much potential here, since the film made a whopping $1.5 billion at the worldwide box office.

2) Masters of the Universe

There had been a lot of excitement around the live-action Masters of the Universe this year, and when it finally hit theaters, it got a lot of praise (especially from those who grew up watching the animated series). The movie follows Prince Adam (Nicholas Galitzine), who has to return to Eternia and embrace his identity as He-Man to face Skeletor (Jared Leto) and figure out what it really means to carry this power. Other classic characters like Teela, Man-At-Arms, and Evil-Lyn are introduced as well. And, like any good origin story, a considerable part of the film has to explain who these people are and how this world works, right? A sequel wouldn’t have that problem, as it could simply start from the idea that Adam is already He-Man and explore other parts of Masters of the Universe that were left out.

For example, there’s She-Ra, who made a brief appearance in the post-credits scene and already opened some doors. Also, a sequel could introduce new regions of Eternia, other characters, and different threats, which would completely change the scale of the franchise after all these years. It could also help the films move beyond being just a He-Man adaptation and become something bigger built around the mythology of Eternia. Masters of the Universe was only the tip of the iceberg, and it would be terrible not to take advantage of that on the big screen; bringing the character back in a modern version only to end things there would be such a waste of potential.

1) Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

After three years of people asking for a sequel to Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, the universe is actually getting a TV show adapting the famous classic game. It’s not exactly a bad idea, but the movie was so much fun that a lot of fans would probably prioritize a continuation over a new production in another format. The story follows Edgin (Chris Pine), Holga (Michelle Rodriguez), Simon (Justice Smith), and Doric (Sophia Lillis), a group of adventurers who get themselves into a mission to recover a powerful artifact and end up facing a bigger threat than they expected. But the best part is the feeling that they could come back for another adventure without any problem, almost like starting a brand new RPG campaign. All it would take is taking them somewhere else in the Forgotten Realms and letting them run into another problem.

Other than that, the film did something important by making the group fun to follow even for viewers who had never played D&D, so there’s already a very solid foundation for continuing to develop them. According to co-directors and writers Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, a script for a second movie has actually been written, with the budget being the problem so far. It’s a shame; all of their arcs have room to grow, and the world gives many possibilities for where the story could go. So, for now, all we have to do is wait and hope that this project will eventually move forward.