Why sequels dominate our culture, from 18th-century novels to modern blockbuster film franchises
In short: Sequels are more than just cash grabs; they are a calculated business strategy designed to mitigate risk in volatile markets. By leveraging established fan bases and familiar worlds, creators secure stable revenue while satisfying a consumer demand for both novelty and the comfort of returning to beloved, known characters.
The sequel as we know it today emerged from 18th-century print culture, where the rise of a market-driven economy forced authors to treat their writing as a professional, marketable skill. For male authors of the era, sequels served as a means to defend literary property and establish a recurring economic outlet. By producing 'more of the same,' writers could protect their 'literary paternity' against unauthorized parodies or extensions, such as Henry Fielding's Shamela, which mocked Samuel Richardson’s Pamela.
In contrast, female writers like Sarah Fielding utilized the sequel format to break into the economic sphere while maintaining a sense of private conversation. Betty Schellenberg argues that these women often displayed an 'innovative freedom' that male writers avoided, as they were not as strictly bound by the need to protect their patrimony. This allowed for a broader narrative scope, seen in works like the sequels to The Adventures of David Simple, which experimented with various popular 18th-century styles.
Today, the sequel is a dominant force in industries like film and video games, where development costs can reach hundreds of millions of dollars. A 2008 study in the Journal of Business Research confirms that while sequels may not always outperform originals at the box office, they consistently perform better than non-sequels. Studios rely on these franchises to manage uncertainty, often planning multiple installments in advance to ensure a reliable stream of profit.
Beyond direct continuations, the landscape of sequels has expanded to include prequels, midquels, and legacy sequels—which often retcon previous events—and spiritual successors that share a style without a direct narrative link. Whether through the 'science of complexity' in academic sequels like Fullan’s Change Forces or the data-querying power of the structured English query language (SEQUEL), the concept remains a powerful tool for building upon existing foundations.
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