9 Major Franchise Movies Originally Written As Standalone Films

Some of Hollywood’s biggest franchises have sequels that initially saw life as screenplays for original movies. It’s no secret that Hollywood loves sequels, which has become a common source of criticism as the big studios stray from originality. The untested ground of new ideas presents itself as a risk, while familiar IP, particularly that of a hot franchise, appears as a much safer bet. It’s thus no surprise to learn that original screenplays constantly see themselves transformed into follow-ups to successful movies, with varying degrees of success.