Sci-Fi Sequels Fans Will Get To See Sooner Than They Realize

Anybody who loves sci-fi tends to keep at least one eye on the future. That's kind of the whole point, isn't it? Of course, this applies to more than the technologies, cultures, and politics that drive our favorite stories — it also goes for the stories themselves.

Luckily, sci-fi movie fans have a lot to look forward to in the next few years. Many of Hollywood's upcoming releases will come as no real shock to most, including the small avalanche of "Star Wars" projects on the way or the imminent entries in the nigh-unstoppable MCU. Others will likely be more of a surprise: Films such as Bong Joon-ho's "Mickey 17" and Wes Anderson's "Asteroid City" are bound to make serious waves in the genre, for example.

Meanwhile, a significant number of imminent sci-fi movies are surprising not because they're unexpected — in fact, as franchise entries, most of them are downright inevitable — but because it's so hard to believe they're right around the corner. Here are some of the sci-fi sequels you'll be seeing sooner than you think.

If the words "Rebel Moon: Part 2" sent you scrambling to your Netflix account to check how you could possibly have overlooked the first one, fear not. You haven't missed a thing.

In January 2023, Netflix finally announced a December 22, 2023 release date for "Rebel Moon," kicking up the hype for Zack Snyder's totally-not-"Star Wars" sci-fi epic yet another notch. Snyder hopes to use the first movie, which follows a young woman who attempts to recruit warriors to defend her peaceful homeland, to lay the foundations of a wider franchise. Now, we've got a better idea as to how the next steps in this new universe might look.

The first rumblings of a "Rebel Moon" sequel came back in August 2022, when Netflix was granted considerable Californian tax credits for the making of "Rebel Moon: Part 2." Studio VP Ori Mamur confirmed the news during a January 2023 interview with Variety, telling the outlet, "When we saw how big the world [Snyder] created was, we thought it would be better served as two pieces versus one film. It's the kind of story that can continue to grow." Netflix has yet to set a date for "Rebel Moon: Part 2," but, since it was filmed concurrently with "Part 1," you can safely bet it won't be far away. At a total guess? December 2024 doesn't sound too far-fetched.

Most of us have been desperately awaiting a follow-up to 2015's "Mad Max: Fury Road" since the moment the credits rolled. And while the official sequel to George Miller's action masterpiece, "Mad Max: The Wasteland," seems to be languishing in development hell, we've at least got "Furiosa" to tide us over.

Warner Bros. greenlit a spinoff based on Charlize Theron's "Fury Road" character, Imperator Furiosa. This time, though, "The Menu" and "The Queen's Gambit" star Anya Taylor-Joy will be playing the title role, with George Miller in the director's chair and Chris Hemsworth and Tom Burke attached as co-stars (Burke replaced Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in his role). "Furiosa" filming began in June 2022 and wrapped that October, with a relative lack of news from the set appearing to suggest a much smoother production process than the bizarre nightmare of "Fury Road."

In September 2022, Warner Bros. announced that "Furiosa" will hit theaters on May 24, 2024. This marks a slight delay on the movie's original 2023 release, of course, and it will have been a good nine years since "Fury Road," too. Considering the long path to "Fury Road" and the dead end faced by "The Wasteland," however, the impending release of "Furiosa" is nothing less than miraculous.

2017's "War for the Planet of the Apes" capped off a critically acclaimed and largely self-contained trilogy of "Planet of the Apes" prequels, but the story isn't over yet. 20th Century confirmed that work had begun on another installment in the franchise in late 2022; "Maze Runner" director Wes Ball has been helming the project, which stars Freya Allen, Owen Teague, Peter Macon, and William H. Macy.

All we've actually seen of "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" thus far is a piece of concept art released by 20th Century Studios, but this project is much further along than you might imagine. Filming wrapped in February 2023, and we even know what it's about: Long after the events of "War for the Planet of the Apes," the apes split into factions and started building empires. As one group begins to enslave its rivals in the hunt for lost human technology, a lone ape joins a young human woman to embark on a quest for freedom. In a statement, studio president Steve Asbell said that the new "Planet of the Apes" movie will "continue the series' tradition of imaginative, thought-provoking cinema." "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" is due for release on May 24, 2024 — meaning that, if nothing else, it should give "Furiosa" a good run for its money (unless one moves to a different window).

James Cameron has never been shy about hyping up the scope of his "Avatar" universe. He announced a sequel to the first movie mere weeks after its 2009 release, and then, a week later, revealed that, no, scratch that, he was actually working on several more. Cameron has only once even slightly downplayed the "Avatar" franchise's growth. That was when he suggested that a poor box office run on "Avatar: The Way of Water" might force him to wrap things up with "Avatar 3." He needn't have worried, though, as "The Way of Water" earned an almost unbelievable $2.3 billion at the box office, more or less guaranteeing that the franchise will continue until the end of time.

The 13-year gap between "Avatar" and "The Way of Water" might lead you to believe that we'll be forced to endure a similar wait for "Avatar 3," but that couldn't be further from the truth. Somehow — possibly because Cameron is a blockbuster-making machine — "Avatar 3" will arrive in theaters on December 19, 2025. In November 2022, Sam Worthington told Jimmy Fallon that about 80-90% of the third movie had already been filmed, while shooting had even begun on a few scenes of "Avatar 4." And that's the really impressive thing here: If all goes well, 2024's "Avatar 3" will be followed by "Avatar 4" in 2029 and "Avatar 5" in 2031. God loves a trier.

Lately, life hasn't been easy for the "Alien" franchise. "Prometheus" and "Alien: Covenant" failed to gather the momentum necessary to justify further sequels, while Neill Blomkamp's "Alien 5" seems to have died the moment Ridley Scott watched "Chappie."

Hope is not lost, however. In March 2022, it was revealed that "Evil Dead" and "Don't Breathe" director Fede Álvarez is set to bring his own "Alien" story to the screen, with Scott attached as producer. According to 20th Century Studios' Steve Asbell, the movie was greenlit "purely off the strength of Fede's pitch." A year later, a press release (via Variety) revealed that the movie will follow "a group of young people on a distant world, who find themselves in a confrontation with the most terrifying life form in the universe." Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, and Aileen Wu will lead the cast.

This new "Alien" movie — which, according to a listing published by the Film & Television Industry Alliance, may be titled "Alien: Romulus" — began filming in March 2023. However, aside from that vague premise and a tantalizing behind-the-scenes image tweeted out by Álvarez, most of the project remains shrouded in mystery. It's currently expected to arrive on August 16, 2024. Will it breathe new, horrific life into the franchise? Only time will tell.

You're probably well aware that "A Quiet Place: Day One," a prequel to John Krasinski's superb horror movies "A Quiet Place" and "A Quiet Place Part II," is slated for release in March 2024. You might be forgiven, however, for having missed the news of a third entry in the main series. Paramount announced "A Quiet Place Part III" during an investor call in February 2022, confirming a 2025 release date.

So, what else do we know about "A Quiet Place Part III"? Well, uh, basically nothing. We've had no plot details, no cast details, and no hint as to when filming might begin. Emily Blunt told Collider in 2021 that "A Quiet Place Part II" was intended to be the second chapter in a trilogy, so you can safely assume that "Part III" will once again revolve around Evelyn Abbott and her children. This means that Blunt and her co-stars Millicent Simmons and Noah Jupe are sure to return, although it's harder to say whether they'll be joined by the supporting cast of "A Quiet Place Part II," such as Cillian Murphy and Djimon Hounsou. Truth is, you probably shouldn't expect to hear much more about "A Quiet Place Part III" until after "A Quiet Place: Day One" hits theaters. Still, it's good to know that, after the release of director Michael Sarnoski's prequel, our next dose of silent horror won't be too far off.

Earning a worldwide gross of just over $400 million against a $170 million budget, 2010's "Tron: Legacy" wasn't exactly a box office dud — but it hardly did the kind of numbers expected of a Disney blockbuster. That iffy reception might be the reason "Tron 3" has encountered so much trouble getting off the ground; notably, "Tron: Legacy" director Joseph Kosinski tried and failed to convince Disney that his sequel, "Tron: Ascension," was worth making.

Either times have changed since then or the studio has a hell of a film up its sleeve because the third "Tron" movie is finally moving forward. In January 2023, it was reported "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil" director Joachim Rønning was in talks to direct Jared Leto in "Tron: Ares," which is intended to be a direct sequel to "Tron: Legacy." Sara Desjardins, Greta Lee, Cameron Monaghan, Evan Peters, and Jodie Turner-Smith are set to round out the cast of the film, which will apparently focus on a program journeying into the real world. If all goes well, "Tron: Ares" should arrive sometime in 2025.

Amidst the many tentpole movies on the summer 2023 release slate — which is filled to the brim with superheroes, robots, and whip-cracking archaeologists — it'd be easy to miss the sequel to Jon Turteltaub's inexplicable 2018 sci-fi thriller "The Meg." It's happening, though, and it's happening very soon indeed.

Based on the 1999 Steve Alten novel "The Trench," "Meg 2: The Trench" sees Jason Statham return to the role of Jonas Taylor, as he joins a daring expedition into the deepest reaches of the ocean. This time around, Statham and his supporting cast are directed, even more inexplicably, by "Free Fire" and "A Field in England" director Ben Wheatley. The "Meg 2: The Trench" trailer promises basically everything you'd expect, including (but not limited to) giant iguanas, gnarly waves, grisly deaths, and, naturally, Statham kicking a massive shark in the face. "It's an opportunity to do action on such an insanely large scale," Wheatley tells ComicBook.com, "that it's just unbelievable ... I feel a heavy responsibility for it, to make sure that it kind of delivers on all the, to all the big shark fans out there."

If that sounds like a treat to you, then good news: You won't have to wait until 2024 or 2025 to dive into "The Trench." Wheatley and Statham's balls-to-the-wall aquatic thriller is due for release on August 4, 2023.

"The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" will probably come as something of a surprise to anyone who saw "The Hunger Games — Mockingjay Part 2," since that movie was supposed to be the final installment in Katniss Everdeen's adventures. You can work out where this is going, can't you?

Yes, "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" is a prequel, one based on the Suzanne Collins novel of the same name. Tom Blyth stars as dictator-to-be Coriolanus Snow, who, 64 years prior to the events of the original series, becomes a mentor to a young tribute in the 10th Hunger Games. Franchise stalwart Francis Lawrence directs, with a cast featuring Rachel Zegler, Peter Dinklage, Hunter Schafer, Jason Schwartzman, and Viola Davis. In April 2023, Lionsgate revealed the "Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" trailer, which offers a few choice glimpses into this early iteration of the games, alongside plenty of imagery that will be familiar to series fans.

Another upcoming movie that may have been missed in the sea of major productions arriving in 2023 — and one especially threatened by the release of "Dune: Part Two" two weeks earlier — "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" is scheduled for release on November 17, 2023.

The last couple of "Ghostbusters" movies divided both fans and critics. Paul Feig's 2016 remake failed to break even at the box office and attracted a startling hate campaign from the worst people in the world. Meanwhile, Jason Reitman's 2021 legacy sequel "Ghostbusters: Afterlife," fared worse with critics and made less at the box office — although, according to Forbes, it was just about rescued by its much lower budget. Nobody would have blamed Sony for throwing in the towel after all that.

Nevertheless, the studio is set to make yet another attempt at reviving the glory of the first two "Ghostbusters" movies. Sony announced the sequel to "Afterlife" in April 2022, and we've since learned a number of details about the production. Paul Rudd and Carrie Coon will reprise their "Afterlife" roles alongside their younger co-stars. They'll be joined by a supporting cast including Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, James Acaster, and Emily Alyn Lind. Gil Kenan, best known for "Monster House" and 2015's "Poltergeist" remake, will direct.

Although filming began in the U.K. in March 2023, various reports have suggested that "Ghostbusters 5" will take place in New York and revolve around the iconic firehouse from the original movies. And yes, in case you were wondering, the original Ghostbusters will likely turn up. In an April 2023 interview with The Film Collective, Ernie Hudson seemed to confirm that himself, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, and Annie Potts might appear in some capacity — but we don't know much more than that. We'll find out soon enough, though, as "Ghostbusters 5" lands in theaters on December 20, 2023.

In 2014, José Padilha and MGM teamed up to bring a "RoboCop" remake to the big screen; it did not go particularly well. Despite a half-decent run at the box office, earning just over $240 million against a $100 budget, "RoboCop" flopped with critics and fans alike, and today it holds a simultaneous 49% Tomatometer and audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. In the aftermath, star Joel Kinnaman blamed a PG-13 rating — and the subsequent dialing back of the violent pizzazz of Paul Verhoeven's original — for the remake's poor performance. MGM's next attempt at a reboot, "RoboCop Returns," was frustrated by director Neill Blomkamp's departure in 2019. After that, everything was quiet.

Then, in 2022, Amazon acquired MGM in a $8.5 billion deal. The next year, it was reported that Amazon Studios has decided to embark on a full-blown reboot spree, highlighting a number of MGM titles due for (re)development in either film or TV. These include "Stargate," "Legally Blonde," "Fame," "The Magnificent Seven," "The Pink Panther," and, yes, "RoboCop." Amazon might develop both a "RoboCop" film and TV series, with the former following the latter. Everything else is up in the air right now, including cast, crew, and release date, but with the studio steaming forward on its attempt to establish a small army of marketable IPs, there can be little doubt that "RoboCop" will return before long — for better or worse.

Jeff Chan's sci-fi superhero flick "Code 8" struck from nowhere back in 2019. Chan and his actor-slash-producer colleagues, Robbie and Stephen Amell, took their story from an Indiegogo campaign to a theatrical release to a Netflix hit that quickly went to the top spot on the streamer's top 10 feature. A cult fandom followed, and nowadays, you can make a strong case that "Code 8" is one of the most successful non-comic book superhero movies of all time.

Quibi picked up "Code 8" for a spinoff series in 2019, but that project seems to have gone down with Quibi itself. Two years later, Netflix signed Chan and the Amell brothers for "Code 8: Part II." Like "Code 8," the sequel takes place in the fictional Lincoln City, where a small percentage of the population wields superhuman powers. The movie follows a young woman who sets out to seek justice against the police who killed her brother. Robbie Amell confirmed in 2022 that "Code 8: Part II" had finished shooting, describing the sequel as a "big movie," partly because Netflix apparently offered them a budget twice the size of the first installment.

No release date has been set by Netflix so far, but if shooting had already been completed in 2022, then it's likely that "Code 8: Part II" will land on the platform sometime in 2023.

"Never give up, never surrender." That's not just the motto of Tim Allen's character in the unspeakably funny 1999 sci-fi comedy "Galaxy Quest" — it's also a concise account of Paramount's attitude to producing a sequel.

Paramount's first attempt to revive "Galaxy Quest" came in the early 2010s. The original movie's producer, Mark Johnson, and writer, Robert Gordon, came on board for this sequel TV series, which was later sold to Amazon. Due to Alan Rickman's tragic and sudden passing in 2016, however, the project was quickly sidelined. "How do you fill that void of Alan Rickman?" Sam Rockwell asked in 2016. "That's a hard void to fill."

Nevertheless, in April 2023, it was reported that Paramount TV Studios is actively attempting to find a writer who can resurrect "Galaxy Quest" for a streaming series for Paramount+. The only name attached to the project so far is Johnson. Obviously, there's a lot of pressure riding on a follow-up to a movie so beloved as "Galaxy Quest," but the news that it's finally happening will no doubt come as a pleasant surprise to the fans who never thought they'd see it at all.