'The Woman In Black' And Five Other Bad Films That Somehow Spawned Sequels

By Justine Ashley Costanza | October 12 2012 7:22 PM

Photo: Columbia Pictures

Daddy Day Care

The critically panned “Daddy Day Care” became a modest hit in 2003, and for some inexplicable reason a sequel, without the film's signature star Eddie Murphy, was released in 2007. “Daddy Day Camp” now has the unpleasant distinction of being one of the worst-reviewed films of all time.

Photo: Warner Brothers

Clash of the Titans

The 2010 film “Clash of the Titans" was accorded lukewarm reviews, but the movie managed to find a fan base. According to Box Office Mojo, the film grossed $163 million domestically. That’s not much when you consider the action/adventure flick’s production budget was $125 million. Yet talk of a possible sequel began immediately after the film’s release, and “Wrath of the Titans” hit theaters this year. To date, it has grossed an unimpressive $84 million in the U.S., but cost $150 million to make.

Photo: SONY

Ghost Rider

Poor word-of-mouth and tepid reviews led “Ghost Rider” to gross just $116 million domestically, barely covering its $110 million production budget. But that didn’t stop Sony from green-lighting a follow-up to the 2007 Nicolas Cage vehicle. Since its February release, “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance” -- with a trimmed-down budget of $57 million -- has pulled in a disappointing $52 million in the U.S.

Photo: Paramount Pictures

GI Joe: Rise of the Cobra

“G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” was one of the most forgettable and poorly titled films of 2009. “This pricey, juiceless pulp could never have been killed by critics, simply because it was already dead,” the New York Times critic Manohla Dargis wrote in a review of the movie. Few disagreed, but, alas, “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” is slated for release next March.

Photo: FOX

Big Momma's House

When you consider that “Big Momma’s House” was one of the worst-reviewed movies of 2000, it’s puzzling that Fox would release a second installment of the unfunny drag-gag flick six years after its release. Although “Big Momma’s House 2” was clearly an attempt to capitalize on the impressive $118 million its predecessor grossed at the box office, it pulled in a modest $70 million.

The uninspired horror film “The Woman in Black,” starring Daniel Radcliffe, failed to wow audiences when it was released in February. The movie didn’t make much of a splash at the box-office either -- earning a reported $54 million in U.S. theaters, according to BoxOffice.com.

Yet, according to the Hollywood Reporter, Tom Harper will soon direct the film’s sequel, “The Woman in Black: Angel of Death.” Although the original movie grossed a comparatively impressive $126 million worldwide, it’s not entirely clear why a follow-up is warranted.

The film joins the list of bad movies that somehow spawned sequels. Here are five other lackluster productions that managed to do so.