12 Disney Movies That Still Need Sequels

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Ask the average moviegoer what the biggest problem facing Hollywood is at the moment, and there’s a good chance you’ll hear some variation of “lack of originality.” Yes, it feels like movie theaters are constantly filled with a barrage of sequels rather than new, original stories, and Disney is one of the biggest culprits of all. It’s no wonder the Mouse House rarely ventures outside of its comfort zone, either, with films like “Zootopia 2” becoming billion-dollar box office hits. And to be honest, I’d much rather get a sequel that at least tells a new story with familiar characters than another dead-eyed live-action remake. 

You might think Disney of all companies would mine every piece of intellectual property at its disposal for all it’s worth, but astonishingly, the studio’s still sitting on a mountain of great sequel ideas. Some movies inherently lend themselves to the idea that more stories could follow, but whether it’s due to a low box office performance or simply bad timing, follow-ups never materialized. Again, you would probably prefer if Disney simply focused more on original films instead, and I agree. But as a fun thought experiment, here are some Disney movies that actually could’ve benefitted from sequels to further flesh out their worlds.

After the success of “Iron Man,” Disney purchased Marvel Entertainment in 2009 and was thereafter tasked with overseeing the burgeoning Marvel Cinematic Universe (a business decision that has led to a slew of films and TV series that are at least vaguely connected to each other). However, it wasn’t until 2014 that true blending of Disney and Marvel sensibilities occurred with “Big Hero 6.” An adaptation of the Marvel Comics property of the same name, the movie centers on Hiro (Ryan Potter), a teenage robotics prodigy who takes to fighting crime with a group of friends and his healthcare robot companion Baymax (Scott Adsit). It’s effectively a Disney-fied take on a classic Marvel superhero origin story, complete with fun jokes and a powerful narrative about overcoming loss.

From “Spider-Man 2” to “Batman Returns,” many sequels to superhero movies are better than the original, even when the first one was great right off the bat. A “Big Hero 6” sequel could’ve taken the now-established team dynamic and explored a whole new story with a different villain to boot. Sure, there was a TV show that was creatively titled “Big Hero 6: The Series” (as well as the 2022 Disney+ miniseries “Baymax!”), but this is an action-oriented concept that could’ve excelled on the big screen. And while Disney may’ve been concerned about muddying its superhero waters too much by having a separate animated film franchise running alongside the MCU, general audiences probably would’ve figured out this was its own thing and gone along for the ride.

Trust me, there’s a good reason for wanting a sequel to “Ratatouille” outside of having it inevitably be called “Rata2ille.” Pixar has been a lot more open in recent years to revisiting many of its classic films, with “Inside Out 2” materializing nearly a decade after the first movie and “Coco 2” now in the works (as bad an idea as that may be). Mind you, “Ratatouille” absolutely tells a complete story that doesn’t exactly need revisiting, but given its unique premise and foothold within the public consciousness, it would be fun to check in with Remy (Patton Oswalt) the rat and his further escapades in the food world.

More specifically, a sequel could see Remy and his human companion Alfredo Linguini (Lou Romano) expand beyond Paris and explore global cuisine. Maybe they could visit New York City and run into Pizza Rat (who makes the meanest slice of pepperoni pizza you’ve ever had). Sadly, it doesn’t seem like a real possibility, as director Brad Bird has told fans not to get their hopes up for “Ratatouille 2.” At least we’ll always have “Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical.”

It’s entirely understandable why a “Treasure Planet” sequel never happened. The film is one of the most notorious flops in Disney’s history, grossing just under $110 million against a budget of $140 million. That doesn’t change the fact “Treasure Planet” is awesome and has a literal galaxy of possibilities at its disposal.

Based on the classic 1883 novel “Treasure Island” but with a science fiction twist, “Treasure Planet” has Jim Hawkins (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) teaming up with the surly John Silver (Brian Murray), who becomes a father figure to him as they search for untold riches. And not for nothing, but it’s a truly breathtaking work of art boasting exceptionally crafted 2D animation. Sadly, it was also the death knell for traditional 2D animation at Disney Studios, which began focusing more and more on computer animation in the movie’s aftermath.

It’s possible audiences in 2002 just didn’t know what to make of “Treasure Planet.” It wasn’t a Disney princess movie that the studio had relied on for so long. Even “Lilo & Stitch,” which released around the same time and didn’t feature a princess, per se, still centered on an adorable kid and a merchandisable juggernaut with the chaotic Stitch. “Treasure Planet” didn’t have either of those things, but if Disney ever wanted to go back to 2D, I’d love to see the studio take another crack at this property.

Though it doesn’t get enough credit for this, 1986’s “The Great Mouse Detective” effectively kick-started the Disney Renaissance of the late 1980s and the ’90s. Disney hadn’t exactly had a ton of great luck in the ’70s and ’80s, putting the studio’s animation department in jeopardy. Fortunately, “The Great Mouse Detective” was not only a hit, it also contained numerous elements that would become fixtures of future Disney flicks, like the ever-popular villain song. Yet, in spite of this and a formidable showing at the box office, it never received a follow-up.

“The Great Mouse Detective” borrows heavily from the tales of Sherlock Holmes and is actually based on the “Basil of Baker Street” book series. It’s a classic detective story following Basil (Barrie Ingham), a refined rodent detective who helps a young mouse save her father from the nefarious Professor Ratigan (the delightful Vincent Price). Any number of sequels could’ve followed Basil and his associate David Q. Dawson (Val Bettin) as they solved other cases, further introducing kids to the ins and outs of detective fiction.

Unfortunately, as successful as “The Great Mouse Detective” was, it wasn’t a mega-hit like “The Little Mermaid” and “The Lion King.” As a result, any further adventures featuring Basil and his pals fell to the wayside.

Pixar tried its hand at making an animated Disney princess movie with 2012’s “Brave,” in which the Scottish princess Merida (Kelly Macdonald) defies tradition and refuses to get betrothed. During the upheaval, her mother, Elinor (Emma Thompson), transforms into a bear, forcing Merida to undertake a journey that will lead her to a better understanding of her mom. Of course, the film ends with the two strengthening their bond and Elinor becoming human once more. There’s not an inherent sequel set-up, but when has that ever stopped Pixar before?

In fact, “Brave” did get a follow-up of sorts with a 2022 novel titled “Bravely” by Maggie Stiefvater. It picks up with Merida years after the events of “Brave,” at which point she’s become bored and yearns for adventure once more. “Brave 2” wouldn’t necessarily need to follow this exact storyline, but given the colorful cast presented in the first movie (and with plenty of supernatural lore begging for further exploration), a “Brave” sequel could be a worthwhile proposition for Pixar. 

“A Bug’s Life” was the first feature-length film Pixar put out after the monumental success of “Toy Story.” While the latter kickstarted a long-lasting franchise, “A Bug’s Life” is something of a low-key favorite for many, as it’s essentially “Seven Samurai” but with a bunch of circus bugs pretending to be warriors to help an ant colony against some treacherous grasshoppers wanting their food. 

“A Bug’s Life” was a reasonable hit at the box office, so much so that a sequel wouldn’t have been out of the question. However, outside of “Toy Story 2,” the late ’90s and 2000s mostly saw Pixar working on fresh projects like “Monsters Inc.” and “Finding Nemo.” Animation fans are surely grateful for Pixar’s commitment to original storytelling during this time, but “A Bug’s Life” could be ripe for a legacy sequel at this point. Ants don’t live all that long, but what if we picked up with “A Bug’s Life” lead Flik’s (Dave Foley) descendants as they find themselves confronting new threats to the colony, like the expansion of human cities to places that bugs tend to live? Then again, maybe it would be for the best if a sequel only picked up a short time after the first film. That way, we wouldn’t have to confront the massive amount of insect deaths that would surely occur within a few years.

Throughout the 1990s, it was pretty much a given that any successful animated Disney film would receive a straight-to-VHS sequel (with some, like “Cinderella III: A Twist in Time” actually ranking among the best direct-to-video movies ever made). By the late 2000s, though, this practice had died out, which more or less guaranteed that “The Princess and the Frog” would be a one-and-done affair. Even a Disney+ sequel series titled “Tiana” was unceremoniously canceled a little over four years after being officially announced, permanently dashing any hopes of ever getting some kind of follow-up story. 

By the time “The Princess and the Frog” draws to a close, Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) has become a princess with her own restaurant. A sequel easily could’ve seen her struggling with the responsibilities of running her business or even taken some cues from “The Little Mermaid 2: Return to the Sea,” which saw the titular mermaid raising her own young daughter. Perhaps Tiana and her husband Naveen (Bruno Campos) could’ve had a kid of their own in a follow-up, adding yet another thing to Tiana’s plate. One has to assume that the “Tiana” show was pretty far along before being axed, so hopefully, Disney will eventually release what it finished in some capacity, barring it getting leaked to the public.

“Raya and the Last Dragon” saw Disney stepping away from musicals and diving headfirst into a full-fledged fantasy adventure flick. Raya (Kelly Marie Tran) is a warrior, as opposed to a damsel in distress, who sets out to find Sisu (Awkwafina), the last dragon, in order to restore her homeland of Kumandra back to its former glory after it becomes infested with frightening spirits known as Druun. As one might expect, everything works out in the end. Still, with more dragons entering the fray, a sequel could explore the different challenges facing the kingdom, especially as its chiefdoms are forced to work together under these new conditions.

“Raya and the Last Dragon” saw an extremely limited theatrical release in March 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 lockdowns. It came out on Disney+ at the same time, so it’s understandable if many overlooked the film. It also didn’t help that it got overshadowed by another Disney animated release in 2021 — “Encanto.” That was a much more straightforward Disney musical that saw particular success across social media, with songs like “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” breaking further into the zeitgeist.

Basically, if any 2021 Disney movie is going to get a sequel, it’s probably that one. That being the case, fans will simply have to imagine where the story of “Raya and the Last Dragon” could go next on their own.

“Hold on a second,” you’re undoubtedly yelling at your computer screen. “Atlantis: The Lost Empire” has a sequel, and it’s the straight-to-video “Atlantis: Milo’s Return.” While you’re correct, that offering really doesn’t do justice to the majesty that is “Atlantis.” Disney was really cooking something interesting in the early 2000s with a slew of sci-fi epics, but none of them truly resonated with audiences at the time. The years have been kind to “Atlantis,” which follows the archaeo-linguist Milo (Michael J. Fox) and a team of explorers as they descend to the depths of Atlantis, but this movie deserves a proper sequel.

You see, the aforementioned “Milo’s Return” is actually an anthology film comprising three stories related to the “Atlantis” movie. In fact, it actually originated as a trio of episodes for an “Atlantis” TV show that was scrapped after the film underperformed. As such, it’s not so much a sequel as it is a cash grab to make some money off a handful of already-finished TV episodes. Like “Treasure Planet,” “Atlantis” deserves a second look if you haven’t seen it in a while, and once you check it out for yourself, you’ll realize it deserves a sequel worthy of its glorious animation, not a slapdash follow-up.

Direct-to-streaming movies have a tendency to get lost in the entertainment ether, but “Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers,” which landed on Disney+ in 2022, deserves to be remembered. A zany live-action/animated hybrid, the film sees Chip (John Mulaney) and Dale (Andy Samberg) reuniting after many years apart to rescue a missing friend. Along the way, they stumble upon a cavalcade of animated characters that includes Ugly Sonic (Tim Robinson), aka the deeply unsettling version of Sonic from the original “Sonic the Hedgehog” live-action/CGI movie trailer (prior to the character being redesigned).

The whole thing plays like a spiritual successor to “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” but with a meta twist, as it pokes fun at modern Hollywood’s reboot obsession and lack of new ideas. A sequel, of course, could serve as another meta-commentary, this time focusing on how studios love to milk franchises for all their worth. More than that, it could also give the supporting characters from the original “Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers” cartoon series — namely, Monterey Jack (Eric Bana), Gadget (Tress MacNeille), and Zipper (Dennis Haysbert) — larger roles to play than the first movie did. Alas, as much as Mulaney and Samberg have proven to be a comedic match made in animated heaven, a sequel seems unlikely to happen for the time being.

Everybody wants to be a cat, or at least that’s what one takes away from watching 1970’s “The Aristocats.” It’s a fun cat-centric adventure where a family of well-to-do kittens and their mother are thrown into the countryside and must rely on a feral cat to get them back home. Granted, there’s the unfortunate presence of Shun Gon (Paul Winchell) who exists as a racist East Asian caricature, but a sequel easily could’ve cast him aside and instead focused on our main felines. 

In fact, an “Aristocats” sequel was once in development and took inspiration from the works of Agatha Christie. The film didn’t get very far, but it would’ve seen the first movie’s four-legged heroes investigating a jewel heist, with the kitten Marie (Liz English) playing a more substantial role. It sounds like a solid caper — not to mention, a perfect excuse to steer far and clear from Shun Gon. But despite Disney putting out a plethora of straight-to-video sequels in the 1990s and 2000s, “The Aristocats 2” likely wasn’t seen as a priority compared to other projects.

There have been numerous cinematic takes on Robin Hood, but one of the most enduring is when Disney turned him into a cartoon fox. 1973’s “Robin Hood” is a delightful and colorful romp, which is somewhat surprising considering that Disney originally envisioned it as being a much darker movie. Nevertheless, it remains a persistent favorite for those wanting to introduce their kids to the classic folktale.

It’s somewhat surprising that Disney didn’t try to capitalize on the film’s success. It brought in $32 million at the box office against a reported budget of only $5 million, and Robin Hood has long been in the public domain, meaning Disney could fiddle around with any number of ancient Robin Hood poems and ideas to mine for sequel ideas. Rest assured, if “Robin Hood” came out in the 21st century and was a success, there’d be a whole fox-Robin Hood franchise by this point. Still, the film’s legacy lives on. “Zootopia” co-director Byron Howard has stated that he’s a big fan of “Robin Hood” and a major reason why Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) is a fox in that movie is because of Disney’s 1973 film. That’s probably a higher honor than a mere sequel would’ve been.