"The only thing more challenging for a director than making a splash with their first feature film is avoiding the "sophomore slump" with their second. If their debut movie is a massive success, both creatively and financially, audiences and critics wrap very high (some would say too high) expectations around whatever may come next. Or they want that film to walk the exact edge of their wish list and deliver an experience just as good or better.
Some directors have done this and emerged both unscathed and more revered (see Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, and Quentin Tarantino). Others, well … not so much. Here, in no particular order, is a look back at 20 Hollywood filmmakers who delivered memorable followups with second time at bat —and five filmmakers who missed the mark on their return engagement."
