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 Franchise may refer to: Business and law * Franchising, a business method that involves licensing of trademarks and methods of doing business to franchisees * Franchise, a privilege to operate a type of business such as a cable television p ...

. ''

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 by ...

'', ''

The Shawshank Redemption ''The Shawshank Redemption'' is a 1994 American drama film written and directed by Frank Darabont, based on the 1982 Stephen King novella ''Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption''. It tells the story of banker Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), w ...

'', ''

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 infiltr ...

'', '' 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 Richar ...

'', ''

All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 ''All Dogs Go to Heaven 2'' is a 1996 American animated musical fantasy adventure film, and a sequel to Goldcrest Films' animated film '' All Dogs Go to Heaven'' (1989). Produced by MGM/UA Family Entertainment and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Animation ...

'', ''

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 Disney Ren ...

'', ''

Return to Never Land ''Return to Never Land'' (also known as ''Peter Pan in: Return to Never Land'' and later retitled ''Peter Pan II: Return to Never Land'' on current home video release) is a 2002 American animated adventure fantasy film produced by Disney MovieToo ...

'', ''

Kronk's New Groove ''Kronk's New Groove'' (also known as ''The Emperor's New Groove 2: Kronk's New Groove'') is a 2005 American direct-to-video animated musical comedy film animated by Toon City Animation and released by Walt Disney Home Entertainment on Decembe ...

'', '' Space Jam: A New Legacy'', and ''

Jingle All the Way 2 ''Jingle All the Way 2'' is a 2014 American direct-to-video Christmas comedy film, and a sequel to the 1996 film '' Jingle All the Way'' starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Directed by Alex Zamm, ''Jingle All the Way 2'' stars Larry the Cable Guy and ...

'' 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.

References

{{Film-term-stub Narrative forms Film and video terminology

Types of standalone films

See also

References