O'Brien drafted a sequel titled Rocky Horror Shows His Heels in 1979. This script featured the return of all of the characters from the original film, and O'Brien wished to reunite the original production team. But Sharman did not wish to revisit the original concept so directly, nor did Tim Curry wish to reprise his role.
Instead, Sharman reunited with O'Brien to film Shock Treatment in 1981, a stand-alone feature with little continuity from the original film.[2] Initially conceived and scripted in 1980 as The Brad and Janet Show, the film repurposed several songs from the earlier Rocky Horror Shows His Heels project with lyrical adjustments, and depicting the characters' continuing adventures in the town of Denton. Production was forced to adjust amidst the Screen Actors Guild strike; eventually the entire film was shot on a single sound stage. Shock Treatment was poorly received by critics and audiences upon release (largely due to the absence of Curry, Sarandon, and Bostwick) but over time has built its own niche following.[93]
O'Brien revisited the notion for a direct RHPS sequel in 1991, writing Revenge of the Old Queen.[94] Producer Michael White had hoped to begin work on the production and described the script as being "in the same style as the other one. It has reflections of the past in it."[95] Revenge of the Old Queen commenced pre-production; however, after studio head Joe Roth was ousted from Fox in 1993, the project was shelved indefinitely. Although the script went unpublished, bootleg copies have leaked online, and a song from the original demo tape circulates among fans. The script remains the property of Fox, producer of the two prior films, and remains unlikely to be revived.[96]
Between 1999 and 2001, O'Brien was working on a third attempted sequel project with the working title Rocky Horror: The Second Coming,[97] intended as a stage production, with an option to adapt to film if met with success. This script integrated plot elements from Rocky Horror Shows His Heels paired with all-new songs. O'Brien completed a first draft of this script (which was read by Terry Jones[98]) but had difficulties finalizing anything beyond the first act, and development went dormant.
O'Brien produced Shock Treatment for the theatrical stage with a premiere at the King's Head Theatre in Islington, London in spring 2015.[99][100]
