LIVE POLL: Favorite Oscar-Nominated Best Picture Sequel?

Few sequels have been nominated for Best Picture and just two have won: The Godfather Part II and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Other nominees include The Bells of St. Mary's, The Godfather Part III, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Toy Story 3, and Mad Max: Fury Road.[18]

Another nominee, Broadway Melody of 1936, was a follow-up of sorts to previous winner The Broadway Melody. But, beyond the title and some music, there is no story connection to the earlier film. The Silence of the Lambs was adapted from the sequel novel to Red Dragon. The latter had been adapted for film as Manhunter by a different studio. Best Picture nominee The Lion in Winter features Peter O'Toole as King Henry II, a role he had played previously in the film Becket. But Winter is not a sequel to Becket. Clint Eastwood's Letters from Iwo Jima was a companion piece to his film Flags of Our Fathers, released earlier the same year. These two films depict the same battle from the different viewpoints of Japanese and United States military forces; the two films were shot back-to-back. In addition, Black Panther is a continuation on the events that occurred in Captain America: Civil War.

Several musical adaptations based on material previously filmed in non-musical form have won Best Picture, including Gigi, West Side Story, My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music, Oliver!, and Chicago

@urbanemovies​ This movie has a shot @ securing an Oscar Best Picture nomination in 2023.

@urbanemovies​ It looks like 2-4 sequel/prequel movies have a strong shot @ a 2023 Oscar BP nomination.

@urbanemovies​ Top Gun: Maverick & Avatar: The Way of Water both secured 2023 Best Picture Oscar nominations.

@Peter_pbn​

I am purely interested in whether the following film's narrative takes place before (prequel), after (sequel) or adds (companion) to that of a previously released film to be part of the answer pool. I am not interested in titles that are in name only linked, that don't fit the true sequel definition or whether they have been sanctioned by someone else as such. 

These "official" lists excludes films that fit the true definition of a sequel, prequel, or companion simply because the story went from being a musical to a non-musical or visa versa. As well as, excludes films that are based on the same source material and continues the narrative, but were made by a different studio, in a different country or language, or had different casts or creative teams and not marketed as a series. A well-known example are the non-Eon produced films, Casino Royale (1967) and Never Say Never Again (1983). Even though, these films star James Bond and sourced from the same works of Ian Fleming, they have been disavowed as sequels even though the fit the definition and advance the storyline of the character.

It seems being labeled a sequel has more to do with making money and protecting a franchise. Since, the overriding industry factor is whether it is made by the same company trumps the common sense one of whether or not it continues, precedes or advances the characters' storyline. The dispute primarily arises between the "unofficial" and "unofficial" lists when there are multiple rights holder due to holding the rights to different novels or the same rights in different countries.

Therefore, in taking a fresh look at Best Picture titles for the poll answer pool, I concur that nine "official" Best Picture titles fit the definition of a prequel, sequel or companion film to a previously released film.

Further, the following considered Best Picture titles do not fit the definition of a prequel, sequel or companion film, despite having a previously released film.

Gigi, West Side Story, My Fair Lady, Oliver!, and Chicago retell the same story moving from a non-musical format to being told as musicals.

Broadway Melody of 1936, was a follow-up in name only to previous winner The Broadway Melody with no story connection between the two.

Likewise, other than Peter O'Toole being cast as real-life character King Henry II, in both The Lion in Winter (1968) and Becket (1964) films, there is no connection between the two movie productions.

However, I found four titles that do have a narrative that takes place before (prequel), after (sequel) or adds (companion) to that of a previously released film and therefore fit the true definition.

Prequel (1)

Sound of Music (1965) tells the story of the Von Trapp family before they came to America that was depicted previously in the non-musical West German movie, Die Trapp-Familie in Amerika (1958)

Sequels (2)

Black Panther (2018) continues the Wakanda storyline  that was started and had characters introduced in the last act of Captain America: Civil War (2016).

Silence of the Lambs (1991) continues the character Dr. Hannibal Lecter storyline started in Manhunter (1986) but by different film companies and cast with different actors.

Companion (1)

Letters from Iwo Jima (2006) adds to the narrative previously told by Flag of Our Fathers (2006) but is told from a different perspective during the same timeline as the previous film by the same film company.

I have made the correction to nine "official" BP titles and supported my four "unofficial" inclusions with notes in the list and more detailed discussion here on why they fit the definition of a Sequel, Prequel or Companion BP movie.

I removed the source citation but also used as a resource: https://www.filmsite.org/bestpics.html

The Departed is based on Infernal Affairs, which has a prequel. Does this make The Departed a sequel?

The Little Women novel has a sequel which has been filmed. Does this make every later version of Little Women a prequel?

The old All Quiet on the Western Front had a sequel. Does this make the new version a prequel?

@Peter_pbn​ I only was aware of The Trapp Family in America (1958), the West German comedy drama film about the real-life Austrian musical Trapp Family  It wasn't aware of the preceding 1956 film, The Trapp Family. So, I agree that the Sound of Music (1965) would be remake and not a sequel. I removed it from this other portion of the answer pool.

I also removed Black Panther (2018), which had the preceding Captain America: Civil War (2016) used like a backdoor pilot to kick-off the Wakanda franchise. I don't perceive that film as a Captain America film either, it seemed like more like it belonged in the Avenger franchise to me.

The problem is the sequel label the studios use have more to do with rotating through franchise installments within their phased schedules. Plus, with the use of expanded or shared universes, it can be tricky and be unclear at times.

I also take issue with sequels that are marketed as such and have no story connection and are cutely explained away as "indirect sequels". Essentially, making the studio use of the term worthless. https://screenrant.com/movie-sequels-nothing-do-with-original/

In January 2023,  Top Gun: Maverick (2022) and  Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) secured Oscar Best Picture nominations for the 95th Academy Awards. In doing so, they became the eighth and nineth films to secure a nomination as an "official" sequel to a prior franchise movie. While not "official" sequels, two other films  The Silence of the Lambs (1991) and  Letters from Iwo Jima (2006) have strong ties to a preceding film and if included in the group would make it eleven to achieve sequel, prequel, or companion distinction.

Plus, the question is very clear about the scope, even going so far to list the three subsets of sequel types and hyperlink their definitions.

Which of these select Best Picture Oscar-nominated sequel, prequel or companion movies, that are either directly or indirectly connected to the story line of a previous movie, is your favorite?

As well as, the reasoning behind their inclusion being included in the answer options notes to explain their presence in the pool.

@Jessica​ Corrected, ninth

@Peter_pbn​ Thanks