Society has evolved its media tremendously across generations, each era giving a new twist to the process of creative storytelling, acting, or outstanding special effects. However there is one concept that has lasted through all of these eras, and still stands strong today—the trilogy curse. 

In Hollywood, the trilogy curse is defined as the idea of the third movie in a franchise always being a flop. This theory has been prevalent for decades, especially evident in movie series like “Shrek,” “Divergent,” and even “Toy Story.” This sentiment has carried on for years, even going back to older movie franchises including “Star Wars,” “Indiana Jones,” and “The Matrix.”

But how did this theory start? And why does it actually happen to most movie franchises? This long-lasting phenomenon is such a common fear that many carry the idea when it comes to their favorite movies coming up with a possibility of a third movie, and there are multiple reasons as to why this could be.

Rising Pressure

If a movie franchise is well-acclaimed and loved by many, then the staff involved with the series receive money and attention from people all over the world that can see their creativity and experience. With this ego boost, it wouldn’t be surprising that people would be motivated to write and produce another movie that has the potential to be better than the first.

The sequel that follows after the first is already an installment that has to top the first with different storytelling, a new twist, new original characters, or perhaps even a continuation of a cliffhanger that happened in the first. Expectations and standards will most likely rise if there is a potential for another movie after the second one.

The stakes for producing a movie that can meet or exceed the expectations are raised by audiences after putting most of the effort in the second, leaving much room for the third movie to fall short of hopes that are set. When this happens, producers will tend to include many different elements all at once to try to satisfy the audience. However, adding these intense conflicts, more complex action scenes, and expanding the story line could potentially only leave room for more plot holes or increase the chance of losing the audience’s interest. 

Analyzing one of the most overly-judged sequels in the movie industry, “Shrek the Third” is a stronger example when it comes to trilogy curses. Unlike the other two movies that Dreamworks produced, “Shrek the Third” features a story line where the main character, Shrek, is reluctant to take the throne as king, while a past antagonist, Prince Charming, attempts to usurp the throne. Though it does follow the story line, the overall story lacked the elements that the other movies had and left audiences confused and disappointed. The story was ultimately lackluster with a loss of the nostalgic grandeur that the other movies possessed, and instead it showcased new elements that even hardcore Shrek fans hated.

Creativity Fatigue

Like it was mentioned earlier, writers and directors often try to keep a sense of originality in each film, but when it comes to the third one, they are definitely burnt out. The cliché story line order is that the first movie introduces the story and characters, while the second deepens the story in great depth. It is at this point that the story has most likely reached a natural endpoint, and forcing another part of the story only ruins it.

These trilogies often feel artificial and make it hard to watch because it is obvious that the characters have run out of room for development and are replaced by predictable arcs or confusing plots. The only rare exceptions for trilogies to happen without the expectation to create a whole new plot line are when even the second movie has a cliffhanger. Still, the third movie often proves to be unsatisfying.

When watching “Shrek the Third,” the creator made it so that Shrek is faced with impending fatherhood, making him reconnect with the anxieties about responsibility and acceptance again. If these themes have been tackled and dealt with successfully before, should it really be brought back? Unfortunately, the redundancy of the theme led to stale storytelling, proving the trilogy curses’ power.

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Although the trilogy movie curse is not something that is guaranteed, it is definitely a difficult trap to avoid. The combination of fandom pressure and creativity fatigue could easily derail any movie franchise, no matter how beloved and dear it is to society. However, if it is handled correctly in the right hands, this phenomenon may be prevented. This is evident in franchises such as “Back to the Future,” “Spider-Man,” and “Scream,” which all bring a satisfying ending to their respective story lines and are highly acclaimed by viewers.