There’s been plenty of news about upcoming sequels to popular films recently. News emerged this week of a new Spiderman series. Pirates of the Caribbean 5 is entering production. Chris Pratt stars in Jurassic World later this year - and rumours persist that he could be the next Indiana Jones. In fact, there’s probably too many sequels in production to count.

With all that in mind, the Friday Right Hook panel will be discussing the topic of unnecessary sequels on the show today. Tune in live at 6.15pm to hear what they have to say: http://www.newstalk.com/player/ 

While some sequels do have some artistic justification, and certainly no shortage of commercial motivation, there are the sequels whose mere existence sort of beggars belief. Here’s five of the most unnecessary. Do you have any others you would add to the list?

Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo

The daddy of unnecessary sequels. It is fair to say few people remember the breakdancing-themed drama Breakin’, let alone its sequel - but the latter has successfully entered pop cultural infamy. Thanks to the sequel - released mere months after the original - the subtitle ‘Electric Boogaloo’ is now often used as a pejorative to make fun of any redundant or ridiculous sequel.

S. Darko

The very idea of a sequel to the independent hit Donnie Darko was misjudged for any number of reasons. The original was wholly self-contained, with a definitive ending. Donnie Darko’s director Richard Kelly and star Jake Gyllenhaal understandably declined to return. Daveigh Chase - who plays Donnie’s sister Samantha - came back, and the film shifted focus to her character. All-in-all, it’s fair to assume not many Donnie Darko films were eagerly anticipating the continued adventures of a peripheral character from the original.

The film went straight to DVD. It currently enjoys a rating of 0% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Staying Alive

Another proud entry on the list of sequels rated 0% on Rotten Tomatoes, this follow-up to Saturday Night Fever actually enjoyed some financial success (unlike the other films mentioned on this list). That did not protect the Sylvester Stallone directed film - wait… Sylvester Stallone?! - from a critical mauling.

Staying Alive can be considered a shorthand for the whole subgenre of unnecessary sequels to hit musicals. You can also count the likes of Grease 2 and Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights. And that’s without getting into the whole area of remakes.

Son of the Mask

Timeliness is key when it comes to unnecessary sequels - a quick turnaround can guarantee at least some residual interest thanks to the original hit. Son of the Mask showed up more than a decade after the original, which was probably too late to cash in on success of the lucrative comedy. Jim Carrey did not return - and Jamie Kennedy is not exactly the box office draw Carrey is. Worse again, the ‘family friendly’ sequel stepped back from the cheeky charm of the original, leaving an altogether less enjoyable and less distinctive romp.

Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2

Horror sequels benefit most from prompt sequels, and the likes of Saw and Paranormal Activity proved how fast a lucrative franchise can be established (and fade just as quickly). Blair Witch 2, however, was a major misjudgement. Dropping the (at the time) unique style of the original left viewers with a bland, haphazard follow-up. And it killed a potential franchise stone dead - despite enjoying a much bigger budget than its famously low-fi predecessor, it was a commercial dud.