What exactly does the term direct sequel mean? Aren´t all sequels direct sequels?

Question

What exactly does the term direct sequel mean? Aren´t all sequels direct sequels?

Answer 1

indirect sequal means that it's the second movie, but doesn't necessarily relate to the first that much.

Answer 2

I personally consider direct sequels, in books, movies or video games, as sequels where if you have not read/seen/played the previous one(s), you are pretty much lost in the plot.

Personal examples:

- Lord of the Rings, Star Wars*, Harry Potter: miss one and you are definitely lost, or at least gonna scratch your head at some references the characters will make to their previous experience = direct sequel (and OMG these are all book to movies examples!)

* Note that in this case, Chapters 1, 2, 3 of the series were made after 4, 5, 6.

- Jaws, Jurassic Park, Spiderman, X-Men, Batman, Star-Trek: miss one, watch them in the order you want, sure it might seem weird, but asside to maybe missing the origin of the creature/heroes, you will not be lost.

Another example of sequel that is not exactly a direct sequel: the Alien series, the predator movie, giving birth to two Alien vs Predator movies.

Ok one last example:

Ewoks: The Battle for Endor is a direct sequel to Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure, and while both take place in the Star Wars universe, neither is a direct sequel to Star Wars itself.

Answer 3

Direct sequel means it takes place where the other one left off. Like with the Saw movies and with Lord of the Rings.

I think that an indirect sequel would be a sequal that has nothing to do with the previous one or prequel which takes place before the first one. Prequels like Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Begining. An indirect sequel would be like House of the Dead 2, it had nothing to do with the first movie

Answer 4

maybe it means it picks up right where the last book or movie left off. Sometimes sequels pick up after time had passed and this wouldn't be direct.