IndieWire readers know the drill by now: in the dog days of August, when the full flush of movie-going summer has passed and the fall festival is still on the horizon, we dedicate a full week to a disconcertingly large pocket of film history that’s mostly untethered to news cycles or trending stories. The good, nerdy stuff.
We launched with ’90s Week in 2022, went back in time with ’80s Week in 2023, naturally did the obvious thing in 2024 by jumping forward to focus on the aughts, and then finally picked up with ‘70s Week last year.
In 2026, we’re zagging a bit. (’60s Week? We’ll think about it!) This year: Sequels Week.
So much for the “not timely” bent we’ve kept up these past few years, because goodness knows, sequels (and prequels and legacy-quels, oh my!) remain a fixture of Hollywood movie-making and beyond. But while going back to the ol’ well for yet another story doesn’t always guarantee quality, there’s no better way to foster conversation about the movies we love and what makes them so good. If that can be duplicated, replicated, and even improved upon, all the better, and all the more worth celebrating and examining.
Next year: “Sequels Week 2, The Search for More Money.” (We’re kidding. Or are we?)
Below, you’ll get a preview of all the goodies Sequels Weeks has to offer, which will update with links to our stories as they go live over the course of the week. In the spirit of the sequel, why not read each piece twice?
Monday, August 10
The 100 Greatest Sequels of All Time, by IndieWire Staff and Contributors
A Taxonomy of Movie Sequel Terms, by Kate Erbland
Do Sequels Really Drive the Box Office?, by Brian Welk
Tuesday, August 11
On “The Color of Money,” by Jim Hemphill
The History of Unofficial Sequels, by Katie Rife
On “Everybody Wants Some!!,” by Vikram Murthi
Wednesday, August 12
The Best Straight-to-Video Sequels of All Time, by Jim Hemphill
On Legacy Sequels, by Vadim Rizov
On “Oslo, August 31st,” by Sophie Monks Kaufman
On Disney Video Sequels, by Wilson Chapman
Thursday, August 13
The 10 Best Anime Movie Sequels Ever Made, by Kambole Campbell
Why “Terrifer 2” Is the Defining Horror Sequel of the Century, by Sam Bodrojan
On Prequels, by Sarah Shachat
On Wenn Daramas’ “Ang Tanging Ina”, by Lé Beltar
Friday, August 14
On “The Godfather II,” by Chris O’Falt
On “Airplane II,” by Mike Ryan
10 Sequels We’d Like to See, by David Ehrlich