10 Family Movies From The 2000s That Deserve Sequels

As the industry has become so invested in superhero movies, family films are practically far and few between these days, but the 2000s were full of them.

Though family movies are easy viewing experiences, these films were daring in unique ways, which might have been part of the reason why they didn’t get any potential sequels greenlit. Between a loveable criminal fox, one of the most entertaining body swap movies, and tons of fantasy flicks, there was so much potential for sequels in this decade.

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

It’s unfortunate that Fantastic Mr. Fox didn’t perform well at the box office, as it’s one of the most unique-looking animated movies of the 21st century. The movie’s stop-motion puppets gave the movie a fascinating aesthetic, not to mention that it was largely faithful to the source material, as it follows a criminal gang of foxes committing heists while being hunted by three farmers.

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The movie had such dry humor that it might go over kids’ heads, but it’s perfect for parents, making it one of the hilarious comedy movies from the 2000s that everyone forgets about. And given that it’s animated, a sequel is still possible, narratively speaking. It could even bring back the original voice cast, which was an impressively long list of movie stars, including George Clooney, Bill Murray, and Meryl Streep.

The Haunted Mansion (2003)

Disney went through a trend of turning their theme park rides into movies, and they continue to occasionally do so, as seen with the more recent Jungle Cruise. Most famously, The Pirates of the Caribbean was based on a ride, and it was a huge success, but the same can’t be said for The Haunted Mansion. But although it didn’t pull in the numbers at the box office that Disney wanted, it was still a fun movie full of Eddie Murphy’s eccentric humor and energy.

The movie follows a real estate agent who brings his family to the mansion, only to realize that it’s a sentient being and they end up becoming tormented by it. The film is harmless fun, and there’s so much more that could have been done with the mansion in the sequel. And although it’s completely unrelated, the more recent Monster House is a fun movie in the same vein as the 2003 film.

Zathura (2005)

Though board games are a thing of the past for some people, with apps taking center stage, there’s a lot of nostalgia in playing with something physical rather than digital. That’s why the new Jumanji movies, though fun, don’t capture the magic or spirit of the original. However, Zathura was a spiritual successor and spin-off of the original Jumanji, and it’s almost the same movie with a different skin.

The film follows two brothers who find a dusty board game, and when they play it, it transports them into outer space. A sequel could have taken the narrative deeper into space and extra-terrestrial life, or there could have even been a spin-off with a brand new type of transporting board game.

Spirited Away (2001)

When it comes to Studio Ghibli movies, adults and children adore them as much as each other, almost even more than Pixar movies. The greatest example of that is Spirited Away, a 2001 movie about a young girl who stumbles upon a fantasy land filled with witches, spirits, and other Japanese folklore.

There’s so much world-building in the movie that the lack of a sequel is wasted potential. However, part of the allure of Studio Ghibli movies is the mystery shrouding the narratives. So there’s a chance that a follow-up might reveal the man behind the curtain, which would ruin the fun. But on the other hand, though it isn’t a sequel, a live-action Spirited Away would look great.

A Series Of Unfortunate Events (2004)

Being the trailblazing goofy character actor that he is, Jim Carrey was on a neverending streak in the 1990s and 2000s. The actor went from The Grinch and Bruce Almighty to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, all within a few short years, and A Series of Unfortunate Events was shaping up to be another classic slapstick Jim Carrey vehicle.

Based on the children’s book series of the same name, Unfortunate Events follows Count Olaf, who tries conning his distant relatives out of their inheritance. Given that there are so many books in the series, the film could have been the start of a huge series, and according to Variety, that was originally the plan. However, there is the Netflix reboot, which is almost as good.

Bridge To Terabithia (2007)

Bridge To Terabithia is one of the most engaging and visually inspiring fantasy movies of the 2000s. It follows two fifth-graders who create Terabithia, an imaginary land where they can forget about their life problems. The movie had the perfect foundation to build a franchise on, and the world of Terebithia leaves audiences wanting so much more.

There is no sequel to the novel the movie is based on, so there wouldn’t have been any source material to go off if a sequel did go into development. However, as movie studios will force any sequel into production if the original is successful, it’s a surprise that Disney didn’t do that, as the 2007 movie was a huge box office hit.

Elf (2003)

It didn’t take long for Elf to become a classic Christmas movie, as it was an annual TV staple just a couple of years after its release. Its instant classic status is thanks to the fact that it combines almost stoner comedy-like humor with heartfelt family schmalz and so much Christmas imagery.

Given how successful it was, Elf 2 should have been thrown into production immediately, but 18 years later, fans are still waiting. However, it isn’t like the studio doesn’t want to do it, and New Line Cinema has tried to get it off the ground so many times. But Will Ferrell turned down $29 million for Elf 2 because he simply thought it wouldn’t have been good.

Freaky Friday (2003)

There have been several versions of Freaky Friday, and the 2003 version wasn’t the first. There have also been so many variations on the body swap formula in the time since too, but the Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis-starring film is a classic for a whole generation of 2000s kids.

It might have been hard to create a sequel, considering the mother and daughter had already swapped bodies once. However, with Anna being a high-schooler, the body swap would have been fun to see in the next phase of her life: college. The movie could still be made today, 18 years later, as it could see Anna, now a mother, and Tess, now a grandmother, having to keep body swap secret hidden from the children.

Holes (2003)

Holes is about a group of boys at a correctional boot camp in Texas where they’re subjected to digging holes all day in the hot sun. It’s one of the few mystery movies that’s suitable for both children and adults, and more impressively, it’s able to captivate both audiences.

Holes is a self-contained story that is neatly wrapped up by the end of the two hours, but there was still more story to tell. As Holes is based on the novel of the same name, author Louis Sachar wrote a sequel called Small Steps, which follows Armpit after his release from Camp Greenlake.

Where The Wild Things Are (2009)

Amazingly, writer-director Spike Jonze was able to stretch the thin picture book of Where The Wild Things Are into a 100-minute movie, as there isn’t too much source material to go off. But as Jonze essentially created a whole fantastical world based on a couple of drawings, the auteur’s imagination knows no bounds. He’d easily be able to carve another lean, beautiful-looking family movie out of the property.

On top of that, the movie looks unlike any other film that has ever been made. Between the Wild Things creatures themselves, which are made with a combination of physical and digital effects, and the world that meshes jungle and sand dunes together, the inventiveness of the movie lends itself to a series.

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