# Legacy sequels boom despite uneven quality

> Hollywood banks on nostalgia as legacy sequels rake in billions, regardless of critical reception.
- Title: Legacy sequels boom despite uneven quality · Business Insider
- Summary: Hollywood banks on nostalgia as legacy sequels rake in billions, regardless of critical reception. Legacy sequels are driving box office success in…
- Keywords: legacy sequels, box office, nostalgia, spider-man, top gun maverick, jurassic world, the matrix resurrections, independence day resurgence, the devil wears prada 2, practical magic 2, business, technology
- Source: Business Insider — https://businessinsider.com/best-and-worst-legacy-sequels-in-movie-history-2022-7
- Author: Gabbi Shaw
- Published: 2026-09-21T16:21:38.279+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: legacy sequels, box office, nostalgia, spider-man, top gun maverick, jurassic world, the matrix resurrections, independence day resurgence, the devil wears prada 2, practical magic 2, business, technology
## Nostalgia drives Hollywood sequels
Legacy sequels are rising in Hollywood, especially after successes like Twisters, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Top Gun: Maverick. The trend capitalises on nostalgia's powerful appeal to audiences.
## Quality varies wildly among sequels
Not all legacy sequels succeed creatively. For every boundary-pushing film like The Matrix Resurrections, there are abysmal films such as Independence Day: Resurgence.
## Box office gold regardless of reviews
Hollywood is learning that sequels sell, sometimes regardless of quality. Spider-Man: Brand New Day has made nearly two point five billion dollars and is now the highest-grossing film in the US ever.
## Top Gun: Maverick breaks records
Top Gun: Maverick became the highest-grossing film of Tom Cruise's career, earning one point five billion dollars, per Box Office Mojo data.
## Jurassic World profits despite criticism
It could be argued that almost no one liked any of the Jurassic World films, yet they each made over one billion dollars.
## New legacy sequels arriving this year
This year's legacy sequels include The Devil Wears Prada 2, picking up twenty years after Miranda Priestly schooled Andy Sachs on cerulean belts, and Practical Magic 2, following the Owens witches cursed by love.
## Key takeaway

Legacy sequels are driving box office success in Hollywood, with films like Spider-Man and Top Gun: Maverick earning billions, though quality varies widely.