Log In

10 Underrated Disney Movies That Deserved A Sequel

Published 19 hours ago7 minute read

Although Disney has produced plenty of sequels over the years, some of the studio's underappreciated gems seem to have missed their chance. Many of the best animated Disney movies have received sequels, even if they were direct-to-video movies that have been forgotten about.

The current slate of upcoming Disney movies includes several more sequels, as the studio looks to cash in on their most popular characters. This is a slight shift from Disney's history, when sequels were released without much fanfare. It's a shame to consider all the underrated Disney movies which should have gotten sequels, especially those that seem to tee up more stories.

Raya and the Last Dragon
ScreenRant logo

7/10

March 5, 2021

112 minutes

Carlos López Estrada, Don Hall

Qui Nguyen, Adele Lim

Raya and the Last Dragon is one of Disney's best recent animated movies, demonstrating that the studio is still capable of crafting unique stories. One of the great strengths of Raya and the Last Dragon is the way that it infuses the mythology and the landscape of South East Asia into the story. Surely, it's a prime candidate for a sequel that could explore more of Kumandra.

It's a prime candidate for a sequel that could explore more of Kumandra.

Raya and the Last Dragon ends with Kumandra uniting once again, but the end of its civil war means that . A chance for some more detailed worldbuilding would be welcome, no matter what direction a sequel might take.

Robin Hood Disney Movie Poster
Robin Hood

November 8, 1973

83 Minutes

Wolfgang Reitherman

, but Disney's 1973 movie manages to make it feel fresh. One of the studio's underrated gems reimagines the main players as woodland critters, but it has the same blend of action, adventure and romance which makes any good Robin Hood adaptation work.

imagery-from-Alice-in-Wonderland-and-The-Black-Cauldron

Related

Disney Needs To Go Back & Look At These 8 Animated Movies To Find Their Creativity Again

Disney is a juggernaut of creativity and industry, but its animated films have been less of a focus in the wake of live-action remakes and popular IPs

Since there's hundreds of years' worth of folklore to sift through, Disney could easily have made at least one sequel to Robin Hood. One thing missing from the movie is Robin's band of "Merry Men". Perhaps a sequel could have been more of an ensemble comedy about Robin and Friar Tuck forming a new group.

Onward
ScreenRant logo

6/10

March 6, 2020

103 minutes

Dan Scanlon

Dan Scanlon

Many of Pixar's best movies have already gotten sequels, while the studio has even more in the works. The second-tier of Pixar movies tend to get overlooked, however, and this is the fate that has befallen Onward. Released at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Onward arrived to little fanfare and was soon relegated to obscurity.

While it may not be as immediately captivating as Pixar's greatest hits, Onward has plenty of sequel potential. The suburban fantasy setting reflects the meeting of the everyday and the absurd that Pixar often explores, while

The Great Mouse Detective Movie Poster
The Great Mouse Detective

July 2, 1986

74 minutes

Ron Clements, Burny Mattinson, David Michener, John Musker

Peter Young, Vance Gerry, Steve Hulett, Ron Clements, John Musker, Bruce Morris

Although it's never explicit about its influences, The Great Mouse Detective obviously takes inspiration from the character of Sherlock Holmes. As such, it could have had just as many sequels as some other adaptations, but this wasn't Disney's style at the time.

The Great Mouse Detective was a bright spot in a dreary period for Disney, although it wasn't an immediate hit. , since the premise and the characters are so easy to work with.

The Sword in the Stone is based on the book of the same name by T. H. White, who followed it up with three sequels. Disney decided against adapting any of these other books, although it's easy to see how a sequel movie could follow Arthur's journey as he becomes king.

8 Fairytales That Disney Could Adapt With Their Return To Hand-Drawn Animation

Related

8 Fairytales That Disney Could Adapt With Their Return To Hand-Drawn Animation

From Hansel and Gretel to Baba Yaga, eight fairytales that Disney could successfully adapt with their return to the classical hand-drawn animation.

, as Arthur claims his throne but frets about the future. There are still plenty of problems to solve in a sequel. It would be the rare case of a follow-up movie feeling just as necessary as the original.

The Good Dinosaur Movie Poster
The Good Dinosaur
ScreenRant logo

7/10

November 25, 2015

93MINUTES

Peter Sohn

Bob Peterson, Enrico Casarosa

Disney

, but the quality of the narrative doesn't quite live up to the gorgeous landscapes. Still, there's enough potential in the quirky prehistoric setting to suggest that a sequel could surpass the original. Pixar has done this before with the Toy Story franchise.

The Good Dinosaur may have suffered from the weight of expectations that were thrust upon it, since the marriage of Pixar's child-friendly style and the obvious appeal of dinosaurs seemed to make it a sure-fire winner. The Good Dinosaur takes an unexpected approach, but a sequel could introduce some more characters to freshen things up.

The Aristocats 1970 Disney Movie Poster
The Aristocats

December 24, 1970

78 minutes

Wolfgang Reitherman

Larry Clemmons, Vance Gerry, Ken Anderson, Frank Thomas, Eric Cleworth, Julius Svendsen

Although The Aristocats was a box office hit, it never achieved the status of a true Disney classic. Aside from one obviously problematic character that wouldn't fly by today's standards,

If a modern Disney movie achieved the same level of commercial success that The Aristocats did, it would almost certainly get a sequel somewhere down the line. The Aristocats also has ample creative reasons for a sequel, since the story seems to suggest that Duchess and her kittens have accepted more chaos and adenture in their lives.

Brave Pixar Movie Poster
Brave
ScreenRant logo

7/10

June 21, 2012

1h 33m

Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman, Steve Purcell

Mark Andrews, Steve Purcell, Brenda Chapman, Irene Mecchi

It's easy to forget that Brave is a Pixar production, since Disney princess movies have been one of the studio's most treasured traditions from the start. While many other princesses have gotten their own sequels, with mixed results, Merida seems to have missed out.

A blended image features Disney animated villains Cruella, Gaston, and the Evil Queen

Related

The Official List Of Every Evil Disney Villain, Ranked

Disney has some of the best villains in animation history, but the Disney villains ranked shows that some are more dastardly than others.

Although Merida is an official Disney princess, . This might explain why she hasn't appeared in a sequel, but Scottish folklore has plenty of rich stories, characters and creatures to explore.

015812_poster_w780.jpg
A Bug's Life

November 25, 1998

95 minutes

John Lasseter

Andrew Stanton, Bob Shaw

Darla K. Anderson

, and it's been completely overshadowed by Toy Story. There's a lot to love about A Bug's Life, from its imposing villain to its charming animal-based humor. Still, it seems like a movie that Pixar is happy to forget.

While Pixar has reached back into the archives to produce sequels to their old hits after a decade or more, it's hard to imagine this ever happening for A Bug's Life. It's a shame that it doesn't get as much love as Pixar's other early hits, but this adds to its cult status.

treasure planet movie
Treasure Planet

November 27, 2002

95minutes

John Musker

John Musker

Treasure Planet was a product of a strange era for Disney, and its unusual animation style highlights the way that it's torn between older 2-D classics and the popular 3-D animated movies that would later pull the studio out of its slump. It has a unique personality, and it would be interesting to see this style come back for a sequel.

A potential sequel would have plenty of room to roam.

While Treasure Planet would also be a good candidate for one of Disney's live-action remakes, the huge universe that the movie hints at is in need of some more exploration. A potential sequel would have plenty of room to roam, as long as it maintained the same spirit of swashbuckling adventure.

Origin:
publisher logo
Screen Rant
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

You may also like...