Many major franchises have new 2022 movie sequels coming out soon, with over twenty follow-up titles being released in the next year. 2021 was a mixed year for movie sequels, with some new franchise installments proving long-awaited disappointments while others impressed. Daniel Craig’s tenure as Bond finally came to end with No Time To Die’s arrival, while even franchises as old as Ghostbusters received reboots as cinemas reopened.
However, the return of audiences to cinemas worldwide was not enough for some franchises. While superhero series like Spider-Man and Venom both released new entries in 2020, Tom Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick pushed off its release for another year until mid-2022. However, this long-anticipated follow-up will be far from the year’s only blockbuster sequel release.
All told, there are over twenty sequels arriving in cinemas in 2022. These range from reboots of classic horror franchises early in the year to major MCU releases near the close of 2022. However, in between the two extremes, almost every major franchise will acquire a new entry in the coming months, from the long-dormant Scream series to the Jurassic World trilogy. As such, an in-depth rundown is necessary to keep track of every 2022 movie sequel.
The long-awaited Scream reboot continues on the story of the long-running meta-slasher series. Sidney Prescott, Gale Weathers, and Dewey Riley all return as well as a slew of new teen characters, few of whom are likely to survive this horror sequel. This being a Scream movie, viewers can expect the slasher horror to be laced with self-aware satirical wit. However, early indications imply that Scream’s 2022 reboot will take itself slightly more seriously than 2011’s Scream 4.
Adam Sandler won’t return for the fourth Hotel Transylvania outing, Hotel Transylvania: Transformania. However, the franchise’s direction is in good hands with animation veteran Derek Drymon at the helm. With supporting stars Andy Samberg and Selena Gomez back for the fourth outing, this story of Dracula switching bodies with his dim-witted son-in-law should provide plentiful animated anarchy even in the absence of Adam Sandler and his famous friends.
The Jackass franchise seemed unlikely to undergo a revival, but Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, and company are set to return to the big screen early in 2022. With cameos from the likes of Machine Gun Kelly, Tyler the Creator, and Eric Andre, this one will likely be the grossest—and possibly the funniest—movie of the year. However, the fact that troubled former series star Bam Margera was fired from Jackass Forever during production due to his erratic behavior means this reunion could be a bit more poignant than intended when it arrives in theatres.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise has been a proverbial thorn in the side of studios since the original movie’s release in 1974. Countless reboots, re-imaginings, and remakes have attempted to recapture the grungy appeal of Salem’s Lot director Tobe Hooper’s original and have all come up short. However, 2022’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre has a secret weapon in story creator Fede Alvarez, whose stellar Evil Dead reboot proved he can take on even the most iconic horror franchises and offer something new and interesting.
On the topic of mixed-up families who are afraid of the outside world encroaching on their isolated existence, Downton Abbey: A New Era will offer another slice of dramatic British soap opera for fans of the TV phenomenon. Despite not a lot happening in 2019’s Downton Abbey: The Movie, the spinoff was enough of a hit to prompt a sequel. Little is known about the story save that it will reunite the central cast, which was always the real appeal of the beloved show.
With Daniel Craig no longer playing the super-spy, the debate rages on over whether Idris Elba should be the next Bond. However, April 2022 will see the screen veteran star as an equally iconic character, Sonic the Hedgehog 2’s Knuckles. With its all-star cast, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 will hope to repeat the 2020 original’s impressive trick of succeeding at the box office despite its critical evisceration. Only time will tell if the sequel succeeds.
The Fantastic Beasts franchise will have to pull off its most impressive magic trick yet to make viewers forget about the franchise’s association with both Johnny Depp and JK Rowling. Arriving four years after its most recent sequel, 2018’s Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore has already distanced itself from one scandal-struck key figure by replacing Jack Sparrow actor Depp with Mads Mikkelsen. However, the sequel will still feature a screenplay co-written by Rowling despite the author’s recent controversies.
It has been six long years since Doctor Strange made his cinematic debut, and Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness is finally set to arrive in May 2022. Original director Scott Derrickson is out, focusing on adapting a Joe Hill-penned horror story instead. However, his replacement will delight fans of classic superhero cinema. The legendary Sam Raimi helms this superhero sequel and will likely bring his unique brand of cartoony, hyper-kinetic action to the MCU in this much-anticipated outing.
Despite the movie being hotly anticipated, not a lot is known about the comedy sequel Legally Blonde 3 other than its May 2022 release date. However, with The Office alumnus/sitcom royalty Mindy Kaling co-writing the script, odds are this long-delayed follow-up will be closer to the much-loved original than its lesser sequel. While series star Reese Witherspoon remains tight-lipped about plot details, Legally Blonde 3 is one of the most mysterious—and thus, exciting—comedy movies of 2022.
Viewers will likely never tire of seeing Keanu Reeves mow down countless assailants with automatic weapons. Fortunately, the John Wick franchise is here to provide more R-rated over-the-top action starring the genre veteran. While 2021’s belated Matrix sequel may provide a more thoughtful brand of gun-toting thrill for discerning moviegoers, the agreeably ludicrous John Wick: Chapter 4 should provide more of a guilty pleasure-style Reeves vehicle for eager fans of the actor.
Tom Cruise will finally play reckless renegade Maverick again in Top Gun: Maverick when the endlessly delayed sequel arrives in May 2022. With thirty-six years passing between movies, it is fair to say that the pilot’s life will have changed a lot since Top Gun. However, one thing that remains a constant is the franchise’s love of fast-paced action, which this sequel promises to deliver in spades.
2018’s Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom was an uneven, messy addition to the franchise. However, 2015’s Jurassic World was an undeniably fun, action-packed entry into the series that harkened back to Spielberg’s original, and the return of director Colin Trevorrow means Jurassic World: Dominion can end the reboot trilogy right. There’s a lot of plot strands for this sequel to wrap up, but the return of Sam Neill and Laura Dern bodes well for the franchise in that regard.
It has been a long seven years since 2015’s Minions managed to make the former sidekicks into blockbuster heroes in their own right. However, time has not yet dimmed the perennial appeal of Illumination Animation’s comical henchmen, nor their Steve Carrell-voiced leader Gru. As a result, fans of this wildly successful franchise can expect Minions: The Rise of Gru to break all manner of box office records upon its much-anticipated arrival in multiplexes at the start of July 2022. The sequel promises to finally explain how Gru and the titular menaces began working together.
The Thor franchise has had its ups and downs over the years, with Kenneth Branagh’s original movie being well-liked while Terminator: Genisys director Alan Taylor’s sequel proved the director couldn’t catch a break with critics. However, Taika Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok was a hit with reviewers and the director returns for this direct sequel, meaning Thor: Love and Thunder (which brings back Natalie Portman’s Jane) could be another hit for the uneven MCU addition.
While Tom Cruise’s Top Gun return may be his most long-anticipated sequel of 2022, it is unlikely to be the actor’s biggest hit of the year. That crown will almost certainly land on the head of Mission: Impossible 7, the spy sequel that will be arriving in cinemas in late September 2022. The Mission: Impossible franchise has gone from strength to strength over the decades and now rivals Bond for spy cinema dominance at the box office, meaning this sequel will almost certainly prove a huge hit upon arrival. Now, Top Gun simply needs to steal Mission: Impossible’s franchise formula, and Cruise can be a one-man MCU competitor.
Upon release, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse was a huge hit in 2018, and the movie has managed to maintain its popularity despite the continuing success of the MCU’s rival Spider-Man franchise. Its sequel has been in development for four years now, and 2022 will only see Part One of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. However, if the action-packed, endlessly inventive original is anything to go by, the animated adventure will still prove to be a huge hit with fans and reviewers alike thanks to its playful approach to the franchise’s mythology.
Director David Gordon Green’s Halloween reboot trilogy started strong in 2018. Initially, the helmer seemed to have captured the elusive appeal of John Carpenter’s classic original Halloween (missing in its middling sequels) and fans were soon looking forward to the two planned follow-up movies. However, after the mixed reception of Halloween Kills, Halloween Ends needs to shed the nostalgia bait and focus on suspense, scares, and crafting an effective ending for Laurie and Michael’s decades-long beef.
The late, great Chadwick Boseman will be sorely missed in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. However, the superhero sequel is in good hands with returning director Ryan Coogler. The Creed helmer is one of few directors with the vision to continue the Black Panther branch of the MCU’s sprawling cinematic universe despite how much the landscape of Marvel’s massive multimedia franchise has grown and diversified since the original movie’s release in 2017.
Speaking of Coogler, the in-demand helmer can’t be in two places at once and, as such, was unable to direct Creed III. However, the Rocky franchise spinoff is in good hands with Killmonger himself Michael B. Jordan directing Creed III. Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo sequels prove that letting the star behind the camera is not always a recipe for success, but the star’s work on the Rocky franchise shows that Jordan’s direction could steer Creed III to critical acclaim.
Despite the fact that it has been a long stretch of time since viewers had their last glimpse of Pandora, Avatar‘s idyllic setting, the franchise’s creators are nonetheless gambling on the belief that fans will flock to see not one, but four sequels to the 2009 hit. Visionary director/one-time Piranha 2 helmer James Cameron’s long-awaited sequel to Avatar will finally arrive in 2022. A mere 13 years after the original Avatar proved a financial smash hit but a critical dud, Avatar 2 will see Cameron try to revive the dormant sci-fi adventure franchise. Viewers can anticipate some stunning visuals as well as an unsubtle but effective satire of war and commerce if the original Avatar movie is any indication of the sequel’s potential.
Fresh off the mixed reception of his passion project, the Giallo-influenced horror Malignant, director James Wan will return to the world of blockbuster action with a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. 2018’s Aquaman proved a huge success when the Jason Momoa vehicle lightened up the DCEU for a goofy standalone romp, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will see Wan try to recapture this magic. Whether the light-hearted tone can be sustained for a bigger budget sequel remains to be seen, but one thing is for certain—Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will not be the only 2022 movie sequel vying for the attention of viewers.