The following films of a franchise are not always a continuation of the story. They are often a prologue, so they are called prequels. We offer a selection of the best prequels.
It is difficult to establish which film first acquired a prequel, but the first picture, officially received such a name was released in 1974 “The Godfather. Part 2”. However, this film will not be in our top list, because it is not a prequel in the full sense of the word. The history of the ascent to the top of the power of young Vito, the future Don Corleone, is only a relatively small flashback (a kind of prequel inside the sequel), which, incidentally, brought success to another Italian – Robert De Niro.
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So, a prequel is a movie (as well as a book, computer game, or any other work, but today we are talking only about movies), the action of which unfolds chronologically before the events shown in the original film. The word itself is formed from the prefix pre- (to) and sequel (continuation).
So, what makes prequels be made? It usually happens when the main story is already completed, but the filmmakers want to give the audience the joy of meeting familiar characters. The new trilogy in the Star Wars universe is considered a benchmark example. The classic story had a logical ending that didn’t require a continuation (then the universe was invaded by Darth Mouse… only that’s another story), but audiences were eager to dive back into the beloved world of Jedi, blasters and laser swords.
There is no consensus on whether the spin-offs should be considered full-fledged prequels:
| Prequel (in the strict sense of the word) | Spin-off |
| The action takes place in the same universe as the original work | |
| The story develops before the events of the original | Actions can both precede and continue the original story and even develop in parallel (midquel). |
| The main storyline is prefaced | More focus on secondary characters and side story branches |
In general, a spin-off may or may not be a prequel. An example of a spin-off prequel is Rogue One from the same Star Wars universe. Let’s talk about cinematic prequels, on which you can spend a free evening if you suddenly have no luck at a small deposit online casino.
Star Wars: Episode I-III
Starting the original trilogy with the fourth episode, George Lucas wanted to avoid complicated exposition and immediately immerse the audience into the thick of things by limiting himself to a summary of the previous (non-existent!) episodes in the form of text. It was a brilliant move, but fans were sure that the first three episodes would be filmed at some point – and they were right.
The new trilogy tells the story of the fall of the old Republic and the rise of the Galactic Empire, describing the rise of Obi Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, the main antagonist of the saga, who was destined to become the all-powerful Darth Vader.
“The Hidden Menace,” the opening episode of the new trilogy, was the first film in history to break the one-billion-dollar mark in sales. Although this was largely due to the advertising campaign and inflated expectations, as shown by the statistics of the second episode “Attack of the Clones,” which showed almost twice the worst revenues. In any case, Star Wars: Episode I-III holds a special place in the hall of the best prequels of all time.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
According to legend, Steven Spielberg chose the prequel to return to the story of the famous archaeologist because he did not want to recover the theme of the Nazis. The action takes place in 1935, exactly one year before Hitler came to power. It is unclear how true the legend is, especially since the Nazis are quite present in the third part of the franchise (the sequel to the original).
Many consider this particular film to be the best in the franchise. No one can argue about tastes, each series has its own fans. You can read Las Atlantis casino reviews to pick up the prequel on your interests.
Red Dragon
It’s hard to imagine Hannibal Lecter being conceived as a minor character in the “Silence of the Lambs”. The brilliant Anthony Hopkins has completely grabbed the blanket of the audience’s attention, leaving no chance for the main villain of the tape. It is not surprising that the hero of the prequel was a sophisticated cannibal, and not Buffalo Bill or Agent Clarissa Starling.
Few people know that a movie “The Manhunter” was made based on the novel The Red Dragon back in 1986, but it failed spectacularly worldwide. That is just a confirmation of the fact: without excellent acting, the story of the maniac cannibal itself is quite banal.
Fast&Furious
The Fast and the Furious universe has a rather complicated chronology, but officially the fourth part (by release order) precedes the third one (The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift), so it is rightfully considered a prequel and takes its place in our top list.
It is believed that it is from this part that the franchise becomes something more than just a Carsploitation movie about street racing. It is worth saying thanks to the directors, who took the tricks to a new level, while the budget did not grow considerably in comparison with the previous parts.
The Thing
Of course, we are not talking about the 1982 classic horror film by John Carpenter, the real king of cult failures, but about the 2011 release.
The main trick was that the viewer remains unaware until the last minutes that he is watching the prequel, it is revealed literally in the last minutes of the picture. Even the title, which was a complete repeat of the original, hinted at a remake-reboot, not a prequel. However, the audience didn’t appreciate the chip and the film was a complete flop.
Final Destination 5
It is another “unexpected” prequel that completes the whole franchise – its finale becomes the start of the first picture. The film considerably raised the bar for the quality of the demonstration of character annihilation, but failed to give anything new in terms of plot. It is not surprising that there is a long (currently a decade) break in the franchise after this part.
Using our recommendations, we hope you can find a movie to your liking that evening.