7 Sci-Fi Movie Series That Were Cancelled Too Soon

The sci-fi genre has played host to some true cinematic classics over the years, with many popular science fiction franchises finding success on the big screen. There have been many great sci-fi movies that have earned sequels, allowing their stories to continue over multiple instalments. Sometimes this is the planned result of adapting a popular book series, and other times it’s an opportunity that arises when a movie performs particularly well at the box office and leaves audiences clamoring for more. In modern cinema, earning sequels and the chance at a major franchise is a hallmark of success, and it’s something that many sci-fi movies aim to achieve.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t always work out as planned. Sometimes, a franchise is teased or even announced, only for those well-laid plans to go awry. Poor performance at the box office or a negative critical reception has seen many sci-fi movie series dropped by studios before their story could unfold. It’s a sad and often frustrating development, but the simple fact is that some sci-fi movie series are cancelled far too soon.

7) The Lorien Legacies

2011’s I Am Number Four was released as the planned beginning of a Lorien Legacies franchise adapted from the young adult book series of the same name. Starring Alex Pettyfer, Timothy Olyphant, and Teresa Palmer, written by Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, and Marti Noxon, and produced by Michael Bay, I Am Number Four certainly wasn’t short of talent both on and off the screen.

However, its poor performance with critics meant that the sci-fi movie’s sequel was scrapped before production even began, and the promising franchise was cancelled before it ever got off the ground.

6) The Ender’s Game Franchise 

2013 saw the release of Ender’s Game, a star-studded adaptation of the popular sci-fi novel of the same name. Starring Asa Butterfield, Harrison Ford, Hailee Steinfeld, Abigail Breslin, Viola Davis, and Ben Kingsley, its story, which follows a gifted young cadet called upon to help humanity prepare for an alien invasion, came with clear franchise potential, with subsequent movies planned to adapt further books in the series.

Ender’s Game was a box office flop, which saw all plans for a sequel abandoned. Even so, it’s a shame considering the clear narrative potential and star power of the movie series that it was cancelled so soon.

5) Jules Verne’s Journey Series 

2008’s Journey to the Center of the Earth adapted Jules Verne’s novel of the same name before its sequel, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, adapted another of the author’s sci-fi works. The sci-fi movie’s ending was perfect for setting up a sequel, going as far as to tease an adaptation of Jules Verne’s From the Earth to the Moon.

With Dwayne Johnson, Josh Hutcherson, and Vanessa Hudgens all established within the franchise, it seemed that a third movie would be inevitable. However, the planned sequel never materialized, and the movie series ended just as it was beginning to find its niche.

4) The Mortal Engines Quartet 

The 2018 adaptation of Philip Reeve’s Mortal Engines brought post-apocalyptic steampunk to the big screen, adapting the story of a future in which entire cities have been motorized and mounted on wheels.

Despite huge anticipation, Mortal Engines‘ failed to even break even at the box office. While a sequel hadn’t been officially mentioned, the movie’s financial failings made any chance of a franchise disappear entirely. Though the Mortal Engines Quartet series of books remains hugely popular, a full adaptation of its story was cancelled before it ever took off.

3) The Divergent Series 

Though many movie series get perfect endings, others get nothing of the sort. Following the success of 2014’s Divergent, sequel adaptations of subsequent books were announced, with The Divergent Series: Insurgent releasing in 2015 and The Divergent Series: Allegiant in 2016.

The final instalment, Ascendant, fell victim to behind-the-scenes issues and is thought to be unlikely to ever come to fruition. Considering the franchise only had a single movie left to finish its story, its ending proved to be frustratingly premature.

2) The Barsoom Series

Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Barsoom series is considered a hugely influential part of early science-fiction, following a 19th-Century American Confederate veteran transported to Mars, where he becomes a key player in the power struggles of the dying planet.

2012’s John Carter was intended to begin a trilogy of adaptations, but the movie’s poor box office take saw all plans scrapped. Considering the lasting popularity of the source material and the promise of the first movie, it’s a franchise that deserved a chance to continue, but it simply wasn’t to be.

1) The Firefly Franchise

After Firefly was cancelled, many fans were outraged that its story would not be able to continue. However, 2005’s Serenity afforded the show an opportunity to continue in the sphere of movies, following the crew of the titular vessel in a story designed to give answers to some of the show’s most burning questions.

Despite hopes that Serenity would spawn sequels and rekindle the franchise, its disappointing box office take seemingly put an end to all hopes of a live-action continuation on either the big or small screen.

What sci-fi movie series are you most disappointed to see cancelled? Let us know in the comments below!

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