Some major unannounced movies are certain to happen even though they are not officially confirmed. Future installments of some of the biggest theatrical franchises essentially guarantee that they will inevitably get a sequel sometime in the near future. There are several key indicators that every movie on this list shares, including successful box office performances, star-studded casts, high production value, and financial budgets in the hundreds of millions.
Some of the most-anticipated movies of 2024 and beyond that have been confirmed are currently in pre-production or development. These include major titles such as Disney's Inside Out 2 set for a 2024 release, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 which will premiere in late 2025, John Wick 5 which is confirmed without an official release date, and Venom 3 starring Tom Hardy. Here are 14 movies that will more than likely be made despite not having official studio confirmation yet.
A seventh installment in the massive Terminator franchise is inevitable, especially if director James Cameron chooses to gravitate back to these films after production on his Avatar sequels is complete. The six Terminator movies have collectively gathered over $2 billion at the global box office, making Terminator 7 a guaranteed hit heightened by the potential for star Arnold Schwarzenegger and Cameron to return.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie amassed over $1.3 billion at the global box office, placing it in the top 20 highest-grossing films of all time. A sequel has yet to be announced but is guaranteed to happen at some point due to the massive success of the original movie. Despite its underwhelming critical reviews, The Super Mario Bros. Movie's future looks bright since it defied the odds by becoming one of 2023's most celebrated crowd-pleasers.
RELATED: The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2: Cast & Everything We Know
With The Batman Part II already in the works and set for a 2025 release, it's highly likely that the inevitable Batman Part III will release sometime in 2027 or 2028. Depending on Robert Pattinson's plans and availability, The Batman franchise could extend beyond the expected trilogy and could even crossover with the critically-acclaimed Joker franchise led by Joaquin Phoenix at some point in the future.
Seven years separated the original Minions from its sequel Minions: The Rise of Gru, but that didn't stop the Despicable Me spinoff from generating a massive audience. The two Minions films combined with the three Despicable Me movies have combined for a total of $4.65 billion at the worldwide box office. With Despicable Me 4 set for a 2024 release, Minions 3 should be arriving in theaters in 2026 or 2027.
The Lion King Disney live-action remake released in 2019 remains one of the top 10 highest-grossing films of all time. Its highly-anticipated sequel Mufasa: The Lion King is slated to hit theaters in 2024. Due to the sheer volume of the first installment, as well as the popularity and commercial success of the original Disney animated movie, it's a guarantee that a third live-action Lion King movie will be made to complete the trilogy.
Harry Potter & The Cursed Child is the only canon book of the Harry Potter universe that has not had an on-screen adaptation. Written as a play by J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter & The Cursed Child will likely be a season of the upcoming HBO Harry Potter television series adaptation set to stream on Max. Even if it's not depicted in the series, a feature film adaptation will be inevitable once the series has run its course, or perhaps as a standalone movie sometime in the 2020s.
The Tom Holland-led MCU Spider-Man movies are some of the most beloved superhero films of the 21st century. As long as Holland remains involved as the titular web-slinger, the future of the MCU Spider-Man franchise looks bright. It certainly has the potential to extend beyond four or five installments with its overwhelming appeal, with its fourth movie likely set for a 2024 or 2025 release depending on the duration of the 2023 Writers Guild strike.
A sequel or a live-action remake of the beloved Disney movie Tangled is a safe bet based on Disney's future movie rollout strategy. It seems that Disney intends to eventually remake nearly every animated classic they have, with both Snow White and Lilo & Stitch slated for 2024 live-action releases. Tangled faces a similar crossroads to Frozen in that Disney can either choose to go straight to a live-action remake or extend the franchise with another animated sequel.
RELATED: Predicting Each Upcoming Disney Live-Action Remake's Box Office After The Little Mermaid's Disappointment
With James Gunn's takeover of the DCU, a Justice League reboot is definitely on the horizon and will be a massive effort to revitalize the lackluster franchise. The extended DCU has yet to receive the critical acclaim and fandom it strives for despite being a consistent hit at the box office in its earlier years. As of late, the last seven installments of the DCU have totaled less than $400 million globally, putting the pressure on Gunn and Justice League to essentially save the franchise.
Top Gun 3 is inevitable. The follow-up to the box office smash Top Gun: Maverick will likely continue the story of Tom Cruise's reckless but inspirational fighter pilot and his relationship with Rooster (Miles Teller). Given that Top: Gun Maverick is one of the best movies about the Navy, it is only a matter of time before Top Gun 3 hits theaters.
With four Avengers movies already out and two confirmed upcoming sequels in development, it's safe to say that the Avengers franchise won't stop there. The released Avengers movies make up four of the top 6 highest-grossing films in the MCU, ensuring that the films will be continued well past 2026's Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and 2027's Avengers: Secret Wars. Avengers 7 is likely to release in 2028 or 2029 depending on whether Disney will be forced to further delay its theatrical releases.
Scream 7 will certainly be made in the near future after the success and popularity of Scream VI led by Courtney Cox and Jenna Ortega. The Scream franchise has been a consistent and cultish crowd-pleaser since its original film was released in 1996. Totaling $910 million at the global box office between six installments, every Scream movie has made an incredibly profitable return that virtually guarantees a Scream 7.
Black Panther 3 will certainly happen at some point in the future, although it is hard to predict exactly when due to Disney's shifting release schedule. The original Black Panther was a cultural phenomenon when it was released in 2018, becoming the third highest-grossing MCU film and the sixteenth highest-grossing movie of all time with $1.37 billion in revenue. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever accumulated an impressive $854 million, which guarantees an eventual Black Panther 3.
Godzilla vs. Kong was a relative hit at the box office during the pandemic in 2021. Its sequel, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire will release in theaters in 2024, making it likely that a third installment of the action trilogy will hit theaters in 2027. The Godzilla franchise has collectively generated $1.85 billion at the global box office between eight films. The King Kong franchise has similarly accumulated $1.67 billion globally over six films. Both franchises combined make a third Godzilla vs. Kong inevitable despite being one of many unannounced movies.
Source: The Numbers