10 Horror Films That Struggled to Start Franchises

Quick Summary

• Horror-themed cinematic franchises often struggle due to financial challenges, poor reception, or overly ambitious plans.
• “All Cheerleaders Die” (2013): Failed franchise due to limited release and $280k domestic revenue; sequel plans abandoned.
• “Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters” (2013): Successful box office but franchise stalled by scheduling issues and director departure.
• “scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” (2019): Tentative sequel faced prolonged development issues; project considered inactive despite initial promise from Guillermo del Toro.
• “World War Z” (2013): High budget hindered profits despite earnings of $540M; sequel canceled after development struggles and production costs concerns.
• Dog Soldiers (2002): Planned sequel collapsed due to rights complications with U.S.-based producers despite active development attempts by Neil Marshall.
• The Green Inferno (2013): Eli Roth envisioned a world-spanning horror series but sequels failed due to lack of progress post-development phase.
• Van Helsing (2004): Universal’s attempt at a monster-hunting franchise flopped with underwhelming $300M global gross; reboot ideas remain dormant after multiple stalled efforts.
• doom (2005): Critical failure led producer John Wells’ planned video game adaptation saga nowhere; reboot years later also fizzled out as unimpactful.
• Friday the 13th Reboot (2009): Warner Bros.’ plans for a modern jason Voorhees series halted midway amid inter-studio rights shuffles and script approval delays.
• The Mummy Reboot/Dark Universe Launchpad(2017) : Failure sunk Universal monster legacy revival instead instant downfall cancelled broader production adding planned expansions e.g Bride Frankenstein”.

Indian Opinion Analysis

while the challenges faced by these cinema franchises largely pertain to Hollywood, lessons can be drawn for indian filmmaking amidst its own burgeoning efforts in genre-focused cinema, especially horror and fantasy.

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