15 Years Ago Today, This $150M Sci-Fi Adaptation Instantly Killed Its Franchise (& It’s Being Rebooted)

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The huge success of movie adaptations like Harry Potter, Twilight, and The Hunger Games proved that turning popular young adult books into films could be very profitable. This led many studios to try and create their own big franchises in the 2010s, hoping to find the next blockbuster series. However, like with any trend in Hollywood, not all of these attempts were successful. While The Maze Runner got a complete three-movie run, several other potential franchises were canceled quickly, before they could really get started.

A good example of this is the movie I Am Number Four, which was adapted from the book of the same name by Pittacus Lore (a pen name for author James Frey). It came out in theaters on February 18, 2011, with the intention of launching a new science fiction film series. At the time, the second book in the series, The Power of Six, was scheduled to be released soon, and more movies were planned. Sadly, I Am Number Four only earned $149.9 million worldwide, despite costing $60 million to make, so any sequels were cancelled. Still, fans of the books haven’t completely given up hope.

An I Am Number Four Reboot Is In the Works

The movie I Am Number Four had an interesting premise – a teenage alien trying to escape dangerous enemies. It felt like the series ended prematurely, before the filmmakers could fully develop the story and characters. However, it’s understandable why Disney didn’t make any sequels. The film received mostly negative reviews (only 32% positive on Rotten Tomatoes), with critics pointing out a lack of originality and weak performances. This negative buzz ultimately led to disappointing ticket sales.

Despite a modest $60 million budget – a relatively low cost for a film of its kind – I Am Number Four didn’t perform as well as the studio had hoped. Its poor reviews and box office results made a sequel unlikely, and another film based on The Power of Six would have probably struggled even more. However, over a decade later, the story appears to be getting a second chance.

In 2024, director Alex Frey mentioned to the Sci-Fi & Fantasy Gazette that a reboot of I Am Number Four was being planned, but there haven’t been any updates since. It’s unclear whether the movie will actually happen, and the lack of progress after a couple of years isn’t a good sign. Interestingly, the original screenwriters, Alfred Gough and Miles Miller, are reportedly involved in the reboot. This is unusual, as reboots often aim to bring in new creative talent. Since their first attempt at I Am Number Four wasn’t very successful, it’s questionable whether a second try with the same writers would yield better results.

After the initial attempt, Gough and Miller might have learned from their mistakes and can try a new strategy with the reboot. The original Lorien Legacies books offer plenty of material for a film series, but it depends on the filmmakers finding the right way to tell the story. The ongoing popularity of the Hunger Games movies, with another installment coming this year, proves there’s still a demand for this type of film. If the I Am Number Four reboot happens, let’s hope Gough, Miller, and the director are successful in bringing the full depth of the story and its mythology to life on screen.

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2026-02-18 21:41