20 A-listers who turned down a no-brainer sequel

Katie Holmes had a great role in Batman Begins, but she opted against the sequel, The Dark Knight , for personal reasons. Though she says she doesn’t regret her choice, cinephiles still wonder what offers she had that were better than a Christopher Nolan project. 

There’s an entire generation of kids whose introduction to comedy legend Eddie Murphy was by way of Daddy Day Care. Unfortunately, critics weren’t sold on the film, and Murphy didn’t return for the sequel. 

Keanu Reeves made a huge splash in the ‘90s hit film Speed , in which he starred opposite Sandra Bullock. But he didn’t feel it was the right move to star in the sequel to the film, which ended up being a great choice because the sequel received terrible reviews. 

Bill Murray wasn’t sold on a Ghostbusters sequel. He eventually reprised his role in movies of the franchise, but it wasn’t until decades later, after he refused to film an initial sequel. 

Rachel Weisz is an icon, and part of being an icon involves taking on the right roles. After playing Evie in The Mummy and The Mummy Returns, Weisz opted out of the third film, primarily citing scheduling conflicts, and she kept her legacy intact in the process as the third Mummy movie was, well, awful (at least according to critics). 

There are loads of reasons why an actor might opt against filming a sequel. For Richard Dreyfuss in Jaws 2, the money wasn’t right. Perhaps the studio should’ve shelled out whatever Dreyfuss was asking, because Jaws 2 got horrific reviews. 

Keira Knightley was a fixture in the first two Pirates of the Caribbean movies, but the fame that came from the wild success of the films took a toll on her mental health. The actor returned for cameo appearances, but she opted against a full reprisal. 

Orlando Bloom didn’t reprise his role for every Pirates of the Caribbean sequel either. The actor said he felt that there was nowhere else for his character to go, and he wanted to pursue other opportunities. 

After starring as George in George of the Jungle, Brendan Fraser opted against the sequel. Apparently, he wasn’t being offered enough money. 

Chris Tucker is another case of the money not being right … or maybe not. Tucker was asked to return for a sequel to the movie Friday, but he declined. Tucker says it was for religious reasons, but his former co-star Ice Cube claims it was because of money. 

Jim Carrey knows when to make a sequel and when not to. He’s done Ace Ventura and Dumb and Dumber multiple times, but he opted against returning for a sequel to The Mask. 

Clearly, Michael J. Fox has no problem with sequels. His most famous role turned into an entire franchise. But not every film warrants a sequel. In the ‘80s, Fox opted against making a sequel to Teen Wolf. 

Will Smith knows his worth. The Oscar winner declined to star in a sequel to Independence Day because he wasn’t going to get paid enough (though scheduling conflicts played a part, too). 

Jamie Lee Curtis didn’t want to be defined by her role in Halloween, so after one sequel, she opted against reprising her role. She must be a sucker for nostalgia, though, because Curtis eventually returned to the series. 

Don’t kill off Geena Davis! At least not at the beginning of the movie. Davis declined a role reprisal in the sequel to The Fly because her character was set to die at the beginning of the film. 

Some movies don’t need sequels, and Jodie Foster felt that way about The Silence of the Lambs. She opted against reprising her Oscar-winning role for the sequel, Hannibal , with Julianne Moore playing the character of Clarice instead. 

After starring in Snow White and the Huntsman, Kristen Stewart was offered a cameo role in the sequel. Rumors of her and the director having an affair resulted in her being fired from the franchise to begin with (the director, too), and she apparently had no interest in returning where she wasn’t wanted. 

Macaulay Culkin turned down the opportunity to star in a third Home Alone film because he was on an acting hiatus. And he deserved a break. The child star had done enough to save Christmas. He didn’t need to do more. 

Arnold Schwarzenegger opted against the sequel to Predator because he wasn’t being offered enough money. The man is now a billionaire, so the decision clearly didn’t hurt him financially. 

The Godfather  franchise was wildly successful, but that didn’t keep everyone in the cast involved. Robert Duvall opted against reprising his character for the third film, saying that he didn’t feel he was offered a fair salary, especially compared to Al Pacino.