As studios release an increasing number of movie sequels, scholars have begun to examine this strategic choice. Prior studies use standard models of box office performance to evaluate sequels’ performance and have mainly compared the box office results of the original movie with those of its sequel. However, sequels hold a unique position in the motion picture market since they are strongly associated with the original movie. Using the accessibility-diagnosticity framework, this research investigates the drivers behind the success of sequels and examines specifically the original movie’s impact through the role of reviews. The results – from 232 movies (116 original movies and 116 first sequels) – demonstrate the direct impact of the original movie’s reviews on the sequel’s performance.

随着制片厂发布越来越多的电影续集，学者们已经开始研究这一战略选择。先前的研究使用票房表现的标准模型来评估续集的表现，并且主要将原始电影与其续集的票房结果进行了比较。但是，续集在电影市场上占有独特的地位，因为它们与原始电影紧密相关。使用可访问性诊断框架，本研究调查了续集成功的推动因素，并通过评论的作用专门研究了原始电影的影响。结果来自232部电影（116部原始电影和116部第一部续集），证明了原始电影的评论对续集性能的直接影响。