Why the F*ck Wasn't There a ‘First Wives Club’ Sequel?

The film was a bonafide box office sensation and accrued a massive cult following over the years. And yet…

When The First Wives Club opened at the box office on September 20th, 1996, it landed at number one, earning $18.9 million in its opening weekend against a reported budget of $26 million. When the film held that spot for a second weekend, the Los Angeles Times ran a story with the headline “‘First Wives’ Are Really Enjoying the Last Laugh,” which declared that in just two weeks, the film had garnered an estimated $42 million (a September record) and left Hollywood bigwigs marveling.

“Industry sources said the film appears to have clicked with an untargeted group of ticket buyers who were overlooked as studios poured out special effects and loud action films during the summer.”

Sound familiar?

The film would go on to make $181 million worldwide. That number adjusted for inflation would come to $373.3 million in 2025. Ballerina, the latest installment from the John Wick franchise released earlier this year, grossed $137.2 million; Disney’s Snow White, also released earlier this year, grossed $205.7 million. You can bet that both of those films had a significantly higher budget than The First Wives Club.

It might have seemed inevitable that the film would get a sequel, but somehow it never did. It was surprising then, but perhaps even more surprising in the subsequent years when the film developed a devoted cult following and the appetite for both “lower” budget films and sequels only grew. And yet! So what went wrong? Let’s rewind the tape and find out where things got off-track.