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What's After the Movie?

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What's After the Movie?
Storytelling Story structure, screenwriting craft and the devices that drive a plot.

Sequel: Meaning & Definition in Film

A film that continues the narrative or themes of a preceding movie.

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Definition and Purpose

Sequels extend stories, exploring characters’ futures or unresolved conflicts. They can deepen mythologies or introduce new threats, as seen in action, horror and family drama genres.

Sequel: Economic Incentives

Studios favor sequels for their pre-existing fan bases, typically translating into reliable box-office returns. Risks involve diminishing creative returns and franchise fatigue.

Critical and Cultural Reception

While some sequels—The Empire Strikes Back, Mad Max: Fury Road—are celebrated, others face criticism for lackluster innovation. The balance between familiarity and novelty is key.

Sequel: Variations

Direct sequels, spin-offs and soft reboots fall under the sequel umbrella. Packaging strategies include “Part II” or numbered installments, while some sequels bear unique titles (e.g., Blade Runner 2049).

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More Storytelling & Screenwriting Terms

Entries filed on the same shelf as Sequel, each with the one-line answer first. They are the words that usually come up in the same conversation.

All 293 terms

  • A-vs-B Story Weave

    The A-vs-B story weave is a structural technique where the external plot is interwoven with a character's internal, emotional journey.

  • Original Screenplay

    A film script based on wholly original ideas and storylines, not derived from existing works.

  • Scene Summary

    A scene summary is a one- or two-sentence description of the essential action and outcome of a single scene.

  • Heroic Sacrifice

    A narrative device portraying a character’s selfless death to save others.

  • Character Exit

    A character exit is the narrative event in which a character is permanently or temporarily written out of a story.

  • MacGuffin

    An object or goal that motivates the characters' actions but holds little intrinsic value.