These 6 beloved Disney movies should join the "legacy sequel" train!
“Legacy sequels” are all the rage in Hollywood these days. Top Gun: Maverick really kicked it off and we’re seeing follow-ups this year to anything from Bad Boys to Gladiator. It makes sense as fans can flock to movies with name recognition and a fun mix of original stars with fresh actors. It’s no shock Disney has joined this boat too with Freaky Friday 2 going into production.
It’s not alone, as Disney is in the planning stages of other hits from decades past, like Sister Act, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, and The Princess Diaries. That follows Disney+ doing sequels to Hocus Pocus and The Mighty Ducks. Yet there are a few other Disney movies of the past that could earn this “legacy sequel” status as well. Some are loved hits, others have more cult followings, but these six movies more than deserve a follow-up today to entertain fans, old and new.
The Rocketeer
Unfairly overlooked in theaters in 1991, this comic book movie has since become a beloved cult classic. It was fantastic, capturing the 1930s feel as pilot Cliff (Billy Campbell) discovers a rocket pack invented by Howard Hughes and faces off against Nazis led by a Hollywood star (Timothy Dalton). It was wonderful, from the vibe to the score to Paul Sorvino as the mobster with the now-classic line “I may not make an honest buck, but I’m a hundred percent American.”
A follow-up has been buzzed about for years and while rebooting from scratch might work, it’d be fun to see an older Campbell as Cliff perhaps retiring from his adventuring life and giving the rocket pack to someone else. Jennifer Connelly (who barely looks like she’s aged since 1991) would be a fun addition as Jenny and whether it’s set in World War II or the 1960s, a sequel would give this movie the long-standing love it more than deserves.
George of the Jungle
Brendan Fraser is riding high with an Oscar win and seems more open to Hollywood these days. So maybe he could be talked into reprising one of his first leading man hit roles. The 1997 movie nicely adapted the cartoon of George swinging along and bungling his way into an adventure in New York, romancing Ursula and having a kid.
There was a direct-to-video sequel with different actors but Fraser (still in great shape) would be fun to see back in the role. It could even poke fun at that sequel with “this real George,” getting back other actors and a plot of George’s son following in his bumbling footsteps. Fraser could be just as great in the role to mark another hit.
Newsies
This might be more like a full remake than a sequel, yet it has a good fan base backing it up. The 1992 movie was a musical take on the 1899 New York newsboy’s strike starring a young Christian Bale. Despite good songs from Alan Menken, the movie was a huge bomb that attained a cult following. That led to a Broadway musical that became a Tony Award-winning smash and more popular than before.
A new movie would adapt the musical version with additional songs, an eclectic cast and still the fun showcase of a big screen treat. A great touch would be getting Bale in the role of the reporter helping the Newsies out or at least some sort of cameo. It could be a terrific spot of redemption for the property and why it was one of the more underrated musicals of the 1990s.
The Parent Trap
We’re getting one Lindsay Lohan Disney movie sequel so why not another? The 1998 remake of the 1960s Disney hit was Lohan’s breakout role as twins who meet at summer camp and swap places to bring their divorced parents back together. The original movie had some 1980s sequels with Haley Mills back as the adult twins and that can play into a new take here.
Maybe one of the girls is now a successful mom (perhaps to twins herself?) while the other is committed to business, both feeling overwhelmed, so they do a swap to see how the other half lives. Lohan would clearly be up to it to replicate another of her past hits and give fans old and new a terrific double treat to enjoy.
Sky High
Before the MCU, Disney had a nice original superhero tale in this 2005 film. It focused on a school that teaches a new generation of would-be superheroes with Kurt Russell as a top hero, Lynda Carter as the headmaster, and a good supporting cast of then-unknowns like Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Danielle Panabaker (who have gone on to comic book roles themselves).
It would be a great idea to pick up years later, maybe with main character Will seeing his own kid join the school and a new generation of heroes who may not share the same values. Given how much teen culture has changed in twenty years, not to mention the plethora of superhero stuff to parody, a follow-up to this could be the high school reunion many fans would love.
Zenon Girl of the 21st Century
Any list of the most loved Disney Channel movies has to have Zenon in the top 5. Somehow, this tale of a mischevious girl who loves her life on a space station forced to spend time on Earth has remained a hit for years with those who grew up on it passing it down to their kids.
There were two sequels yet another could be fun, at least on Disney+. It can use the classic idea of Zenon with a daughter just as troublesome as she was and some bonding in an adventure. With special effects much better, it can be more fantastic and futurisitc. While Kristen Storms is mostly retired from acting, she might be pulled back to continue one of the most loved Disney Channel movie sagas ever.