Psycho (1960) / Psycho II (1983)
How Many Years Between Sequels: 23 long, long years.
Do They Acknowledge The Gap? Just about - Psycho II is actually set 22 years after the events of Hitchcock's first film, so it's just a single year shy of the actual time period that has elapsed.
The plot sees Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins, looking considerably older) released from a mental institute and returning to his home, where he starts to go a little mad again.
This time in Technicolor.
Carrie (1976) / The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999)
How Many Years Between Sequels : 22 years.
Do They Acknowledge The Gap? "I had a traumatic experience in high school. I tried to help someone, and it backfired horribly," says Sue Snell (Amy Irving), the only character to return after (and, seemingly, remember the events of) the first film.
A Gothed-up rinse and repeat of the first film, Carrie 2 follows outcast Rachel (Emily Bergl), who may be able to move things with her mind when she's angry.
Well, it's better than the remake, at least.
Wall Street (1987) / Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010)
How Many Years Between Sequels: 23 years.
Do They Acknowledge The Gap? To the year; Oliver Stone's belated follow-up acknowledges every one of the 23 years that have elapsed since Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) first rained terror down on New York.
In the sequel, Shia Labeouf plays the fiancé of Gekko's daughter (Carey Mulligan), repeating the trick he played with other belated sequel Indiana Jones And The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull.
Weirdly, this time around Gekko's more of an anti-hero than a villain. He's clearly mellowed with age…
The Hustler (1961) / The Color Of Money (1986)
How Many Years Between Sequels: 25 years.
Do They Acknowledge The Gap? Just about. Martin Scorsese's winning drama is actually set 20 years after The Hustler, which is in keeping with the sequel novel (by Richard Price) that the film's based on.
Paul Newman returns as pool extremo Fast Eddie, one of just a handful of actors to reprise a role over two decades after first playing it.
In Money , he trains Tom Cruise's fiery, pool-playing whippersnapper (remember when Cruise was a whippersnapper?) - and Newman landed an Oscar for his troubles.
Tron (1982) / Tron: Legacy (2010)
How Many Years Between Sequels: A gob-smacking 28 years.
Do They Acknowledge The Gap? Ish. The film actually takes place 20 years after the film, though it's been nearer to 28 years since Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) first disappeared into his computer and discovered the Grid.
In Legacy , his son Sam (Garrett Hedlund) goes searching for his father and finds himself similarly pixelated - and discovering Kevin's become a pseudo-Jesus figure on The Grid.
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) / Mad Max Fury Road (2015)
How Many Years Between Sequels: A post-apocalyptic 30 years.
Do They Acknowledge The Gap? We imagine the film will acknowledge that SOME time has passed, but definitely not 30 years - anti-hero Max Rockatanasky has been recast with Tom Hardy tagging the role from Mel Gibson.
Set in the Aussie Outback, the film sees Max coming across a band of road warriors led by the fearsome Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron).
Star Wars Episode VI (1983) / Episode VII (2015)
How Many Years Between Sequels: 32 years.
Do They Acknowledge The Gap? Alright, this is sort of a cheat, considering George Lucas actually filmed the first of his Star Wars prequels in 1999, 16 years after he wrapped on Return Of The Jedi.
The first 'sequel proper' to Jedi , though, isn't due until 2015, which means we'll be picking up the plot with (it's assumed) Luke, Leia and Solo (plus a bunch of new characters) over 30 years later. Impressivo.
The Wicker Man (1973) / The Wicker Tree (2011)
How Many Years Between Sequels: 37 years.
Do They Acknowledge The Gap ? Though it was advertised as a 'companion piece' to The Wicker Man , it's clear that the makers of The Wicker Tree intended it as a sequel - just look at the burning imagery on the film's poster and, of course the title.
Giving nods back to Man (and thereby acknowledging the gap), the film shifts the location to Scotland where gospel singer Beth (Brittania Nicol) and her boyfriend attempt to spread the word of God.
The Wizard Of Oz (1939) / Return To Oz (1985)
How Many Years Between Sequels: A head-spinning 46 years.
Do They Acknowledge The Gap? As if. Instead of portraying Dorothy (Judy Garland) as an old lady, Return To Oz picks up just six months after the first film, with Fairuza Balk playing Dorothy instead.
Despite the massive gap between the films, Return To Oz was considered just as good as the classic original, with Dorothy again ending up in Oz.
New terrors the formidable Wheelers were just as terrifying as the Flying Monkeys.
Bambi (1942) / Bambi II (2006)
How Many Years Between Sequels: A whopping 64 years, the world record for most-belated sequel.
Do They Acknowledge The Gap? Nope - Disney act like not a single year has passed since Bambi lost his mother and was ordered to man up by the Stag.
In fact, the sequel's set during the events of the first Bambi , with the wobbly little doe taken into the care of the Great Prince.
Critics weren't bowled over - the film only holds a 50% fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
