5 Incomplete Movie Trilogies That We’re Still Waiting to Finish in 2026

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Filmmakers often aim to create a series of three movies – a trilogy – after a sequel is successful. That’s why many of the most beloved film franchises, like the original Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, The Dark Knight, and Back to the Future, are made up of three films. By the time they reach the third movie, these franchises usually focus on bringing the story to a satisfying conclusion, providing a sense of closure for the saga.

It’s common for movie series to end without a satisfying conclusion. Many films initially intended as trilogies are left as just two parts, often due to factors like bad reviews, disappointing ticket sales, or changes in the studio’s direction. These five series had a third film planned, but it never materialized, leaving fans hoping for a final installment even now.

5) Kick-Ass

As a big fan of the original Kick-Ass, I remember being so excited when Matthew Vaughn and Mark Millar first brought it to life in 2010 – it really helped pave the way for more adult superhero movies. The sequel in 2013 was fun, and for a while, everyone – including Vaughn and Millar themselves – talked about making a third Kick-Ass film. They were still mentioning it as late as 2015, but unfortunately, it just never came together. Now, Vaughn’s announced a spin-off called Stuntnuts: The Movie and even a sequel to that, which is cool, but honestly, I – and a lot of other fans – are still holding out hope that we’ll eventually get a proper ending to the Kick-Ass trilogy.

4) Prometheus

As a huge fan of the Alien movies, I was really intrigued when Ridley Scott decided to revisit that universe with 2012’s Prometheus after the series had lost some steam. He followed that up with Alien: Covenant in 2017, and I heard they actually wrote a script for a third prequel while they were filming Covenant! Even though Covenant didn’t make a ton of money, the studio seemed keen on letting Scott continue the story. But then Disney bought 20th Century Fox, and everything changed. Instead of continuing Scott’s prequel plan, they’ve gone in a different direction with the new Alien: Romulus, which is a story set between the original films.

3) Hellboy

Many fans consider Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy movies to be among the greatest comic book adaptations ever made, so it’s disappointing he never got to direct a third one. After Hellboy II: The Golden Army in 2008, del Toro said he had a story idea for a sequel, but he first committed to directing The Hobbit. That project eventually went to Peter Jackson instead.

Guillermo del Toro had ambitious plans for a third Hellboy movie, envisioning it as larger in scope than the previous installments. However, the projected high budget was often cited as the reason the film never materialized. After working on Pacific Rim, del Toro discussed a potential Hellboy 3 with Legendary Pictures, but those plans fell through. Ultimately, the Hellboy franchise was restarted with the 2019 film Hellboy, and again in 2024 with Hellboy: The Crooked Man.

2) The Amazing Spider-Man

Following the mixed reception to Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3, Sony restarted the series with The Amazing Spider-Man. However, those films weren’t well-received by critics, so Sony teamed up with Marvel Studios to create the Spider-Man movies starring Tom Holland. This meant Sony canceled plans for The Amazing Spider-Man 3, which would have brought back Chris Cooper as Norman Osborn. At the time, Sony was also developing several spin-off movies, including ones centered around Black Cat, the Sinister Six, and Spider-Man 2099.

Although the Spider-Man movies starring Andrew Garfield weren’t always successful, his recent appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home has excited fans who now want to see a third film featuring his version of Peter Parker. A well-made conclusion to Garfield’s Spider-Man story could be fantastic, as long as it avoids the problems of previous films.

1) 28 Years Later

The 28 Years Later series is the newest addition to this list, with 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple scheduled to release in 2026. The 2025 film 28 Years Later continued the story from 28 Days Later, and its creators, Danny Boyle and Alex Garland, originally planned it as a three-part series. Boyle hoped to direct the third film and bring back Cillian Murphy’s character from the first movie, but it’s currently uncertain if that will happen.

Despite costing $63 million to make, The Bone Temple only earned $58.5 million at the box office, making it a significant failure for Sony Pictures. Although Sony had initially approved a third film before The Bone Temple came out, the future of the franchise is now uncertain. Rumors suggest Sony is hesitant to finance 28 Years Later 3, and while the movie hasn’t been canceled yet, fans are organizing online to try and make sure it gets made.

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2026-05-21 19:13