10 Movie Series That Made Multiple Sequels Simultaneously

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It’s common to hear about promising movies that get announced as part of a series, but then never actually get made – they get delayed, stuck in development, or cancelled altogether. There’s one sure way to avoid this frustrating situation: film all the movies in a series back-to-back.

While it’s rare for most films, big-budget franchises with established stars and experienced directors often film multiple movies at once. This usually happens when a film does well and sequels are planned. Sometimes, they even film the first movie and its sequels back-to-back – this speeds up production and guarantees there will be a finished film ready for release.

Filming movies back-to-back – meaning shooting them one after the other – offers several advantages. Fans get new installments in a series more quickly, and studios save money on travel and production costs. It also allows for stronger, more consistent storylines and a unified visual style across multiple films, making them feel like one larger story. We’ve compiled a list of ten well-known examples of this practice in film history, detailing the reasons behind these decisions.

10 Movie Series That Filmed Their Sequels at the Same Time

Superman and Superman II

The original Superman films, directed by Richard Donner in 1978 and 1980, are a famous example of a complicated production. Donner and his team originally intended to film both Superman and Superman II at the same time, but faced numerous problems – including New York City’s 1977 blackout and constant budget concerns – that caused a major rift between Donner and the producers. They stopped speaking for months, and eventually, production on Superman II (which was already 75% complete) was paused so the first film could be finished. The entire shoot for both movies took a remarkable 19 months.

Back to the Future Part II and Back to the Future Part III

When a successful movie leads to a series, it’s common for the sequels to be filmed one right after another. That’s what happened with Back to the Future Part II and Back to the Future Part III—which explains why Part II ends with such a dramatic cliffhanger. The filmmakers already had the next movie in the can! Both films were shot at the same time, but not simultaneously. As the final touches were being added to Part II, director Robert Zemeckis would travel from the studio in Burbank to various California locations being used as the Old West settings for Part III. This constant filming and travel reportedly left Zemeckis with only a few hours of sleep each day.

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films are famous for being shot all at once – a remarkably bold move that no studio would likely allow today. Filming took just over a year, from October 1999 to December 2000, and involved shooting in seven different locations in New Zealand, on sound stages, and with miniatures. By completing the main filming a year before The Fellowship of the Ring was released, each movie had a full year for editing and any necessary reshoots. In fact, by the time Fellowship was finished, rough cuts of the other two films were already assembled.

The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions

Similar to how the filmmakers behind Back to the Future quickly made sequels when fans asked for more, the Wachowskis and Warner Bros. decided to film The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions back-to-back to complete the trilogy. They spent just under five months filming both movies, as well as the live-action footage for the Enter the Matrix video game. Because they filmed everything at once, the movies were finished rapidly, allowing Revolutions to be released only six months after Reloaded, instead of waiting a full year.

Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima

Clint Eastwood took a bold risk with his films Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima. Flags of Our Fathers tells the story of the American soldiers who raised the flag on Iwo Jima in 1945, while Letters from Iwo Jima presents the battle from the Japanese side, focusing on the experiences of General Tadamichi Kuribayashi. Eastwood was deeply affected by Japanese accounts while working on the first film and decided to create a companion piece that would offer a contrasting viewpoint. He began filming Letters from Iwo Jima in March 2006, shortly after finishing the first movie.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End

After the huge success of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Disney planned two sequels, framing the first film as the beginning of a three-part story. To keep the cast and crew consistent, they decided to film both sequels consecutively. However, the scripts weren’t finished when filming was scheduled to begin, so the writers joined the production on location to complete them, hoping to find inspiration from the actors’ performances. Dead Man’s Chest was initially the most expensive film ever made, but it was soon surpassed by its own sequel, At World’s End, which was then surpassed again by On Stranger Tides four years later.

Avatar: The Way of Water and Avatar: Fire and Ash

James Cameron is determined to complete his Avatar series, no matter what it takes. He and his team spent about ten years developing new filmmaking technology to achieve the perfect visual style for the sequels. This extra time allowed the writers and storyboard artists to thoroughly refine the stories for all the upcoming films. As a result, when they started filming Avatar: The Way of Water, they already had a clear plan for the third movie, Fire and Ash, and were able to film both simultaneously. According to various reports, significant portions of the fourth and fifth Avatar films are also already finished.

X and Pearl

As a huge fan of Ti West’s work, I was blown away by Mia Goth in X, so I was thrilled to learn about the quick turnaround for the prequel, Pearl. Apparently, Ti was so inspired by Mia’s performance that they started writing Pearl while still making X! Because of all the Covid filming challenges and the fact they were already shooting in New Zealand, they jumped right into Pearl as soon as X finished. They even cleverly reused sets and brought on some crew from the Avatar: The Way of Water shoot, which was happening nearby, to speed things up. It’s amazing to think Pearl came out only six months after X hit theaters!

Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire and Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver

When a streaming service like Netflix gives you a large budget for a big project – like a sprawling science fiction space opera – it makes sense to really go for it. That’s what director Zack Snyder did with his Rebel Moon films, which are long, dark, and reminiscent of Star Wars. He originally pitched the idea to Lucasfilm and Warner Bros. as a single movie and even a video game, but eventually partnered with Netflix to make it. Netflix worried that a very long film wouldn’t do well with audiences, so they decided to release the story in two parts: Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire and Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver. Both versions have been extended, offering what fans are calling “Snyder Cuts.”

Wicked and Wicked: For Good

As a huge fan of Wicked, I was excited when the movie adaptation was announced, but then I heard it was being split into two films! Director Jon M. Chu explained that the story, plus all the extra songs and scenes he wanted to add for the big screen, just wouldn’t fit into one movie without cutting important parts. So, they decided to make two! What’s cool is they filmed both movies back-to-back, starting in December 2022 in England. Production had to pause during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, but they wrapped everything up in January 2024. Because they shot them together, we’re getting Wicked: For Good only a year after the first part hits theaters – which is pretty amazing for us fans!

The 10 Movies with the Best DVD and Blu-ray Special Features

This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

We generally avoided including releases from the Criterion Collection on this list—otherwise it would have been all Criterion titles—but we made an exception for This Is Spinal Tap. Its initial DVD release was a Criterion title, and it’s a great edition. It was out of print for many years but recently became available again on 4K. The release is packed with extras, including two audio commentaries, nearly a full movie’s worth of deleted scenes, the original 20-minute short film that started it all, a music video for “Hell Hole,” and two trailers featuring director Rob Reiner hilariously presenting a wheel of cheese—they hadn’t finished editing the actual movie yet!

Back to the Future Trilogy (1985-1990)

If you own the Back to the Future trilogy on DVD or Blu-ray, you’re in for a treat! Every version is packed with bonus content, including commentary tracks, interviews with the filmmakers and cast, behind-the-scenes documentaries, episodes from the animated series, and a fun short film with Doc Brown. There are even vintage commercials for fictional products like the “2015 Hoverboard” and a parody trailer for Jaws 19. One Blu-ray release even included the complete pre-show video and ride footage from the old “Back to the Future: The Ride” attraction, which was overseen by Steven Spielberg at Universal Parks.

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992)

The HD Blu-ray release of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me included a significant amount of deleted footage – enough to essentially create a new film. This release offers a fresh perspective on the movie, which initially received mixed reactions, particularly with the inclusion of all the deleted and extended scenes compiled in Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces. While it’s usually clear why scenes were cut – often because they were too lengthy or unnecessary – it’s easy to argue that all the footage from Fire Walk With Me should have been part of the original film. Yes, that would have made the movie over three hours long, but it also would have greatly enhanced the viewing experience, potentially altering the plot and bringing back deleted characters and storylines.

Memento (2000)

Christopher Nolan’s Memento is brilliantly disorienting, and rightly so – it throws you directly into the mind of Leonard Shelby, a man who can’t form new memories. The film famously jumps around in time, mirroring Leonard’s confusion. What many don’t realize is that the Special Edition DVD hides a fascinating secret. If you can find it – it involves a very specific moment on the Special Features menu – you can actually watch the entire movie in chronological order. It’s a truly mind-bending experience, seeing the story unfold linearly, even including the reversed elements played forward and the end credits running backwards. It offers a completely different perspective on an already complex and unforgettable film.

Freddy Got Fingered (2001)

It’s surprising, but the home video release of Tom Green’s notoriously outrageous film, Freddy Got Fingered, is packed with bonus features. Fox included a full commentary track with Green, scene-specific commentaries from the cast, deleted scenes (with and without commentary), and behind-the-scenes footage. The most interesting extra is an audio recording of the world premiere, letting you hear the audience’s live reactions – the laughter, groans, and screams – of being among the first to see the movie.

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

It wouldn’t be complete without Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy – the special features on the home video release are truly remarkable. Making three movies consecutively was unusual for the time, and after creating such an immersive world with incredible costumes, sets, and effects, the filmmakers went all out to show us how it was done. You’ll find deleted scenes, interviews with the cast and crew, and behind-the-scenes glimpses of the painstaking work, like costumers crafting endless lengths of chainmail. And keep an eye out for a fun Easter egg: Dominic Monaghan, still in character, appears as a fake German journalist questioning Elijah Wood about whether he wears a wig!

Dawn of the Dead (2004)

The remake of Dawn of the Dead is often considered Zack Snyder’s best film, and the DVD release is surprisingly excellent. It’s a great collectible for zombie movie fans. Along with the film itself, it includes unique bonus features, like a fake news report about the zombie outbreak, a humorous behind-the-scenes look at casting the zombies, and a video diary from a gun shop owner that expands on the film’s world.

Sin City (2005)

If you were fascinated by the unique visuals of Sin City and wondered how they were created, the DVD special features offer a behind-the-scenes look. The release includes a picture-in-picture commentary that shows how scenes from the movie compare to the original storyboards and on-set production. Similar to Freddy Got Fingered, it also features an “Audience Reaction Track” from an early screening, letting you experience the movie alongside first-time viewers.

Grindhouse (2007)

As a huge fan of exploitation films, I was thrilled when Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino’s Grindhouse double feature came out. The great thing is, it holds up just as well watching it at home! A lot of the fun stuff they showed before the movies in theaters – those fake trailers – are included on the Blu-ray. You can buy Planet Terror and Death Proof separately, but this Special Edition Grindhouse Blu-ray is special because it gives you the complete “Double Feature Presentation” – the way it was originally meant to be seen. Plus, it has all those hilarious fake trailers for things like Don’t, Werewolf Women of the SS, Machete, Hobo with a Shotgun, and Thanksgiving. It’s awesome because those last three actually got made into real movies later on!

Knocked Up (2007)

Judd Apatow loves letting his actors improvise during filming, which means his movies always have plenty of extra footage left over when they come out on DVD or Blu-ray. This is definitely the case with Knocked Up. Along with a bunch of deleted scenes, the release includes a funny 30-minute fake documentary called “Finding Ben Stone” that shows how difficult it was to cast the main character. Apatow actually filmed some scenes multiple times with different actors – you can even see Michael Cera, Orlando Bloom, and Bill Hader hilariously mess them up!

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2025-11-24 19:00