Some Of The Best Prequels Of All Time
Coined in the 1950s as the opposite of “sequel”, “prequel” as a word didn’t really take hold culturally until the 1970s. Prequels are sometimes seen as a cash grab from studios, but with audiences investing in larger stories, backstories, and complex lore, the idea of the prequel has become a vital part of film franchises. Here are some prequels that are actually good—and in some instances, better than the original.
The Godfather: Part II (1974)
Isn’t this a sequel? Yes, and it’s the first sequel to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards—but it is also a prequel. Half of the story follows Michael Corleone and his rise to power, while the other half of the movie focuses on Vito Corleone and his rise to power in 1917.
Paramount, The Godfather: Part II (1974)
The Godfather: Part II (1974)
As both a sequel and a prequel The Godfather: Part II draws parallels between Michael and Vito, and the choices each man makes. It also creates an interesting situation where two actors won acting Academy Awards for portraying the same character: Marlon Brando won Best Actor playing the older Vito Corleone in The Godfather, while Robert De Niro won Best Supporting Actor for playing the younger Vito Corleone in the sequel/prequel.
Paramount, The Godfather: Part II (1974)
The Good, The Bad And The Ugly (1966)
Sergio Leone redefined the Western in the early 1960s, taking an American genre and adding grit, atmosphere, and a sense of the operatic. His Man With No Name Trilogy established Clint Eastwood as a star and the biggest of the three films is, surprisingly, a prequel.
Produzioni Europee Associate, The Good, The Bad And The Ugly (1966)
The Good, The Bad And The Ugly (1966)
The events in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly take place before A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More, which are both set after the US Civil War. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly takes place during the conflict, specifically the Battle of Glorieta Pass in New Mexico in 1862. The three main characters seek out buried Confederate gold and it’s during this prequel that Eastwood’s character first takes to wearing his iconic poncho.
Produzioni Europee Associate, The Good, The Bad And The Ugly (1966)
The Seventh Victim (1943)
The horror classic Cat People (the original version from 1942) is given the prequel treatment in 1943, with the tense and atmospheric The Seventh Victim. In this story, a young girl stumbles upon a satanic cult while searching for her missing sister. The original featured a group of people who turned into black panthers when aroused, and although that’s missing in The Seventh Victim, we do get to learn something about this group and how they came about.
RKO Radio Pictures, Wikimedia Commons
Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990)
There have been many sequels to Hitchcock’s classic 1960 horror Psycho, some better than others. Psycho IV: The Beginning tells the backstory of Norman Bates from the point of view of an older Bates (played once again by Anthony Perkins). This prequel is written by original Psycho screenwriter Joseph Stefano and it serves as a finale for the Norman Bates saga.
Universal, Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990)
Dominion: Prequel To The Exorcist (2005)
Prequel sequels seemed to have become standard for horror franchises, used mostly as a way to revive a tired concept. Like Psycho, The Exorcist had its share of hit-and-miss sequels. Paul Schrader, who incidentally co-wrote and directed the 1982 remake of Cat People, was brought on board to add a bit of seriousness to the franchise.
Warner Bros., Dominion: Prequel To The Exorcist (2005)
Dominion: Prequel To The Exorcist (2005)
The studio, however, had little faith in what Schrader came up with and they quickly had another director reshoot it as Exorcist: The Beginning. That version was a flop and was savaged by critics, so Schrader’s original version was released the next year, and it was better received. The story centers on a priest who first encounters supernatural evil and a demon who possesses a teenager.
Warner Bros., Dominion: Prequel To The Exorcist (2005)
The First Omen (2024)
When The Exorcist arrived in theaters in 1973, the horror genre changed forever. One of the first to take on this new way of telling horror stories, The Omen (1976) is seen in retrospect as an Exorcist knockoff, but it has some genuine chills, and an iconically shocking scene involving a sheet of glass and someone’s unfortunate neck.
Twentieth Century, The First Omen (2024)
The First Omen (2024)
After some underwhelming sequels throughout the decades, in 2024 a prequel was released. Involving a conspiracy within the Catholic Church, and the coming Antichrist, it set the stage for the events of the original 1976 film.
Twentieth Century, The First Omen (2024)
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992)
Let’s face it—Twin Peaks was confusing. As quotable and visually arresting as it was, the plot tended to skew towards the obscure and impenetrable. Nevertheless, fans tuned in week after week but if anyone was hoping for an easy answer, they were watching the wrong show.
New Line Cinema, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992)
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992)
After Twin Peaks’ two seasons and the final reveal in season two, fans were still left with more questions than answers. With a shift in tone, moving away from quirky and becoming more grim, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me shows what really happened and although not successful at first, this prequel has become reassessed as essential to the whole story.
New Line Cinema, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992)
Young Sherlock Holmes (1985)
This was a sequel/prequel for the Sherlock Holmes character, not for any specific Sherlock Holmes film. A teenage Sherlock gets involved with solving mysteries after being thrown out of boarding school. Mostly forgotten today, this prequel is well-made and has some early—and effective—computer-generated imagery.
Amblin, Young Sherlock Holmes (1985)
X-Men: First Class (2011)
Nowhere is the prequel more ubiquitous than in superhero films. Most superheroes have an origin story, something going all the way back to the 1930s and the original superhero comic books. In the complex Marvel Cinematic Universe, origin stories are part of the labyrinthine storytelling and after a character’s successful run of films, it’s not uncommon to go back to the beginning of the character’s story.
Twentieth Century, X-Men: First Class (2011)
X-Men: First Class (2011)
The X-Men franchise has had more than one prequel, although X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) was underwhelming (some fans say embarrassingly shoddy). In 2011, Marvel tried again with X-Men: First Class, focusing on a young Charles Xavier and his friend and future rival Erik Lensherr. Following real history from WWII through the Cuban Missile Crisis, director Matthew Vaughn gives the film a retro charm right down to the old X-Men comics uniforms.
Twentieth Century, X-Men: First Class (2011)
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
2011 was a big year for the Marvel Cinematic Universe and prequels, and this look back at the origins of Captain America during WWII is an effective prequel. Emphasizing action along with a straightforward story, Captain America: The First Avenger was a key movie in establishing the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the most successful film franchise ever.
Marvel, Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)
The original low-budget classic horror film, Paranormal Activity (2007) spawned several sequels and prequels (six to date), and Paranormal Activity 3 is one of the most effective. Utilizing the found footage format, this story takes place in 1988, which means the “found” footage is VHS tapes and the directors use that technical limitation well here, with an ominous retro low-tech atmosphere.
Blumhouse Productions, Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)
Monsters University (2013)
A prequel to an animated film, Monsters University shows the protagonists meeting at school and forming a bond. The film takes on college and frat house humor cliches and delivers a movie appealing to both kids and their parents.
Pixar, Monsters University (2013)
Ouija: Origin Of Evil (2016)
A movie about a board game has sometimes worked, and in the case of the original Ouija (2014), sometimes it doesn’t. Nevertheless, Ouija made lots of money on a small budget so a second movie was inevitable. What no one was expecting was for Ouija: Origin of Evil to be any good, but it is more than just good—it’s a genuinely scary horror film.
Universal, Ouija: Origin Of Evil (2016)
Kong: Skull Island (2017)
The number of King Kong and Godzilla movies out there is bewildering. The retelling of Godzilla in 2014 was nobody’s favorite movie but a prequel focusing on King Kong in 2017 did manage to work. Set during the closing days of the conflict in Vietnam, this version manages to be one of the best King Kong movies of all time.
Warner Bros., Kong: Skull Island (2017)
Wonder Woman (2017)
A DC Extended Universe has never taken hold, despite numerous efforts. While some of the DC films have floundered, Wonder Woman managed to exceed expectations and was a watchable and exciting film with a story going back to WWI and Steve Trevor finding Diana on the island of Amazons.
Warner Bros., Wonder Woman (2017)
The First Purge (2018)
The Purge film series as a whole is a disturbing view of the United States that presents a fictional but totally believable premise. The First Purge expands on how such a society came to be in the first place, where on one day of the year all crime is legal.
Universal, The First Purge (2018)
Prey (2022)
Some prequels outdo the original while others manage to live up to the original and nothing more. The whole purpose of Prey was to restore the franchise after some misfires. This prequel is set in the past and introduces us to a nameless monster and in doing so, restores the premise of the original Predator, a survival tale about matching wits against a powerful monster.
Twentieth Century, Prey (2022)
Pearl (2022)
The original film, X, was an acclaimed retro slasher film set in the 1970s, with the lurid colors of the time and the gore of the slashers of the period. This prequel about the homicidal elderly woman named Pearl from X shows us Pearl as a young girl during WWI and how she survives a pandemic while barely reigning in her bloodthirsty impulses. As a backstory for an unusual criminal, this film is compelling.
Saw X (2023)
The Saw franchise managed to crank out 10 installments but most fans agree that after the third, it just wasn’t the same. For the tenth film, the series villain, Jigsaw, was brought back and since he was killed in the third film, for this part of the series, we get a prequel. A backstory for the character, the twist here is that Jigsaw is taking revenge on some even worse people who prey on the vulnerable.
Twisted Pictures, Saw X (2023)
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)
This sequel to Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) gives us the origin story of Furiosa, the cyborg warrior originally played by Charlize Theron. In this film, we see Furiosa from childhood to adulthood (this time played by Anya Taylor-Joy) and although it didn’t do well at the box office, it has become a fan favorite with a growing reputation as a cult classic.
Warner Bros., Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)
Cruella (2021)
One of the less-obvious origin stories, in this, we get to see how Cruella de Vil started out. Emma Stone plays Cruella and although it’s not clear if she’s meant to be a hero or anti-hero, given her villain status, this prequel nevertheless is fun and gives the audience far more than most were expecting.
Escape From The Planet Of The Apes (1971)
The original run of Planet of the Apes was definitely hit-and-miss, from the classic original 1968 film starring Charlton Heston to the lows of the final installment, 1973’s Battle for the Planet of the Apes. In between, we have Escape from the Planet of the Apes, a prequel that takes us back to just before Earth blows up in Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), where Cornelius, Zira, and Dr Milo salvage and repair Taylor's spaceship and escape the planet.
Twentieth Century, Escape From The Planet Of The Apes (1971)
Escape From The Planet Of The Apes (1971)
A time warp is triggered by Earth’s destruction and the apes arrive back on Earth in 1973. Escape from the Planet of the Apes is generally considered to be the best of the four sequels in the original series of Planet of the Apes films.
Twentieth Century, Escape From The Planet Of The Apes (1971)
Oz The Great And Powerful (2013)
For those only familiar with the 1939 film adaptation of The Wizard of Oz, it may be surprising how many Oz books were originally written by L Frank Baum between 1900 and 1920, not to mention the books written by Ruth Plumly Thompson after Baum’s death, and umpteen others (there are 40 books written by Baum, Thompson, and other writers that are considered canon).
Walt Disney, Oz The Great And Powerful (2013)
Oz The Great And Powerful (2013)
With that many stories and the depth of lore available, it’s not surprising the number of films based on Oz that have been made over the years. Oz the Great and Powerful is a prequel inspired by several of Baum’s books as well as the 1939 film, and it’s set 20 years before the events of the Judy Garland-led film.
Walt Disney, Oz The Great And Powerful (2013)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
The chronology and scope of the Star Wars saga is complex at this point. We have the original trilogy which is technically parts 4 through 6 of a larger story and we have the prequel trilogy beginning with The Phantom Menace (1999). Since then we’ve had countless revisions (Star Wars, 1977, was renamed Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope), and other such tinkerings by series creator George Lucas.
Lucasfilm, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
With Disney now owning the property, the Star Wars universe continues to expand in various directions, to the point that only the most dedicated and obsessive fans can keep track of the endless stories. Rogue One goes a long way toward redeeming the weak prequel trilogy of the late 90s and early aughts. Taking place right before the events of the original Star Wars film, Rogue One is, thankfully, a stand-alone film that gives fans of the original trilogy some backstory—and closure—without having to bother with clone wars, Galactic Senate meetings, or Jar Jar Binks.
Lucasfilm, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom (1984)
Time has been kinder to the Indiana Jones franchise than the roughly parallel Star Wars saga. The original Raiders of the Lost Ark was directed by Steven Spielberg—and it shows. Building from that strength, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom serves as a bit of a backstory for Indy, going back in time before he was fighting Nazis.
Paramount, Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom (1984)
Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom (1984)
The film is as solid as any Spielberg film—the man knows what he’s doing—but it also suffers from Spielberg’s occasional lapses of judgment. For example, there’s the character Short Round. If there was one character not in need of a child sidekick, it was Indiana Jones.
Paramount, Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom (1984)
Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom (1984)
There’s also the passive racism of the film: Short Round again, but also the depiction of India and its culture feels like a throwback to the 1930s film serials that inspired Raiders of the Lost Ark. One could argue that was an intentional nod to the questionable values of that period, but that’s a stretch. It was just ill-advised: Indians do not eat monkey brains.
Paramount, Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom (1984)
Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom (1984)
Nevertheless, this is a solid film, much darker than the first Indiana Jones film, and its action sequences easily match those of the first film. It’s not as good as Raiders of the Lost Ark but Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is well worth repeated viewings.
Paramount, Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom (1984)
Alien: Covenant (2017)
After the original Alien film from 1979 established a newer, and darker, form of science fiction for mass audiences, a number of sequels were made, with varying degrees of success. Alien director Ridley Scott returned to the franchise to make the prequel Prometheus in 2012. Although successful, Prometheus was polarizing among fans.
Twentieth Century, Alien: Covenant (2017)
Alien: Covenant (2017)
Scott returned to direct a sequel to Prometheus, which also serves as a continuation of the prequel story. Alien: Covenant returns to the tone of the first film while continuing the backstory. Where Prometheus is a bit muddled in its plot, Alien: Covenant keeps things simple as a return to form.
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