What Is a Prequel Versus Sequel?
DEFINING A PREQUEL: ORIGINS AND BACKSTORY
A prequel tells the story that happened before the original film. A sequel tells the story that happens after. That’s the core distinction, and it applies across all of filmmaking, from blockbuster franchises to independent films.
But the terms go deeper than just “before and after.” Prequels and sequels serve different storytelling purposes, create different audience experiences, and present different production challenges. Understanding the difference matters whether you’re studying film, writing a screenplay, or deciding which order to watch a franchise.
This guide breaks down what prequels and sequels are, how they differ, and how Hollywood uses both to build the franchises that dominate modern cinema.
WHAT IS A PREQUEL?
A prequel is a film set before the events of an existing movie. The word combines “pre” (before) and “sequel,” and it was first widely used in the 1970s as studios began exploring backstories for established franchises.
Prequels answer the question: how did we get here? They explore character origins, explain how conflicts began, and reveal the circumstances that shaped the world of the original film.
Notable prequel examples:
- Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace (1999) — Shows Anakin Skywalker as a child, decades before becoming Darth Vader
- The Godfather Part II (1974) — Half of the film is a prequel showing young Vito Corleone’s rise in early 1900s New York (the other half is a sequel)
- Monsters University (2013) — Takes Mike and Sulley back to college, before the events of Monsters, Inc.
- X-Men: First Class (2011) — Shows the origins of Professor X and Magneto’s relationship decades before the original X-Men
- Prometheus (2012) — Explores the origins of the Alien universe, set 30 years before the original Alien
- Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024) — Tells the backstory of Furiosa before Mad Max: Fury Road
The challenge of prequels: the audience already knows where the story ends up. The tension has to come from how characters get there, not from whether they survive.
WHAT IS A SEQUEL?
A sequel continues the story after the events of the original film. Sequels are more common than prequels because they follow the natural momentum of a successful movie: audiences want to know what happens next.
Sequels can continue directly from where the original ended or jump ahead in time. Some sequels are planned from the beginning (as part of a trilogy or franchise), while others are greenlit after an original film’s commercial success.
Notable sequel examples:
- The Dark Knight (2008) — Continues Bruce Wayne’s story from Batman Begins, widely considered one of the greatest sequels ever made
- Aliens (1986) — Takes the Alien franchise in a new direction (action vs. horror) while continuing Ripley’s story
- Toy Story 2 (1999) — Expands the world of the original while deepening the characters
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) — Continues Sarah Connor’s story with a completely different tone from the original
- Top Gun: Maverick (2022) — Returns to the same character 36 years later, a trend Hollywood calls a “legacy sequel”
- Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) — Continues the MCU Spider-Man story while connecting to previous franchise iterations
The challenge of sequels: matching or exceeding the original. The term “sequel fatigue” describes what happens when franchises push too many follow-ups without strong enough stories to justify them.
PREQUEL VS SEQUEL: KEY DIFFERENCES
| Category | Prequel | Sequel |
|---|---|---|
| Timeline | Takes place before the original story | Takes place after the original story |
| Purpose | Explains the origins, backstory, characters, conflicts, or how the world was built | Continues the story, expands the world, or resolves conflicts after the original |
| Audience Expectation | Viewers may already know the final outcome, so the tension comes from how events unfold | Viewers do not know what happens next, so the tension comes from uncertainty |
| Common Challenge | Making the story feel fresh and surprising even when the ending is already known | Matching or surpassing the quality, impact, and popularity of the original |
| Production Timing | Usually made after the original becomes successful, even though the story happens earlier | Can be planned from the beginning or created later if the original succeeds |
| Example | Rogue One (2016), set before A New Hope | The Empire Strikes Back (1980), set after A New Hope |
The film industry uses several terms beyond prequel and sequel:
- Threequel — the third film in a series (e.g., The Return of the King, Spider-Man 3)
- Reboot — a completely fresh start that reimagines the original story with new cast and continuity (e.g., The Batman, 2022)
- Remake — a new version of an existing film, often updating the setting or style (e.g., Dune, 2021 remaking the 1984 version)
- Spin-off — a new film focused on a side character or element from the original (e.g., Rogue One from Star Wars, Puss in Boots from Shrek)
- Legacy sequel — a sequel made decades later that connects old and new characters (e.g., Top Gun: Maverick, Creed)
- Midquel — a film set during the events of the original (e.g., Bambi II takes place during the middle of Bambi)
- Interquel — a film set between two existing installments (e.g., Rogue One fits between Episodes III and IV)
For a deeper dive into how franchises are built and managed, see our guide on what is a film franchise and how studios plan multi-film universes from the start with franchise treatment documents.
HOW FILMMAKERS DECIDE BETWEEN A PREQUEL AND A SEQUEL
The decision to produce a prequel or sequel depends on several factors:
Story potential. If the original film left unresolved threads or obvious next chapters, a sequel is the natural choice. If audiences are more curious about how the world was built or how characters became who they are, a prequel makes more sense.
Character arcs. Prequels work best when a character’s backstory is compelling enough to carry a full film. Darth Vader’s origin justified three prequel films. Not every character has enough backstory for that.
Audience demand. Studios analyze social media, fan discussions, and test screenings to gauge whether audiences want to go backward or forward. The success of legacy sequels like Top Gun: Maverick and Creed showed that audiences have strong nostalgia for forward-moving stories with familiar characters.
Franchise planning. Modern studios often plan prequels and sequels simultaneously. Marvel Studios maps out its entire cinematic universe years in advance, with prequels, sequels, and spin-offs all serving a larger narrative architecture.
Rights and talent availability. Returning actors can reprise roles in sequels set shortly after the original. Prequels set decades earlier require new casting or de-aging technology. The availability and willingness of key talent often determines which direction a franchise goes.
IN SUMMARY
A prequel goes back to tell the beginning. A sequel moves forward to continue the story. Both serve essential roles in franchise filmmaking, and the strongest film series use both strategically.
Understanding the distinction helps filmmakers make better creative decisions about how to expand a story, and helps audiences appreciate why studios choose one approach over another.
For more on how stories expand across multiple films, our breakdown of how prequels, sequels, and spin-offs expand a story covers the narrative strategy behind franchise building. And for understanding how Hollywood’s franchise model has evolved, see the franchise effect and how blockbuster culture shaped modern cinema.
Whether you’re developing a multi-film project or producing a standalone feature, building the right story structure starts with the right production team. Learn more about our video production services or get a free quote to start the conversation.
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