Only two sequels have won the Best Picture Oscar

The average moviegoer may want to see another chapter in their favorite franchise, but when it comes to the nation's most respected awards show, it's hard for sequels to get much attention at the Oscars. Across the 96 ceremonies, nine live-action films have been nominated for Best Picture, only two of which have been lucky enough to go home with the shiny golden man. The first win came in 1975 when Francis Ford Coppola explored two different generations of the Corleone family in The Godfather Part II. The second didn't happen until 2004, when the Academy praised Peter Jackson's first fond farewell to Middle-earth and the best of The Lord and the Rings and The Hobbit.“The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”.

The two films couldn't be further apart as one is about kissing a ring and the other is all about destroying a (very different) finger bond. However, there is no doubt that both have made a significant impact, not only in their respective years of release, but throughout film history. Often considered two of the the best movies of all timeCoppola and Jackson's epics are films that deliver the truth, even as they expand and tie up loose threads from what came before. What's great now is that this once-rare trend of a sequel filling a Best Picture slot at the Oscars is becoming more common and will continue to grow in the years to come.

Of those nine sequels nominated for Best Picture to date, six of them were released after 2002. The latest two – “Avatar: The Way of Water” and “Top Gun: Maverick” – came out especially 2023, also known as the year of Oscar blockbusters. Unfortunately, both lost their brains to the stunningly brilliant “Everything Everywhere All at Once”. While it was great to see an inventive and original sci-fi film earn the Academy's top honor (which is rare in itself), it seems that Hollywood is now more than ever a churning monster of a franchise, and another sequel is a possibility. earning the night's most sought-after award is bigger than ever.

With that in mind, could “Gladiators II” or “The Dune: Part 2” win any recognition at the 97th Oscars? Is it possible that Tom Cruise's farewell to the IMF and Ethan Hunt in 'Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning' will be as well received as it was to 'Top Gun: Maverick'? Could Vin Diesel's gas-filled swan song as Dominic Toretto in Fast XI end the Fast & Furious franchise with the respect it deserves? It's anyone's guess, really, but like any good sequel, this one will have to sit still while we wait for the next chapter in the story.

Continuation.