10 Movies That Are Considered the Black Sheep of Major Franchises

Throughout cinema’s history, movie franchises have proven to be incredibly lucrative. However, as an unfortunate side effect of their money-earning potential, the highest-earning franchises are often rewarded for playing it increasingly safe; sticking to a set formula to not risk disappointing fans.

And then there’s the weird sequels that are viewed as the black sheep of their respective franchises. These entries break from the established norms of their respective series, often resulting in the creation of more unique films. The final product isn’t always great, but it’s worth recognizing when major franchises take creative risks. As such, these are 10 movies that are considered the black sheep in major franchises.

10 ‘Cars 2’ (2011)

Directed by John Lasseter

The first Cars is the story of Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson), an egotistical anthropomorphic racecar who finds himself stranded in Radiator Springs, a small town where he connects with the community and is ultimately humbled by his experiences. In Cars 3, Lightning struggles with his advancing age, eventually overcoming his ego in order to prop up the next generation of racers. Linking these two fairly grounded stories is Cars 2, a spy film that promotes Mater (Larry the Cable Guy), the comedic relief from the first film, to the role of protagonist, relegating Lightning to the passenger’s seat in an extremely bizarre and risky sequel.

Unfortunately for viewers, this risk never pays off. Mater is a fairly one-note character, and placing him at the center of his own story is a baffling choice that only serves to highlight his weaknesses. Rather than fleshing Mater out to make him a more compelling lead, the screenwriters continue to treat him as a purely comedic character, filling the movie with bland, uninspired humor that fails to be even mildly entertaining. Issues like this have given Cars 2 a much-deserved reputation as Pixar’s worst film, cementing it as a black sheep that is best avoided.

9 ‘The Hangover Part III’ (2013)

Directed by Todd Phillips

Before Todd Phillips shocked audiences by making the sequel to 2019’s Joker a musical, he was making increasingly strange sequels to his legendary 2009 comedyThe Hangover. The first film focused on Phil Wenneck (Bradley Cooper), Stu Price (Ed Helms) and Alan Garner (Zach Galifianakis), three men in search of their fourth friend, Doug Billings (Justin Bartha), after a wild night in Las Vegas. The Hangover Part II was a very similar film, hitting many of the same comedic beats and plot points, only now set in Bangkok, earning itself less favorable critical reception, but still proving to be a hit at the box office. Then The Hangover Part III strayed so far from the series’ formula that it hardly even felt like a comedy.

In the third Hangover movie, Phil, Stu and Alan are brought together once again, only this time Marshall, a criminal kingpin played by John Goodman, tasks them with tracking down Leslie Chow (Ken Jeong), a gangster who they met in both preceding movies. It’s a bizarre premise for a comedy sequel, and one that lends itself to shamefully few laughs. Many of the jokes that are sprinkled in feel almost obligatory; as if they’re there to remind the audience that it is, in fact, a comedy. It’s another unfortunate example of a black sheep that might have been better had it stuck to its series’ established conventions.

8 ‘The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift’ (2006)

Directed by Justin Lin

For the past 23 years, the Fast & Furious series has been one of the most prominent action franchises at the box office. Focused on Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his “family” of outlaws-turned-heroes, the series has gained a reputation for its distinct, absurdly over-the-top style, where a Pontiac Fiero can rocket into space and a Dodge Charger can race down the side of an exploding dam. The first two entries, 2001’s The Fast and the Furious and 2003’s 2 Fast 2 Furious, were more grounded than later films would become, but the indisputable black sheep of the franchise is 2006’s The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.

The defining factor that sets Tokyo Drift apart from the other Fast movies is the fact that it doesn’t star Vin Diesel or Paul Walker. It features plenty of the series’ signature races and car chases, but the plot centers around Sean Boswell (Lucas Black), a young American man sent to live in Tokyo after getting in legal trouble in America. Despite being a black sheep, Tokyo Drift would influence the future of the franchise in unexpected ways, as director Justin Lin would go on to direct four more Fast movies, while Sung Kang‘s Han Lue would appear in a number of future entries.

7 ‘Toy Story 4’ (2019)

Directed by Josh Cooley

Toy Story, released in 1995, was a groundbreaking film that was also a hit both critically and financially, introducing audiences to Buzz (Tim Allen) and Woody (Tom Hanks), and spawning an entire franchise. Toy Story 2 was released shortly after, expanding upon the themes present in the original film, while giving Woody even more depth as a character. Toy Story 3, released 11 years later, was an excellent conclusion to Woody and the gang’s story, ending with Woody allowing himself to move on from Andy (John Morris) by moving in with Bonnie (Lori Alan). Many fans felt like this was a fantastic ending to the series, but the film was also a massive hit at the box office, leading to the development of a sequel.

Toy Story 4 is a great, albeit very different film that further explores Woody’s character in interesting ways. This time around, the story focuses on his relationship with Bo Peep (Annie Potts), a former toy of Andy’s who now seeks to assist lost toys. Its plot isn’t as emotionally powerful as its immediate predecessor, but Toy Story 4 makes up for what it lacks in dramatic weight with laughs. It is easily the funniest film in the franchise, with Tony Hale and Keanu Reeves delivering some especially memorable vocal performances. From a narrative perspective, Toy Story 4 never feels like a wholly necessary follow-up to Toy Story 3, but the fact that it’s so funny makes it a black sheep that is more than worth a watch.

6 ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ (2018)

Directed by Ron Howard

Solo: A Star Wars Story was Lucasfilm’s second attempt at making a live-action Star Wars spin-off film following the success of 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Unfortunately, while Rogue One was a critical and financial hit, Solo was the franchise’s first, and so far only, box office disappointment, with audiences seemingly uninterested in seeing anyone other than Harrison Ford play Han Solo.

This is a case where being a black sheep worked unfairly against the film. Solo is actually a better movie than it typically gets credit for, due in large part to the performance of Alden Ehrenreich. Ehrenreich wisely avoids directly mimicking Ford’s portrayal of the character, adopting many key physical mannerisms and vocal inflections while applying his own charm to make his version distinct. Donald Glover is also a joy to watch as Lando Calrissian, infusing a ton of charisma and swagger into his unique interpretation of the character. It’s not a perfect film, as it does suffer from some uneven pacing in places, but Solo is an incredibly enjoyable black sheep that features some really underrated performances.

5 ‘Back to the Future Part III’ (1990)

Directed by Robert Zemeckis

Starring Michael J. Fox as high school student Marty McFly and Christopher Lloyd as Doc Brown, a scientist and friend of Marty’s, Back to the Futurewas a major hit in 1985, winning over audiences with its exciting plot and unique sense of humor. This success led to the creation of a sequel, 1989’s Back to the Future Part II, a movie which directly expands upon many characters from the first, including Biff Tannen (Thomas F. Wilson) and Marty’s girlfriend, Jennifer (Claudia Wells in the first film and Elisabeth Shue in the sequels). Six months later, the series’ black sheep, Back to the Future Part III, abandoned many of these characters while taking the action back to the Wild West.

What’s left is an extremely refreshing twist on the ideas present in the first two films, with more space to develop Doc’s character over Marty’s. Lloyd’s inventor gets a love interest in Mary Steenburgen‘s Clara Clayton, giving viewers a much-appreciated look at a side of the character not shown in the other movies. The Wild West setting also allows for plenty of great comedic material that wouldn’t work in the rest of the series, like when Marty claims his name is Clint Eastwood. Franchises similar to Back to the Future would likely make safer choices for their final installment, but Back to the Future Part III‘s willingness to experiment and be different makes it an extremely memorable film.

4 ‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom’ (1984)

Directed by Steven Spielberg

In 1981, Steven Spielberg‘s Raiders of the Lost Ark was a massive hit, becoming the highest-grossing film that year, and quickly establishing Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones as one of the most beloved adventure heroes in movies, leaving fans hungry for more. Spielberg delivered in 1984 with the release of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, a prequel in which the titular archaeologist, along with new companions Short Round (Ke Huy Quan) and Willie (Kate Capshaw), finds himself in India, where he uncovers the dark actions of a sinister cult.

What makes Temple of Doom a black sheep is that it has a totally different tone from any other film in the franchise. While Raiders is mostly fun and light-hearted, Temple takes a significantly darker approach, playing out more like a horror movie in certain scenes than an action adventure film, with one especially gruesome scene depicting villain Mola Ram (Amrish Puri) pulling the still-beating heart out of a man’s chest. The film would prove to be divisive among fans, and later entries would return to the style established in Raiders, cementing Temple of Doom as an oddity in the franchise’s history.

3 ‘Ghostbusters’ (2016)

Directed by Paul Feig

Back in 2016, Sony made their first attempt at rebooting the Ghostbusters franchise. With well-established comedic talent like Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones leading, and Bridesmaids director Paul Feig at the helm, the movie seemed set for success, even without bringing back the original cast in their old roles. Unfortunately, Ghostbusters wound up being a financial disappointment, resulting in the film being an oft-forgotten addition to the franchise.

Luckily, Ghostbusters isn’t exactly a hidden gem. Its lead cast is extremely talented, but the material they’re given to work with just isn’t that strong, resulting in many of its jokes falling completely flat. This might be okay if the characters were more interesting, but there’s too much of a focus on quips and silliness to gain the same appreciation for characters like Erin Gilbert (Wiig) and Abby Yates (McCarthy) that fans had for Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) and Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis). 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife would reboot the series again, this time with the presence of the original Ghostbusters, making the 2016 film even more of a black sheep than it was before.

2 ‘Halloween III: Season of the Witch’ (1982)

Directed by Tommy Lee Wallace

The vast majority of slasher franchises establish an iconic villain, and then stick with that villain for each and every entry. This would be the case for the Halloween franchise as well if not for the release of Halloween III: Season of the Witch, a film that ditches series’ icon Michael Myers in favor of presenting a story where a villainous company sells Halloween masks rigged to kill their wearers.

Halloween III is a remnant from when the Halloween franchise was intended to be an anthology of unconnected horror films, hence the lack of Myers. Unfortunately, while this is an interesting concept for a series, Halloween III simply doesn’t work. Its protagonist, Dan Challis (Tom Atkins), lacks the likability of Jamie Lee Curtis‘ Laurie Strode, and the masks are a far less intimidating threat than Michael’s knife. The filmmakers would drop the anthology idea altogether with the next film, 1988’s Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, leaving Halloween III as little more than an odd novelty in one of horror’s most famous franchises.

1 ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ (1969)

Directed by Peter R. Hunt

While a number of actors have played James Bond over the years, George Lazenby holds the unique distinction of only playing the spy for a single movie, 1969’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. As a result, the film has become somewhat of a black sheep in the long-running history of the franchise, but that doesn’t stop it from being one of the best James Bond movies.

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is notable for depicting a more vulnerable version of Bond than most films before or even since. Throughout different points in the film, Bond develops an actual relationship with Tracy di Vicenzo (Diana Rigg), culminating in their marriage at the end of the movie. Lazenby isn’t exactly the greatest actor in the world, but he does a good job, especially in moments where he has to reveal Bond’s sensitive side. It may be the black sheep of the series, but On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is an absolute must-watch within its series, definitively proving that, while risky, it can be worth it to break from established franchise norms.

NEXT: The 10 Most Disappointing Movie Sequels from Major Franchises, Ranked