The Focus breaks down a list of seven movies released in the last decade that deserve to spawn TV show spin-offs.
Watching a movie and thinking ‘I need more’ is something you may do on the regular. Even then, it’s less often you come across a film you feel absolutely demands a spin-off, and feature-length just won’t cut it. Netflix has just released The Gentlemen, a TV spin-off of the Guy Ritchie crime-comedy from 2019 of the same name. Over the last decade, I’ve seen a handful of movies that wholeheartedly deserve the episodic spin-off treatment, and here are the seven that I ache for the most…
Booksmart
Olivia Wilde‘s (Don’t Worry Darling) directorial feature debut Booksmart still stands out as the best comedy of 2019, telling the story of two hard-studying best friends (played by Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever) who decide to make up for lost time and party before their graduation ceremony.
The night introduces audiences to so many unforgettable characters and I’d be happy to see spin-offs for any number of them. But, let’s face it, the dorky Jared (Skyler Gisondo) and his hilariously unhinged friend Gigi (Billie Lourd) are an iconic duo fans would happily watch for hours on end. Netflix, Prime Video, anyone? Make it happen.
If you haven’t seen it, check out Booksmart on Hulu.
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Everybody Wants Some!!
Of all the entries on this list, Everybody Wants Some!! is the spin-off I demand the most. Directed by Richard Linklater, the 2016 American teen comedy takes place in 1980s Texas and centers around a group of college baseball players. Among the cast are Zoey Deutch and Wyatt Russell, but perhaps most notably now… Glen Powell.
Glen has become a major star thanks to turns in Top Gun: Maverick, Anyone But You, and he’s set to star in the anticipated sequel Twisters. His hilarious jock character Walt “Finn” Finnegan is ripe for a spin-off where fans can follow the beginnings of his baseball career after college. Of course, cameos from the original movie, especially Raw Dog, would be the icing on the cake.
The director and Glen have a new movie coming to Netflix called Hit Man in June, so here’s hoping they can cook something up yet again.
The Hunt
Not the heartbreaking 2012 drama movie starring Mads Mikkelsen, I’m talking about the 2020 satirical action horror.
Satirizing the divide in America between the left and the right, the movie presents a disturbing dystopia in which a group of elites kidnap working-class people and hunt them for sport on what equates to a giant game reserve.
It was a funny, grisly, and just a wild time at the movies. Juggling so many characters, it would be entertaining to see a new cast assembled to depict a different time the cruel game was played, following another fight for survival set before the one in the movie.
Mid90s
In with another directorial feature debut, this time from actor Jonah Hill, Mid90s is a coming-of-age movie released in 2018 but feels like it was made in the ’90s due to its authentic look and setting. It follows a young boy who gets in with a tight-knit group of skateboarders in Los Angeles.
At 85 minutes I would’ve appreciated so much longer with these characters, and while Sunny Suljic was great as the central character “Sunburn”, I think a spin-off catching up with an older Ray (Na-Kel Smith) as a pro-skater would be the best route to take. The ending came so fast it was jarring—there’s so much potential to dive deeper into any of these characters’ lives.
Nope
Jordan Peele is celebrated as a cinematic master of horror after his debut Get Out, sophomore effort Us, and his third movie 2022’s Nope, which is on Peacock and brings a unique sci-fi twist and pays homage to Steven Spielberg‘s Jaws.
Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer play siblings working on a horse ranch who attempt to capture footage of a UFO. No spoilers here, but the movie is truly refreshing in its reveal.
In a spin-off, it would be cool to see what others’ experience of this… object… may have been like. Following a different family as they grapple to understand what’s going on in the skies above them would be great, as well as presenting an opportunity to expand upon the mythology left out of the movie.
Red Rocket
American filmmaker Sean Baker has made terrific movies with Tangerine and The Florida Project, and he continued to dive into the lives of the down-and-out with the 2021 comedy-drama Red Rocket.
Simon Rex (Scary Movie 3) plays Mikey “Saber” Davies, a washed-up porn star who returns from LA to his Texas hometown with his glory days firmly in the rear-view mirror. However, when he meets a young woman named Strawberry (the debut performance of Suzanna Son, The Idol) he begins to plot his rise back to the top of the industry.
One of the many praises that can be sung about Sean’s films is the characters all feel so real, and he’s becoming known for working with non-actors. It would be great to have a limited series spin-off exploring what happened to Strawberry after her time with Mikey.
Theater Camp
One of the highlights of 2023 is Theater Camp, a mockumentary in the vein of the hit sitcom The Office that chronicles the efforts of counselors and attendees to keep their beloved summer camp afloat.
It’s hilarious, and while a sequel would be just as embraced by its growing fandom, a spin-off following Ben Platt’s Amos Klobuchar and Molly Gordon’s Rebecca-Diane being sent to lend their expertise to another camp would be wonderful to see, bringing in a new cast of young characters for them to mentor.
The movie was such a warm hug, it would be a shame to leave it at just one.
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