Not every movie needs a sequel. Over the years, you would think that Hollywood might have learned a couple of lessons about making sequels to films that became huge hits; luckily, some creators have actively declined the opportunity to return to the same project with the number “2” in the title, like Kristen Wiig (we probably won’t ever see a second “Bridesmaids” movie, and that feels like it’s for the best). With rare exceptions — “The Godfather Part II,” “Mad Max: Fury Road,” and the “John Wick” sequels come to mind — a sequel to a super-popular movie usually produces diminishing returns, especially when it comes to reviews and word of mouth.

With that said, some unpopular sequels, like 2017’s “Transformers: The Last Knight” and 2022’s “Jurassic World: Dominion,” still made a ton of money at the box office (the former made around $600 million worldwide, while the critically reviled “Jurassic World” sequel cracked a billion dollars). The movies on this list, though? They hold a special distinction: nobody liked them very much and they bombed so badly at the box office that it was actually notable. From a comedy sequel made years after the original to an attempt to revive a major franchise, these movies tried to recapture lightning in a bottle … and failed. Here are five sequels to enormously popular movies that flopped at the box office.

The original “Matrix” trilogy concluded back in 2003 with “The Matrix Revolutions,” but in 2021, director Lana Wachowski, who created the first three films with her sister and collaborator Lilly Wachowski, returned with a fourth installment in the series. With original stars Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss back on board — though Laurence Fishburne wasn’t a part of the project, with a younger version of his character Morpheus played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II — “The Matrix Resurrections” revisits Reeves’ Neo, who’s back in the simulation of the Matrix and living as Thomas Anderson once again. When he crosses paths with Tiffany (Moss), who has shaky memories of her own past, the two piece together their own stories and soon realize that they’re stuck in a simulation once again, fighting against forces like Smith (Jonathan Groff, taking over for Hugo Weaving) and The Analyst (Neil Patrick Harris) along the way.

Critically, “The Matrix Resurrections” didn’t fare too poorly. With a 63% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, critics agreed that the movie was a solid look back at the world, saying, “If it lacks the original’s bracingly original craft, ‘The Matrix Resurrections’ revisits the world of the franchise with wit, a timely perspective, and heart.” Unfortunately for Wachowski and her returning actors, the box office didn’t represent that, and the movie only earned a total of $159 million against a budget of $160 million. This wasn’t entirely the movie’s fault, though; thanks to the timing of its release and the recent COVID-19 pandemic, it ended up streaming on Max at the same time as its theatrical debut … Village Roadshow, which helped finance the film, ended up suing Warner Bros. over this troubled release.

It’s never a great sign when most of the people involved with a hit movie decline to return for the sequel, whether it’s the cast, writer, or director — and that’s what happened with the 1982 sequel “Grease 2.” Directed by Patricia Birch — who took over for Randal Kleiser, the first movie’s director — “Grease 2” makes a dubious return to Rydell High, but without any of the familiar faces or creative voices found in the original film. Gone are Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing, John Travolta, and the other talented people who helped the first movie become a massive critical and commercial hit; in “Grease 2,” audiences were introduced to new central couple Stephanie Zinone (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Michael Carrington (Maxwell Caufield). The movie follows basically the same beats as the first, but switches up the couple’s dynamic; this time, Michael is the Rydell newcomer (he’s actually canonically the cousin of Newton-John’s Sandy) who romances the popular Stephanie, who leads the Pink Ladies.

Despite its pretty low budget, “Grease 2” flopped hard at the box office … which probably spoke to not only its overall quality and the fact that it felt unnecessary, but the fact that it had to face off against Steven Spielberg’s “E.T.” at movie theaters. In the end, the movie made just $15 million, which is all the more disappointing when you consider that the original raked in a whopping $396 million.