What is a prequel?
A prequel is a story that takes place before the events of an earlier work. It often explains how characters or situations came to be. The Star Wars prequel trilogy is a famous example.
Prequels are usually created after the original story became successful. They explore a character's backstory or the origins of a world. For example, the Star Wars prequel films, starting with The Phantom Menace in 1999, show how Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader. The Hobbit is technically a prequel to The Lord of the Rings, though it was written first.
Writing prequels can be challenging, because audiences already know how the story ends. Writers must create suspense and interest even when the outcome is known. Successful prequels often focus on characters' emotions and choices rather than surprise endings.
Other examples
Famous prequels include the film Monsters University, the series Better Call Saul, which tells the story of a lawyer before Breaking Bad, House of the Dragon, set about 200 years before Game of Thrones, and the film Wicked, which tells the story of the Wicked Witch before The Wizard of Oz.
Did You Know?
The word prequel is a combination of pre and sequel and became widely used in the 1970s.