From Freaky Friday to Beetlejuice, here are 6 long-awaited sequels to look forward to

Freaky Friday 2

A long 20 years on from its 2003 release, Freaky Friday is finally getting a sequel. The best part? Lindsay Lohan and Jamie-Lee Curtis will be reprising their roles as the iconic mother-daughter duo. Regardless of the fact that it was based off a 1972 novel and was an adaptation of the same story starring Barbara Harris and Jodie Foster in 1976, and another starring Shelley Long and Gaby Hoffman in 1995, we all know this is the best body-swapping film of all time.

Apart from the news that Elyse Hollander will be penning the script, little to no information about the plot or cast has been released. Will Anna’s band be touring the world? Will Jamie-Lee indulge us with another iconic guitar solo? Will Chad Michael Murray ride in on his Ducati? Inquiring minds want to know. More on this as it develops.

Beetlejuice 2

We’ve been in the era of reboots, remakes, and reimaginings for quite some time now, and at long last, Tim Burton will be back in the director’s chair to bring the 1988 pesky poltergeist Beetlejuice to life once again. While the plot is still sealed tightly in its coffin, new casting details are being released by the day, with Michael Keaton, Catherine O’Hara and Winona Ryder all reprising their original roles.

Wednesday’s Jenna Ortega will be taking on the role of Ryder’s character’s daughter, Justin Theroux will be joining the cast in a yet to be revealed capacity, and Monica Bellucci will play Beetlejuice’s wife. Good for him. The sequel is set to be released in September 2024.

Joker: Folie à Deux

That’s a wrap ???? ?? X, Harleen pic.twitter.com/DjVLbtvmFc

— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) April 6, 2023

As the title suggests, this sequel of the 2019 instant hit Joker will see Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga team up in their shared delusions as Arthur Fleck and the ever-iconic Harley Quinn. There’s one big twist though: this time, it’s a musical. Set in Arkham Asylum, the film’s co-stars include our very own Brendan Gleeson, Get Out’s Catherine Keener, Harry Lawtey, Jacob Lofland, and returning Joker actor, Zazie Beetz.

Set for theatrical release in October 2024, composer Hildur Guðnadóttir will be adding to the score, and though the plot is still shrouded in mystery, Jacob Lofland’s character reportedly “develops a relationship” with the Joker during his time as an inmate.

Gladiator 2

With a blockbuster cast already signed on, including Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn and our very own Paul Mescal and Barry Keoghan playing lead and villain, the 2024 sequel to Ridley Scott’s Gladiator starts filming this summer. The plot is still under wraps but with this stacked cast, it’s already at the top of our watchlist. 

A Quiet Place: Day One

Funnily enough, they’re keeping the details of the third instalment of The Quiet Place pretty hush hush, but the spinoff directed by Michael Sarnoski and starring Lupita Nyong’o, Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff, Djimon Hounsou and Denis O’Hare is set for release in March 2024.

At CinemaCon 2023, John Krasinski revealed that the film is set within the same world as the previous two iterations, but diverges from the Abbott family story, following Nyong’o’s character as she navigates through the horrific first moments in “the loudest city in the world, New York.” The story “takes us back to where it all began” and is not strictly a prequel or a sequel, but regardless, we simply cannot wait.

Sister Act 3: Kicking the Habit

Thirty years since the original Sister Act was released in 1992, with Back in the Habit hot on its heels the following year, Whoopi Goldberg will be donning the robes of Sister Mary Clarence once again. Mind you, the powers that be have been in talks about this for quite some time now, and with news of a script finally being signed off on, we’re inching closer and closer to its release.

Tim Federle has been tapped to direct, and Keke Palmer has publicly asked for a role, with both Lizzo and Nicki Minaj being named by Goldberg as potential members of the convent. God willing, some more concrete details will come to the surface soon.