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Keanu Reeves -

Keanu Reeves didn’t join his co-star Sandra Bullock for the sequel to the 1994 action movie ‘Speed.’ In a 2018 interview on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ he said it was because he didn’t like the script.

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Keanu Reeves -

In the original movie, Reeves played police officer Jack Traven, who is also the love interest of Sandra Bullock’s character, Annie. When Reeves said no to the sequel, an off-screen breakup was introduced.

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Jim Carrey -

Sources suggest that after ‘Bruce Almighty’ (2003) there was a sequel planned, but that Jim Carrey turned down the main role because he doesn’t like to do the same character twice (although he has done so).

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Jim Carrey -

Instead, the plot was reworked and the supporting actor in the original movie, Steve Carrell, was given the lead role in the renamed ‘Evan Almighty’ (2007).

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Linda Hamilton -

Linda Hamilton starred opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in both ‘Terminator’ (1984) and ‘Terminator 2: Judgement Day’ (1991). In ‘Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,’ she is nowhere to be found.

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Linda Hamilton -

Sources suggest that Hamilton decided not to return for the third film because she didn’t like the script and thought that the movie needed the direction of James Cameron, who had been replaced.

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Marlon Brando -

Although Marlon Brando’s character in ‘The Godfather,’ Don Vito, died in the first movie, there were plans to have him return for the second movie, which would feature flashbacks to when Vito was alive.

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Marlon Brando -

Despite Francis Ford Coppola’s public appeal to Brando, he decided against returning. The character was played instead by Robert De Niro, who won an Oscar for the performance.

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Will Smith -

Will Smith decided not to return for the follow-up to the 1996 blockbuster ‘Independence Day,’ but not for any dramatic reason: he had a simple scheduling conflict.

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Will Smith -

In a 2016 interview on BBC Radio 1Xtra, he said: “It was one of those things—I had a couple of films lined up, I had 'Concussion' and 'Suicide Squad,' and so it was a decision, timing-wise, between 'Independence Day' and 'Suicide Squad.'”

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Jodie Foster -

After the success of ‘Silence of the Lambs’ (1991), Jodie Foster apparently reassured fans she would return to play Clarice Starling in a sequel, if there were to be one.

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Jodie Foster -

When it came to it, however, Foster ultimately said no to ‘Hannibal’ (2001) and the character of Clarice Starling was played instead by Julianne Moore.

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Jamie Lee Curtis -

Jamie Lee Curtis played the tormented character of Laurie Strode in the original ‘Halloween’ (1978) and its sequel ‘Halloween II’ (1981). However, she chose not to return for 'Halloween 4’ (1988).

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Jamie Lee Curtis -

Apparently by that point she was no longer interested in the franchise, since she had found success elsewhere during the intervening years.

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Natalie Portman -

Natalie Portman played Jane Foster in the first two ‘Thor’ movies, but did not appear in ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ (2015). She took a break after the second movie because she was upset over a directing switch.

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Natalie Portman -

It is not clear whether Portman refused the role or was simply written out. Either way she didn’t stay away long: she returned for 'Avengers: Endgame' (2019) and will star in ‘Thor: Love and Thunder,’ which is set for release in 2022.

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Sean Connery -

The original James Bond appeared in the third Indiana Jones film, ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade’ (1989). He then retired from acting in 2003.

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Sean Connery -

Steven Spielberg tried to coax him out of retirement for the fourth instalment of the series, but the part was reportedly too small to tempt Connery back into the business.

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Richard Dreyfuss -

Richard Dreyfuss played the character of Matt Hooper in the iconic thriller ‘Jaws’ (1975). He decided not to do the sequel, however, since it wouldn’t be Steven Spielberg at the helm.

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Richard Dreyfuss -

In a 2014 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he said: "I knew what made 'Jaws' good, and we weren't talking about Steven [Spielberg] directing it [the sequel]."

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Katie Holmes -

Katie Holmes starred opposite Christian Bale in ‘Batman Begins’ (2005), but, for reasons that are not widely known, she made the decision not to return for ‘The Dark Knight’ (2008).

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Katie Holmes -

In a 2016 interview with Business Insider, she said: “It was a decision that I made at that time and it was right for me at that moment, so I don't have any regrets.”

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John Cusack -

John Cusack played Adam Yates in the 2010 comedy ‘Hot Tub Time Machine.’ The film was a box-office hit, but Cusack didn’t return for its sequel (which happened to be a flop).

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John Cusack -

The story goes that Cusack did not actually refuse the role, but was replaced by Adam Scott in an effort to save money. The budget for ‘Hot Tub Time Machine 2’ was more than halved.

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Robert Duvall -

Robert Duvall played consigliere and lawyer Tom Hagen in both ‘The Godfather’ (1972) and ‘The Godfather II’ (1974). He didn’t return for the final film, however, and sources suggest it was because of money.

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Robert Duvall -

In a 2004 interview that was aired on CBS, Duvall said: “If they paid Pacino twice what they paid me, that’s fine, but not three or four times, which is what they did.”

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Crispin Glover -

When the cast returned for the 1989 sequel to ‘Back to the Future’ (1985), there was a key cast member missing: Crispin Glover. The actor allegedly turned down the movie because he didn't like the film's message that money equals happiness.

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Crispin Glover -

His character in the first movie, George McFly, is a major character, and so filmmakers made the disastrous decision to hire actor Jeffrey Weissman and use makeup and special effects to make him look and sound like Glover.

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Richard S. Castellano -

Richard S. Castellano is another member of the original ‘The Godfather’ lineup who did not return for the second movie. According to one source, it was because he didn’t like the way the script developed his character.

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Richard S. Castellano -

However according to Francis Ford Coppola, Castellano didn't do the movie because he wanted (and was refused) script approval for his dialogue. Ultimately his character was completely rewritten and was played by Michael V. Gazzo.

Sources: (Ranker) (The Hollywood Reporter)

See also: Famous movies you didn't know had sequels

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