Have you ever happily discovered an additional book to a series you’ve enjoyed, and then found it contains lots of interesting back story? The book might explain a lot of the things that happen later in the series.
Or, you might be watching a movie about characters you’re familiar with from another movie, but the events take place before the events in the first movie. These are examples of prequels.
What Is a Prequel?
A prequel is a narrative work that’s released after a complete story is published. It describes events that happened before that original story. The word comes from the Lain prefix “pre” meaning “before” and sequel.
Prequels can come in many different forms: they might present backstory, exposition, or even a completely separate side story. The key to remember is that the prequel tells a story that occurred chronologically before the original work.
Other characteristics to look out for is that they often show the same characters but possibly in different angles or situations. A lot of the time, they focus on backstory or revelations for characters or events that have been previously established.
The prequel exists both in books and in film. Hollywood producers love using this strategy to expand a story world, especially one that the audience already loves, as well as reuse popular characters. It almost brings with it a guaranteed following, although of course, that isn’t always the case!
It differs from the sequel in that a sequel builds on existing worlds and characters, but shows events that happen after the original story.
Common Functions of a Prequel
Here are the most common functions of a prequel:
Prequels unveil backstories.
One of the most important functions of a prequel is to further develop existing storylines and show things that happened which led up to it. This might include a detailed delving into characters’ back stories, or even just the different events that slowly unfolded into that original story.
Most of the time, the writers themselves do not really have that clear a picture of these events until they write the prequel.
They let you expand the worldbuilding.
Hollywood commonly uses prequels to expand the setting of a previous movie. For example, the film adaptation of The Hobbit shows us a deeper picture of Middle Earth, and also uses the same main characters from the first movies, The Lord of the Rings.
Of course, in terms of the book, The Hobbit was actually written before the series, although it’s treated as a prequel because it’s set apart from the LOTR trilogy and explains a lot of its backstory.
They reveal character origins.
Prequels are a great way to show how a hero or villain came to be, or even how a fantasy world came to be. One example is how, in The Hobbit, we discover the origins of the One Ring to Rule Them All.
Examples of Prequel Books and Movies
Here are some examples of popular prequel books and movies:
1. The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis
Although some people opt to consider this Book 1 in the Chronicles of Narnia series, it was originally published five years after The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, and serves to show how the land of Narnia came to be.
This makes it a good example of a prequel, where readers can see the actual scene when Narnia was created.
2. The Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
This is perhaps the king of all prequels, since it consists of a whole trilogy, as if to match the original Star Wars trilogy, too!
This means that its main audience is actually the people who grew up watching the original trilogy, and already know the main storyline of Anakin Skywalker turning bad and becoming Darth Vader.
3. The Godfather Part II
The movie, with its title stating Part II, gives the impression of its being a sequel to the first movie.
But, once you start watching it, you quickly realize that a large part of it is a prequel, revealing the backstory of how Vito Corleone immigrated to America and rose to power back in the 1910s.
4. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Since this movie came out after the original Raiders of the Lost Ark, moviegoers looked forward to it as a sequel. But chronologically, Steven Spielberg set this film one year before the events that took place in Raiders, explaining that he did this so in order to avoid reusing Nazis as the villains in the film.
The movie doesn’t explain any backstory and instead functions as just another adventure for Indy, which means it can also be enjoyed on its own. But because the story happens prior to the original film, it can still be considered a prequel.
5. Casino Royale
James Bond is a household name, thanks to the 20 films that follow his adventures and prowess as a spy.
But in Casino Royale, we see Bond while he is still new to being 007, with all his mishaps and learning experiences. The film is actually set in the modern day, which means, chronologically, it looks like a sequel, but because it puts the main character backwards in his chronological life, it makes sense as a prequel.
6. The Land by Mildred Taylor
Mildred Taylor is best known for her coming-of-age novel, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, featuring Cassie and her brothers during the racial tension surrounding the Great Depression. All throughout the book, we observe how committed her father is to making sure they keep their land.
The Land may be considered Book 1 in the series, but it also effectively works as a prequel, showing Cassie’s forefathers and how they first came to have land in the first place. This helps to explain why Cassie’s father had that mindset, making the story richer and fuller.
Should You Watch or Read Prequels First or the Originals?
Because prequels show events that chronologically happened first, some people think it’s better to watch or read prequels first.
Perhaps this is why some publishers market the Chronicles of Narnia set with The Magician’s Nephew as Book 1. Others package them according to the publication date, or according to the author’s preference, with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to be read first. (Both camps have their own arguments and convictions—but that’s a topic for another post!)
But because prequels, both in books and movies, are typically released with the confidence that the audience already knows the characters and storyline in the original, it might be a more rewarding experience to read or watch the prequels after the originals.
For example, if you watch the Star Wars prequels before the original, you will know what Anakin Skywalker’s connection is to Luke. But if you watch the original first, you get to experience the shock that the movie producers intended in the first place!
Yes, it may not be chronological, but you get to enjoy the surprise in watching the originals without knowing everything yet! Plus, you get to see a new perspective of the entire show by going through the prequels—a great way to expand your enjoyment of a favorite series!
Did you find this post helpful? Let us know in the comments below!
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Yen Cabag is the Blog Writer of TCK Publishing. She is also a homeschooling mom, family coach, and speaker for the Charlotte Mason method, an educational philosophy that places great emphasis on classic literature and the masterpieces in art and music. She has also written several books, both fiction and nonfiction. Her passion is to see the next generation of children become lovers of reading and learning in the midst of short attention spans.
