Movie Sequels So Bad They Ended A Franchise

Here's a classic example of how not to do a sequel. Gone from the original "Grease" were director Randal Kleiser, stars John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, and composers Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The one major thing that did carry over from "Grease" to "Grease 2"? The plot. It's almost a complete rehash, except the roles are gender-swapped. 

In "Grease 2," the straight-laced foreigner at Rydell High is a boy (Maxwell Caulfield) who has romantic feelings for a girl (Michelle Pfeiffer). Needless to say, "Grease 2" — which came out four years after the original — was not a huge hit. It made $15 million at the box office, about 10 percent of what "Grease" earned in the States alone.

According to original "Grease" cast member Didi Conn (who briefly appeared in the sequel), the studio's low expectations for the first film ultimately doomed "Grease 2." 

"There was a setup in the first film for a sequel about summer school, but Paramount didn't know 'Grease' was going to be such a success, so they passed," she told TV Guide. "By the time they got around to it, they couldn't get John anymore. So they came up with a new concept." 

Talk of a third 'Grease' occasionally bubbles up, including a spate of rumors in 2003 regarding a proposed story that would bring the original cast back together for a high school reunion, but it always fizzles. "The scripts are not right, they're sad, and everybody's a loser," Conn explained. "I don't think John is interested anymore, and he's convinced Olivia not to do it."