Top 10 Cheapest Movie Sequels Ever

#10: “Clerks II” (2006)

Who’d have guessed a scrappy $27,000 black-and-white indie flick shot in a convenience store would spark a franchise? Yet, in 1994, “Clerks” did the unthinkable. A sequel to the cult classic hit the big screen in almost all full color in 2006. Kevin Smith brought back fan-favorite slackers Randal Graves and Dante Hicks for “Clerks II” with a game-changing $5 million budget. The film leaned into themes of friendship, adulthood, and emotional growth more gracefully and mostly delivered. But its cruder humor, including the donkey scene and others, was a clear misfire, splitting critics. Fans, however, didn’t hesitate, pushing the global box office to almost $27 million. Despite a bigger budget and better production, “Clerks II” couldn't match the strong cost-to-profit ratio of “Clerks”.

#9: “Saw II” (2005)

A year after Jigsaw’s mayhem in 2004, “Saw II” took the claustrophobic terror of the first and cranked up the brutality. With a lean $4 million budget, far from the $1.2 million of the first, the sequel proved you don’t need blockbuster money to make a box office hit. John Kramer, aka Jigsaw, was back with more elaborate and deranged traps as ever, forcing people to play twisted games that often resulted in deadly outcomes. “Saw II” was brutally bloody, much like its predecessor, cementing its place in the splatter horror subgenre. But despite this, it didn’t win over critics. Fans, though? They couldn’t get enough—and the more than $150 million box office number says it all. Fast forward two decades and the “Saw” films are a $1 billion franchise!

#8: “Evil Dead II” (1987)

Directed by Sam Raimi, 1987’s “Evil Dead II” is a perfect mix of horror, slapstick comedy, and action. It transformed the franchise with humor, tension, and a smarter story, all on a modest $3.5 million budget. Bruce Campbell reprised his iconic role as Ash, and the Necronomicon chaos returned in this remake/sequel. Once again, Ash finds himself in an abandoned cabin, but this time it’s what happens to his girlfriend Linda that kickstarts the film’s story. The first two movies were truly low-budget hits, powered by Raimi’s vision and skill. After that, the “Evil Dead” universe blew wide open. The third entry, “Army of Darkness,” came in bigger, with an $11 million budget, earning cult status along with the previous two flicks, and opening the door for other projects in the franchise.

#7: “Paranormal Activity 2” (2010)

Eight years after “The Blair Witch Project,” ““Paranormal Activity” made found footage scary - or at least popular - again, and the sequel kept the nightmare alive, to some extent. The original was a raw, fear-inducing indie shot by Oren Peli for just $15,000, with Paramount later adding $200,000 for post-production. The 2010 prequel shifted the terror to Katie’s sister Kristi’s house, with Micah and Katie from the first film reprising their roles. The budget? A jump to $3 million. Despite the upgrade, “Paranormal Activity 2” earned slightly less at the box office, making $177 million in comparison to the first’s $194 million. Still, its disturbing realism and eerie atmosphere made enough of an impact that 4 more installments of the franchise were released between 2011 and 2021.

#6: “A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge” (1985)

“Freddy’s Revenge” continued the “Nightmare on Elm Street” saga, diving into Freddy’s terror through possession and twisted nightmares. The original helped New Line Cinema avoid financial ruin, making more than $57 million on a less than $2 million budget. While “Freddy’s Revenge” kept costs low at just $3 million, it cranked up the gore. The sequel’s box office receipts may not have been as high as the first with $30 million, but Robert Englund’s iconic Freddy Krueger still cemented himself as a horror icon. Despite the relatively low budget and mixed critical reviews, “Freddy’s Revenge” later became a cult classic - and even better, led to a franchise full of Krueger's iconic slashes.

#5: “Hatchet II” (2010)

Director Adam Green’s unrated “Hatchet II” brought back notorious slasher Victor Crowley. He was bloodier, meaner, and dead set on turning the swamp into a slaughterhouse. The sequel picked up right where the original left off. With a minimal storyline and practical effects-driven carnage, “Hatchet II” had a modest budget estimated anywhere between $800,000 and $3 million. Genre fans loved it, but outside the slasher horror bubble, it bombed hard and failed to break even. Believe it or not, “Hatchet II” was reported to have made only $156 000 at the box office. That didn’t stop writer-director Adam Green nor actor Kane Hodder from returning for the third and fourth films though!

#4: “Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior” (1981)

Directed by George Miller, “Mad Max 2” continues the story of Max Rockatansky, dropping him back into a post-apocalyptic wasteland. This time, he has to face the ruthless biker gang leader, Lord Humungus. Made on a tight budget of around $2-3 million, the film became a landmark for action cinema, especially when it came to post-apocalyptic fiction. With intense vehicular chases and brutal fight scenes, “The Road Warrior” solidified Mel Gibson’s Max and his devil-may-care black leather jacket as a cult icon. Though it didn't match the record-breaking success of its predecessor, which earned the Guinness World Record for most profitable film ever, “Mad Max 2” still raked in over $23 million and is also considered one of the greatest sequels of all time.

#3: “Before Sunset” (2004)

Directed by Richard Linklater and co-written by lead actors Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, “Before Sunset” was a romantic but wiser extension of the indie flick, “Before Sunrise.” Nine years after Jesse and Celine’s first encounter on a train in Europe, the duo reunited in Paris. While the plot appears simple, what unfolds after this truly hits every emotion! Falling in the ballpark of $2 to $2.7 million, “Before Sunset” was a low-budget film that traded spectacle for depth, soul and higher stakes. Its box office roared to a solid $15.8 million, critics raved, and an even brighter future awaited a few years later with the 2013 third entry, “Before Midnight.”

#2: “Bride of Re-Animator” (1990)

What happens when you double down on both the budget and the madness of an indie horror-comedy? You get “Bride of Re-Animator,” a sequel to the 1985 cult classic. Brian Yuzna’s direct-to-video film delved deeper into Herbert West’s twisted obsession, first explored in film by Stuart Gordon and company in “Re-Animator.” West wasn’t just reanimating the dead; he was stitching together life from the ground up in the second entry. With $2–2.5 million to work with — up from the original’s estimated $900,000 to 1.3 million dollar budget — Yuzna amped up blood-splattered chaos. However, anything beyond the gore, like character development or plot cohesion, was tossed out of frame, according to critics - though that didn’t stop a Spanish-American installment of the franchise from popping up in 2003!

#1: “Terrifier 2” (2022)

Despite delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic, filming for “Terrifier 2” managed to wrap in 2021, resulting in an indie horror flick that’s often considered better than the first film. Through the twisted vision of Damien Leone, we once again follow a story featuring sadistic killer Art the Clown. Picking up where the 2016 movie left off - only bloodier and bolder - “Terrifier 2” had a budget that jumped from a measly $35,000 to $250,000, with help from a Leone-launched Indiegogo campaign. This time, the gore also jumped in such intensity that there were fans who reportedly puked in theaters. Though we wish we could unsee that infamous scene with Allie and her mom, it also helped make the film unforgettable.. The film truly checked every box: low-budget horror done right. With mostly positive critical reviews, and a strong $15.7 million made at the box office, it’s no surprise we saw a “Terrifier 3” in 2024..

Which sequel did you not expect to be made on such a low-budget? Let us know in the comments below.