What is a sequel?
A sequel is a book, film, game or other work that continues the story of an earlier one, usually featuring the same characters or world. Examples include The Empire Strikes Back and Toy Story 2.
Sequels take place after the events of the original story. They are popular with studios and publishers because audiences already know and like the characters, making a sequel less risky than an original story. Some sequels are planned from the start, while others are made because the first work was a surprise hit.
Some sequels are considered better than the originals, such as The Godfather Part II, which won the Oscar for Best Picture, Terminator 2: Judgment Day and The Dark Knight. Others are criticized for repeating the original without adding much new.
Related terms
A series of connected works is a franchise. A trilogy is a set of three works. A prequel tells events that happened before the original story, and a spin-off follows a different character from the original. Some long-running film franchises, like James Bond and Fast & Furious, have released many sequels.
Did You Know?
The word sequel comes from the Latin sequi, meaning to follow.