Every once in a while, a film’s story is so expansive or well-thought-out that it gets split into two movies. These aren’t just sequels that follow the first installment in a series but are cases where one story is designed to be told over the course of two films. It’s pretty rare, yet when it happens, the results can be mixed.
Sometimes it’s a case of a tale being too grandiose to fit into a single two-and-a-half-hour film, while in others, it’s a book adaptation that requires more time to bring it to the big screen. It could be blockbusters, Oscar contenders, something completely original, or animated franchises, but the best movies split into two parts show how the formula works.
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 & Part 2 (2011 & 2012)
The Cullen family looking concerned in Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 2
By the time The Twilight Saga reached the adaptation of the final book in the series, the franchise was as popular as ever. Following in the footsteps of Harry Potter, the choice was made to split the last novel into two films, which was met with a mixed response from a critical standpoint.
To be fair, The Twilight Saga was never a critical darling, but even its biggest fans agreed that there wasn’t really enough story in Breaking Dawn to produce two fully compelling films. That ended up being proven right as Breaking Dawn – Part 1 received the worst reviews of the series, mostly due to poor pacing and a dull narrative.
Thankfully, Breaking Dawn – Part 2 proved to be a boost, scoring the highest Rotten Tomatoes rating of the franchise and the second-best Popcornmeter rating. This installment had the big action sequences and raced to the finish line of the story in exciting fashion while also capping a massive blockbuster franchise.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay (2014 & 2015)
An image of Katniss looking determined and wearing her black armor in Mockingjay – Part 2
After the rousing financial successes of Harry Potter and The Twilight Saga, The Hunger Games was the next book-to-movie franchise to split its final story into two parts. Both installments grossed over $650 million, making the decision to break things up worth it.
That said, the Mockingjay movies had a similar fate to Breaking Dawn, as it’s a case where the first installment suffered from some pacing issues. This was another book that didn’t exactly need two full movies to tell its story and mostly did it for the profits it was raking in for the studios.
Neither movie was poorly received, though reviews were down from the franchise’s first two installments. Jennifer Lawrence continued to shine as Katniss Everdeen and the final film had the action fans loved about the series. The franchise is also still going strong thanks to prequel stories.
It & It: Chapter Two (2017 & 2019)
Close up of Pennywise’s face in It
Back in 1990, Tim Curry wowed audiences with his creepy portrayal of Pennywise the Clown in the made-for-TV adaptation of Stephen King’s It. The iconic novel went untouched in terms of further adaptations until nearly two decades later, when It was released in 2017.
This was a case where splitting things up was the only way to go. King’s novel is over 1,000 pages and takes place across two different times, 27 years apart. The 2017 film sees the frightening Pennywise terrorize the “Losers’ Club” when they were children, while the 2019 sequel focuses on him resurfacing when they’re adults.
The first film was a massive box office success and was well-received, with a lot of praise going towards Bill Skarsgård’s performance as Pennywise. The 2019 sequel wasn’t as successful both financially or critically, yet still worked and boasts a terrific cast including Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, and Bill Hader.
Nymphomaniac: Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 (2013)
It’s not often that a movie split into two parts sees both installments released during the same calendar year. However, Nymphomaniac Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 are rare exceptions. Written and directed by Lars von Trier, the films are part of his unofficial “Depression Trilogy,” along with Antichrist and Melancholia.
The erotic films tell the story of a self-diagnosed nymphomaniac named Joe who discusses her sexual experiences with a bachelor as she tries to recover from an assault. The movie chronicles her life and features both Charlotte Gainsbourg and Stacy Martin as the protagonist at different ages.
Like a lot of other movies split into two parts, Nymphomaniac saw one entry receive a stronger reception than the other. In this case, the first film was praised for being bold and though the second wasn’t as good, von Trier’s work was still praised. Across both films, Gainsbourg is a force and the true highlight of the saga.
The Dark Knight Returns: Part 1 & Part 2 (2012 & 2013)
Batman fights superman in The Dark Knight Returns Part 2
In 2012, most of the talk surrounding Batman in film was focused on The Dark Knight Rises, which was Christopher Nolan’s conclusion to his blockbuster live-action trilogy. However, the year also marked the arrival of what many consider the best two-part Batman movie ever made.
The Dark Knight Returns is adapted from the legendary comic book of the same name. The story of part one sees a now 55-year-old Batman return to crime-fighting after a decade away, and it deals with whether or not he still has what it takes to be the Caped Crusader.
Part two sees the Joker, Batman’s greatest foe, return to the fray, leading to one final confrontation. The movie also includes Superman and several other major DC characters. Both installments were met with widespread acclaim and are viewed by many as the peak of DC animated movies.
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 (2003 & 2004)
Quentin Tarantino has been behind some of the most iconic movies of the past three or so decades, yet his greatest undertaking is likely what he planned to do with Kill Bill. The original story came from his mind and was so robust that it needed to span two films.
The two-part film series was inspired by exploitation and martial arts movies from the ’70s. It focused on “The Bride,” a woman out for revenge on a group of assassins who attempted to murder her and her unborn child. Uma Thurman played the lead and this helped reignite her career.
Released six months apart, the Kill Bill films were both epics. Vol. 1 features some incredible fight sequences and a fantastic cast, while Vol. 2, which was about as well-received, slows the pace a bit but brings the story to its great conclusion.
The Three Musketeers & The Four Musketeers (1973 & 1974)
One story that has been adapted many times over in Hollywood is The Three Musketeers. Based on the 1844 novel of the same name, the story itself is the stuff of legend and pretty much everyone knows what you’re going to get from the swashbucklers.
The best adaptation of the tale arrived in 1973, which expertly injected the right amount of humor into the story while staying true to the first half of the source material. Reception for The Three Musketeers was very positive and it sits at 90% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The sequel, The Four Musketeers, was shot back-to-back with the first film and covers the second half of the novel, telling one complete tale together. Again, this installment received strong critical reception and was nominated for an Oscar.
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1 & Part 2 (2011 & 2012)
The concept of splitting the final novel in a long-running series into two movies was really born with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Concluding the kind of massive fantasy saga that is Harry Potter is no small task and this was a case where the book actually required two installments.
The first film perfectly establishes the grim reality of a post-Dumbledore world where Voldemort is prominent. It also features the “Tale of the Three Brothers,” which is one of the most brilliantly done scenes in the entire franchise.
The second installment throws the viewer right into the action. Things start with a heist at Gringotts and then get right to the final Battle at Hogwarts where Harry and his allies face Voldemort and his Death Eaters for the final time. Both films were nominated for Oscars and were as good an adaptation as fans could’ve asked for.
Avengers: Infinity War & Avengers: Endgame (2018 & 2019)
Infinity War Thanos Gauntlet
Some films split into two parts act as the conclusion to franchises of 5-7 entries, but nothing can top the MCU, where Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame had over a dozen movies that had been building up to it. Living up to that hype was next to impossible, yet the MCU pulled it off.
Infinity War finally brought Thanos to the forefront and is a movie that features almost non-stop action. The thrilling ride then ends with a bang as the heroes suffer their greatest defeat ever, making for one of the best cliffhangers in cinematic history.
Endgame arrived a year later, made the most of its three-hour runtime, and concluded the saga in epic fashion. Both films were extremely well-received and grossed over $2 billion each. While the MCU has been more inconsistent since Endgame, fans still rewatch these two movies together endlessly.
Dune: Part One & Part Two (2021 & 2024)
Paul Atreides standing among the Fremen with his hood up in Dune Part Two
Dune proved to be nearly impossible to bring to the big screen back in the ’80s. Although David Lynch’s take on the story has its fans, it’s clear that the novel is simply too dense to pack everything into a single two-hour film.
Thankfully, Denis Villeneuve and the people behind the 2021 adaptation understood that. Although it wasn’t initially marketed as part one of a series, 2021’s Dune adapted the first half of the book and was a huge success. The film earned 10 Oscar nominations and was financially successful enough to greenlight the sequel it needed.
Released in 2024, Dune: Part Two was even greater, grossing over $300 million more than part one. Though it was nominated for fewer Oscars, Dune: Part Two received better reviews. From the grand scale to the visual effects to the stellar cast, the two-part series is incredible, and a third film is on the horizon.
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