14 of the best legacy sequels — and 7 of the worst

In Hollywood, legacy sequels are on the rise, especially after the successes of films like "Twisters," "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," and "Top Gun: Maverick." However, not all legacy sequels are created equal — for every boundary-pushing film like "The Matrix Resurrections," there are abysmal films such as "Independence Day: Resurgence."

But what Hollywood is learning from these films is that sequels sell, sometimes regardless of quality.

"Spider-Man: Brand New Day" has made nearly $2.5 billion and is now the highest-grossing film in the US ever, while "Top Gun: Maverick" became the highest-grossing film of Tom Cruise's career, earning $1.5 billion, per Box Office Mojo data. It could be argued that almost no one liked any of the "Jurassic World" films, yet they each made over $1 billion.

This year's legacy sequels include "The Devil Wears Prada 2," a movie that picks up 20 years after Miranda Priestly memorably schooled Andy Sachs (and us) on cerulean belts and florals for spring, and "Practical Magic 2," which follows Sally and Gillian Owens and a next generation of Owens witches, cursed by love.

Watching "The Devil Wears Prada 2" felt like coming home — if home was a toxic workplace we just can't seem to get enough of.

"The Devil Wears Prada" is one of the most quotable movies of the last 20 years and has become a cultural touchstone since its 2006 release. It earned Meryl Streep her 14th Oscar nomination, cemented Anne Hathaway as a movie star, and introduced us to the icon that is Emily Blunt. Need we say more?

So when news of a sequel that would pick up 20 years after Andy left Runway and Miranda Priestly behind, fans were understandably nervous. However, those fears are unfounded.

A worse movie would make endless references to the original, pretend that the media landscape is the same as it was in 2006, and reduce Miranda to a quip machine.

Instead, this movie tackles the issues that are facing journalism in 2026 head-on, with sometimes depressing accuracy. Besides a few subtle references at the beginning, the film also shows restraint in deploying what some reviewers have termed "key-jangling" — showing the audience little references and Easter eggs to the first film as if to say, "Look, remember this thing? You loved it in 2006, and you still love it now!"

All in all, "The Devil Wears Prada 2" is the best-case scenario for a film like this.

There's an argument to be made that "28 Years Later" is just as good as "28 Days Later."

Upon its release in 2002, "28 Days Later" changed the zombie genre forever — even though, yes, we know, they aren't technically the living dead — with the introduction of running zombies. It was also a brutally entertaining thriller, with a talented cast, solid jump scares, and a somewhat hopeful ending.