Filmmaking / Directing : What Do You Think About Prequels? by Sandra Correia

I think I'm bored already. In the context of industry, it's just reworking of IP they already own, and that's the best thing I can say about it. It's less original, more formulaic and concerned with extracting money from a defined audience rather than creating a new statement or something original. From that perspective, it's a solid and reliable business decision. That decision though is definitely taken by bean counters and funders rather than creative people, and the attitude is behind the chronic rehash reboot remake epidemic that has infected mainstream for nearly two decades now.

Shadow Dragu-Mihai, I get what you mean. A lot of prequels do feel driven more by business than creativity, and the constant recycling can get tiring. But it’s interesting when a team actually breaks that pattern and expands the world in a meaningful way — House of the Dragon is a good example for many viewers. I completely agree, though, that when the goal is only to extract value from an existing audience, the result ends up feeling formulaic and hollow. Thanks for sharing. Have a great weekend.

I think it depends on what it is. A Hallmark Prequel doesnt sound Great?? But I pitched a Beetlejuice 2 that was so damn funny Fallon used it in commercials then pitched it to them and they didnt want anything to do w it. If the story is good, then we all want to see it. Ive watched so stupid movies. if you got a good one, keep expanding. Push stuff together if its slow and just keep adding. If you were told to condense the Two prequels you wrote.. and add some more characters and more comedy.. its probably gonna be really good. id wanna see it, just knowing what you went thru to write it.. heck now i wanna see this whatever your thinking. ya know? people are curious.. They use to say you cant recreate Wizard of Oz.. but if you put a speaker at the top of a cathedral that everyone thinks is God .. and its really the pastor listening from behind a curtain.. and answering questions and giving advice.. Along with demanding better roads.. and coming up with ways the community could be better and lies and lies and lies... it could be a prequel. IT could be a ending, that includes the End of the First Movie.. at Toto Finding Him, and Dorthy Figuring Him Out. Its very short from there.

Sandra Correia Personally, I think prequels can be incredibly powerful when they reveal something meaningful about the world or characters that changes how we understand the original story. When they deepen the mythology or show us how certain relationships, conflicts, or ideologies came to exist, they can add a lot of emotional weight to what we already know. For instance, I really enjoy the Predator prequel Prey and X-Men: First Class. The Rise of the Planet of the Apes film series are all technically prequels to the original Planet of the Apes, and some of them are so fun and well done. Even The Godfather Part II is technically a prequel.

Back 20 years ago most of the studios where looking for prequels to their properties. Not a lot happened. A good prequel will make it. Don't know if the studios are open to prequels as much anymore.

Think there's something interesting to them, if done right. The creator of the Netflix series Ratched famously launched his career that way - just by really liking One Flew Over the Cuckoo's nest and crafting a compelling origin story for Nurse Ratched. Guy had none of the rights to the story but got it in the right hands (his professor who passed it along to his agent) then it landed on Ryan Murphy's desk.

Same with Wicked being a great prequel to the Wizard of Oz. First as a book, then a musical, and now a two-part major motion picture.

It totally can work when the right angle is taken into the story.

prequels keeps the story going and encourages for more. Unless the prequel is easy to predict the plot

I think prequels require extra care. They need to match the same level and potential of the original, because the usual reaction is, “Nah, it’s not as good as the first one.”

The trick with prequels is making the background/origin story feel like a new discovery of the material and world rather than just repeating the original story with a different angle. It's no secret studios are eager to lean on prequels for the predictability of favored IP. And as we’ve seen in recent years with films like Wicked, Wonka, Pearl, A Quiet Place: Day One, etc, there is definitely capital to be made from strong source material. What actually works is using the prequel to recontextualize the original—making us see the characters in a completely different light once we know where they started. If the stakes feel lower because we already know who survives, it’s not impactful. The tension has to shift from if they survive to how the experience breaks or builds them. I’d want to see a script that stands on its own legs so firmly that even someone who’s never seen the original would be hooked.

David Ramey Gordon, thank you. Your energy is contagious. And you’re right: if the story is strong, people will follow it, whether it’s a prequel, sequel, or something completely unexpected. Structure can always be reshaped, expanded, condensed… what matters is the heartbeat of the idea. I love your point about curiosity; audiences want to know more when a world feels alive. And sometimes the “wrong order” ends up being the most interesting path creatively. Your Wizard of Oz example proves it: a fresh angle can make even a classic feel new.

Appreciate the encouragement. It keeps me pushing the work forward.

Ashley Renée Smith, absolutely, you summed it up beautifully :) The best prequels don’t just fill gaps; they reframe the original story and deepen our emotional connection to it. When they reveal the roots of relationships, conflicts, or entire worlds, they can be incredibly powerful.

Lindbergh Hollingsworth, that’s a great point. Studios definitely went through a big prequel phase years ago, and not much came out of it. Today it feels less about the label “prequel” and more about whether the story genuinely adds value. If the concept is strong and expands the world in a meaningful way, it still has a real chance, even if the appetite isn’t as loud as it once was.

Pat Alexander, absolutely and those are great examples. I agree. When a creator finds the right angle into a world, a prequel can feel completely fresh, even without the original rights in hand at the start. The Ratched story is a perfect case of someone seeing an unexplored emotional doorway and building something compelling from it. And Wicked shows how a reimagined perspective can grow across mediums and generations. It really comes down to intention and craft. If the angle is strong and the story adds depth rather than repeating beats, a prequel can stand on its own and even elevate the original.

Muhammad Muhammad, that's a very good point.

Totally, Subin Karkani. Prequels do need extra care. Audiences compare them instantly, so they have to match the spirit and quality of the original while still bringing something new. That balance is the real challenge.

Grady Craig, completely, that’s exactly it. A prequel only works when it reveals something that genuinely changes how we see the original, not just retells it from another angle. The examples you mentioned succeed because they recontextualize the characters and shift the tension from “if they survive” to “how this experience shapes them.” And I agree: the script has to stand on its own so strongly that even someone who’s never seen the original would still be hooked. That’s the real benchmark.

Sandra Correia Prequels are interesting, but they’re also tricky. With something like House of the Dragon or the The Lord of the Rings expansions, the biggest challenge is living up to an already established legacy.

For me, they only work if they justify their existence with a fresh perspective or emotional core otherwise they start to feel more like brand extensions than stories that need to be told.

So yeah, exciting creatively but easy to get wrong.