The concept of the “movie star” might be fading in the modern world of Hollywood, but Emma Stone is one of the few actors around that still fits the bill. Stone has been steadily building an eclectic and entertaining career with a wide variety of roles. She is continuously turning in acclaimed performances while still remaining one of the most popular actors working today.
As popular as her films have been, Stone has largely stayed away from the usual sequel route, only appearing in follow-ups to Croods and The Amazing Spider-Man. However, with Zombieland 2 on the way, now seems like a good time to revisit Stone’s impressive filmography to see what is worthy of the sequel treatment and which films are best left alone.
Needs A Sequel: Easy A
Stone had been making a name for herself in Hollywood before the release of Easy A, but it was that film that put her on everyone’s radar. The high school comedy follows Olive (played by Stone) who pretends to have sex with a friend to make him look good then must deal with being labeled promiscuous.
The film was an above-average teen comedy with some very thoughtful messages. Stone excels at the charming, self-deprecating humor and it would be great to see her return to this role at an older age. Even though Stone is passed the high school age, there’s plenty of commentary to be made about such labels no matter one’s age.
No Sequel: Magic In The Moonlight
It’s safe to say no Woody Allen films will be getting a sequel anytime soon, let alone his more forgettable work. Stone worked with the legendary director on two films shortly before his career was derailed by Hollywood’s re-examination of his past abuse allegations.
Putting aside the controversy with Allen, this film is simply not good enough to warrant any revisiting. The 1920s-set comedy stars Colin Firth as a man hired to expose a woman who claims to be clairvoyant. Though the performances are charming, it is a very forgettable project from everyone involved.
Needs A Sequel: La La Land
La La Land will certainly go down as one of the most memorable films of Stone’s career. Not only was the musical throwback praised as one of the best films in recent years and became a hit with audiences, but it won Stone her first Oscar.
The film’s ending is quite perfect as is, but we think there are more opportunities to explore this story without diminishing the first film. The sequel could further explore what might have been between Sebastian and Mia and the new lives they chose. Plus, it would be a treat to see Stone and Ryan Gosling dance together again.
No Sequel: Gangster Squad
Stone and Gosling have electric chemistry on screen together, having appeared in three films together with hopefully many more in the future. And while La La Land is certainly their best collaboration, Gangster Squad sits comfortably at the bottom of that list.
Loosely based on the true story of the anti-organized crime team of the LAPD in the 1940s, the film squanders its potential and its amazing cast on a dull and tonally uneven waste of time. While there’s surely more stories to tell about this squad, Stone and Gosling’s chemistry is best served elsewhere.
Needs A Sequel: Superbad
In terms of feature film debuts, Stone could not have asked for much better than this modern comedy classic. The outrageous and raunchy Superbad is a hilarious high school comedy starring Jonah Hill and Michael Cera as two hapless friends trying to get their dream girls the night of a big party.
Stone was an instant charmer playing Jules, the object of Hill’s affections. Stone and Hill recently reteamed for the Netflix series, Maniac, but it would be great to see them and the rest of the creative team reassemble for another comedy adventure. It would be interesting to see how these characters have changed as young adults.
No Sequel: Aloha
A collaboration between Emma Stone and Cameron Crowe sound like a pairing made in movie heaven. Unfortunately, the end result was a mess of a film with some very unfortunate miscasting in regards to Stone’s role.
Aloha is a Hawaii-set romantic comedy in which Stone stars as a character meant to be one-quarter Chinese and one-quarter Hawaiian. The film and Stone’s role have been pointed at as a prime example of whitewashing in films. Apart from the film’s other failings, this casting was a misguided move by all involved.
Needs A Sequel: Battle Of The Sexes
Battle of the Sexes was a sadly overlooked film from 2017 featuring another winning performance from Stone as tennis legend Billie Jean King. The film follows the real-life match between King and tennis star Bobby Riggs set against the gender equality movement.
Stone truly disappears into her role as King and it would be great to see her revisit it in a film even more focused on her. There are plenty of other key moments in King’s career, such as being publicly forced out as a lesbian, would make a compelling movie.
No Sequel: Birdman
Some films don’t need sequels because they aren’t good films. Other films don’t need sequels because the story doesn’t need to continue. Such is the case with Birdman, the Oscar-winning film famous for seemingly being filmed in one continuous take.
Michael Keaton stars as an actor trying to escape his famous superhero role by taking on a serious play, while Stone plays his troubled daughter. The film’s much-talked-about ending leaves a lot of questions but ones that don’t necessarily need answers. The film and its unique filmmaking techniques are probably best left untouched.
Needs A Sequel: The Amazing Spider-Man 2
The Amazing Spider-Man was meant to reboot the Spider-Man franchise after Sam Raimi’s trilogy. However, after the mixed response to the first film and the second film turned into a total mess with the studio trying desperately to kick-start a shared universe.
While the film has many problems, Stone’s role as Gwen Stacy is a highlight and helped bring an iconic moment from the comics to life. Given Sony has embraced the idea of the multi-verse, it would be a treat to see Stone return for a Spider-Gwen movie.
No Sequel: Movie 43
Movie 43 should never and will never need a sequel for some very simple reasons. One reason is that it is one of the worst films ever made. The second reason is that, because it is such a bad film, it failed miserably at the box office.
The film is just a weird mixture of several small short films that are supposed to be comedic but few fail to elicit any laughs at all. Stone stars in one of the shorts and, like the other stars tricked into doing the movie, she has been wise to pretend it never existed.
