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Basic Instinct (1992) / Basic Instinct 2 (2006)
How Many Years Between Sequels : 14 years.
Do They Acknowledge The Gap? Just about - Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone) references Nick (Michael Douglas) from the first film, and not just when referring to the pair's mattress antics.
This time set in London, the saucy sequel finds Tramell again attempting to get her jollies at the expense of the law - and the men she casually seduces and then does away with.
It's silly, tasteless tosh.
Jurassic Park III (2001) / Jurassic World (2015)
How Many Years Between Sequels: A ground-stomping 14 years.
Do They Acknowledge The Gap? Though details of Colin Trevorrow's fourquel remain wreathed in mist, the director has revealed that Jurassic World will actually be set 22 years after the events of the first Jurassic Park.
Which fits timeline-wise, given JP3 was set (or, at the very least, released) eight years after Spielberg's original 14 years ago...
Other things we know: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard and Vincent D'Onofrio have been cast, with the only franchise returnee being B.D. Wong (he played Dr Henry Wu in the first film).
Escape From New York (1981) / Escape From LA (1996)
How Many Years Between Sequels: A nice, even 15 years.
Do They Acknowledge The Gap? They do - whereas the first film was set in the future 1997, the sequel takes place mostly in the 'future' 2013 (Gosh, time flies).
In a Los Angeles savaged and separated from the US by an earthquake, Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) is again called upon to save the day, this time tracking down a doomsday device in LA.
Drunken Master (1978) / Drunken Master II (1994)
How Many Years Between Sequels: A sozzled 16 years.
Do They Acknowledge The Gap? Not really - Drunken Master II is a Drunken Master film in name alone.
The plot is completely unrelated to the original film, instead following Wong Fei Hung (Jackie Chan), who's torn between his father's pacifist beliefs and his desire to stop thieves from getting their hands on precious goods.
The Godfather Part II (1974) / The Godfather Part III (1990)
How Many Years Between Sequels: 16 years.
Do They Acknowledge The Gap? Yep, it's set in 1979 (bizarrely, just five years after the first film was actually made, though that film was set between 1945 and 1955).
Godfather III brings things full circle by transforming former young go-getter Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) into an aging Don, echoing the role of Marlon Brando in The Godfather.
This time around, Michael takes a new protégé and trains him up to become his successor. This isn't going to end well…
Rocky V (1990) / Rocky Balboa (2006)
How Many Years Between Sequels: 16 years.
Do They Acknowledge The Gap? Yup, the sixth entry in the boxing box office botherer finds Rocky (Sylvester Stallone, king of the belated sequel) now in his fifties and retired from the ring.
Stallone, who wrote and directed the film, admitted he wanted to make-up for the less-than-stellar Rocky V . And after Rocky's comeback became a runaway hit, he's already talked about a seventh film - though that was eight years ago…
Dirty Dancing (1987) / Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004)
How Many Years Between Sequels: A corner-dodging 17 years.
Do They Acknowledge The Gap? Do they heck. Havana Nights would rather imagine that the classic first film doesn't even exist, recycling the same plot in a modern setting (uh, Cuba).
Critics weren't kind to Guy Ferland's film, branding it "cheesy" and "unnecessary".
What would Baby think?
Halloween II (1980) / Halloween: H20 (1998)
How Many Years Between Sequels: A nightmare-inducing 18 years.
Do They Acknowledge The Gap? They acknowledge the gap and they also ignore all the other Halloween sequels, installing H20 as the first 'sequel proper' to Halloween II.
You can tell it's a 'sequel proper' because it was (at the time) the only sequel after the second to star Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode.
H20 benefits greatly from her presence, discovering her still traumatised by the events of her past and giving her the chance to put her demons to bed once and for all. If only Halloween: Resurrection had never happened…
Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade (1989) / Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull (2008)
How Many Years Between Sequels: 19 years.
Do They Acknowledge The Gap? They sort of have to, considering Harrison Ford's back as fedora-wearing hero Indiana Jones - 20 years sort of change a person's face.
Not that that stops Jones from getting in on the action. Except this time the explosions, giant leaps and fist fights come equipped with a 60-year-old Indy complaining about his aching back…
Rambo III (1988) / Rambo (2008)
How Many Years Between Sequels: 20 years.
Do They Acknowledge The Gap? Yep, the much-belated fourth entry in John Rambo's (Sylvester Stallone) PST action saga kicks off exactly 20 years after the Soviet war in Afghanistan.
This time, the action shifts over to Burma, where Rambo dons the bandana once more to help rescue a group of church missionaries.
Which is when things get really, REALLY bloody. You thought the other films had blood? Just check out Rambo …
