Let's not kid ourselves here. Every single successful studio movie - and a lot of unsuccessful ones - has a sequel in development. In fact the sequel is usually in the very early stages of development before the first film is even released and director and star contracts automatically include a clause about sequels.

Thankfully most of them never get made but that doesn't stop a lot of people being convinced that INSERT TITLE HERE PART 2 is on its way. Look how long people have been saying, "Oh, they're making a fourth Indiana Jones movie." No they're not! They have the rights to make it and it's on a list of possible projects somewhere - that isn't 'making it' or even 'going to make it'.

The really odd sequels are the ones to movies that, okay obviously did well enough but hardly established themselves in the cultural zeitgeist, and which turn up several years after the first one. Was anybody really waiting for MISS CONGENIALITY 2 (five year gap) or THE SANTA CLAUSE 2 (eight year gap)? As for the eleven year gap between THE MASK and SON OF THE MASK - what was going on there?
*www.MJSimpson.co.uk - cult movies and the people who make them*