A standalone film is a film that does not have any relation with other films. In the late 1990s, it was typical to create standalone films with no plans for sequels. The term "standalone film" appeared when sequels, spin-offs, and franchises became normal from the mid-2000s onwards.
Types of standalone films
In a canonical meaning, a standalone film is a film that is not part of any
franchise. ''
The Sixth Sense
''The Sixth Sense'' is a 1999 American psychological thriller film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. It stars Bruce Willis as a child psychologist whose patient ( Haley Joel Osment) claims he can see and talk to the dead.
Released ...
'', ''
The Shawshank Redemption'', ''
Inception
''Inception'' is a 2010 science fiction action film written and directed by Christopher Nolan, who also produced the film with Emma Thomas, his wife. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a professional thief who steals information by infi ...
'', ''
Se7en'' and ''
Interstellar'' are examples of standalone films.
When a film is set in either the same universe (or one very similar to that of) as its predecessors, yet has very little if any narrative connection to its predecessors and can be appreciated on its own without a thorough understanding of the backstory, then the work can be referred to as a standalone sequel. ''
Mr. Bean's Holiday
''Mr. Bean's Holiday'' is a 2007 comedy film directed by Steve Bendelack and written by Hamish McColl and Robin Driscoll, from a story penned by Simon McBurney. Based on the British sitcom series '' Mr. Bean'' created by Rowan Atkinson and R ...
'', ''
All Dogs Go to Heaven 2'', ''
The Rescuers Down Under
''The Rescuers Down Under'' is a 1990 American animated adventure film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 29th Disney animated feature film and the second movie to be produced during the Disne ...
'', ''
Return to Never Land'', ''
Kronk's New Groove'', ''
Space Jam: A New Legacy'', and ''
Jingle All the Way 2'' are examples of stand-alone movie sequels.
A standalone spin-off is a film that expands some fictional universe. The
''Star Wars'' Anthology series is an example of standalone spin-offs.
Standalone spin-offs may also be centered on a minor character from an existing fictional universe.
See also
*
Sequel
A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...
*
Spin-off
Spin-off may refer to:
*Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work
*Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity
* Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gov ...
References
{{Film-term-stub
Narrative forms
Film and video terminology