Will ‘The End Of Oak Street’ Get A Sequel?
The truth of the matter is that not every movie warrants a sequel. In some cases, a sequel can outshine the original, or worse, it can retcon things that actually made the movie work. For the most part, The End of Oak Street (2026) is a solid action thriller that deep dives into more nuanced issues surrounding marriage. The practical effects and gritty '80s aesthetic make it feel a bit like some of the movies we grew up watching, but ultimately, the ambiguity at the end is part of what makes it satisfying.
Still, we all know that Hollywood loves making something into a trilogy or a franchise. The original Jurassic Park (1993) not only resulted in a trilogy, but it later expanded to a whole franchise that tons of people likely don't know exists, or they might even skip. Is it possible for The End of Oak Street to get a sequel? If it does well enough in theaters, maybe. Do we need it? That all depends on how we explore the ending.
How Does ‘The End Of Oak Street’ End?
Like Disclosure Day (2026), the ambiguity that concludes The End of Oak Street is part of its charm. It's one of the main reasons both movies stick the landing, and it's ultimately why there's conversation surrounding them.
The End of Oak Street follows the Platt family: Anne Hathaway's Denise and Ewan McGregor's Greg, their two children, Audrey and Brian, played by Maisy Stella and Christian Convery, respectively, as well as a mischievous pup named Starbuck. (Note the A+ Battlestar Galactica (2004) reference here.)
The parents have been fighting, and the kids aren't oblivious to it, so when one night a lightning strike occurs, the next morning they learn they've been transported to the Mesozoic era. Prior to that, there were signs like an extinct plant growing in Mrs. Huddleston's backyard, as well as a large pile of animal feces in their neighbor's yard.
As the family battles to stay alive and together, Greg is eaten by an Allosaurus while trying to protect his family. However, prior to that, he and Denise realize that there's a portal that could likely lead them back home, but they don't jump through because their kids aren't with them at the time. It's a similar portal that essentially sends the rest of the family and another neighborhood kid (plus Brian's crush), Jeanette, back home, moments before the lightning. It's there that Denise pieces everything together, understanding that the wormhole teleportation hasn't happened yet.
The family reunites with the father they presumed was dead, and an epilogue shows us that two years later, scientists are now investigating the wormhole to understand what happened. Denise has finally published a book, but it's not the piece she'd been working on before. This one is about their shared experiences and is titled The End of Oak Street.
Should ‘The End of Oak Street’ Get A Sequel?
Sure, a sequel could potentially answer the wormhole problem and also explore how and why this is happening, but the story's appeal isn't the dinosaurs. Don't get me wrong—I loved the inclusion of them, and it fits well to establish a timeline and stakes, but every movie shouldn't be the same. And while The End of Oak Street isn't trying to be Jurassic Park, it could go down a similar path if the story starts adding more lore.
Part of the reason it differentiates from similar movies is entirely because of the familial aspect. It's the characters and performances that are memorable, and more importantly, it's the relationships. A good chunk of the marital issues were a result of Denise clearly wanting a bigger life. She wasn't happy, and she wasn't doing what she wanted.
When we first learn that she's written a manuscript, we also understand that whether intentional or not, it mirrors her life a bit. The main character leaving her husband is likely an underlying desire she has, and Greg even points it out when he finds it. While grief and heartache could certainly make a person recognize just how much they love someone, it still feels like Denise wants more.
Her story is the one that feels a little unfinished. It's certainly a good thing that she's still writing her own book and challenging herself in some way creatively, but if there is a sequel, it needs to continue exploring the characters as opposed to the dinosaurs.
As big an issue as the wormhole is, the crux of this story is the characters. It's Denise at the helm, who's also the one who warned everybody about what's coming. Another topic to potentially explore could be the idea of believing people in the face of natural disasters, which could broaden the theme and do a deep dive into understanding why it's so important for documentation to happen, in any capacity.
Ultimately, if the story takes its time with the characters again, a sequel can work. But really, it's great as is because it gives people a means to interpret it however they choose.
