Prequels Can Be Great—If Done Right. These Are Our 8 Favorites. (2024)

Though production of a prequel to a familiar, beloved franchise offers the benefits of excellent source material and an established fan base, a prequel can quickly become a point of debate and derision among fans if not handled with care. While many studios may be tempted to wring out a hit franchise for all its worth, additions of prequels (much like sequels) can risk diluting and tarnishing the original film. However, if done correctly, a prequel can be an excellent expansion, offering deep exploration of fan favorite characters against a familiar backdrop and allowing filmmakers creative freedom to reinterpret an older franchise. While many prequels miss the mark entirely, we’ve put together a few that got it just right.

A prequel to the 2001 Pixar classic Monsters, Inc., Monsters University follows the original film’s protagonists, Mike Wazowski and James P. “Sulley” Sullivan, through their time in the Scaring Program at the titular Monsters University. The only prequel film Pixar has ever produced, actors John Goodman, Billy Crystal, and Steve Buscemi each reprised their roles from the first film to star with all-new characters voiced by stars like Helen Mirren, Aubrey Plaza, and Charlie Day. The animated film was a box office and critical hit, bringing in more than $740 million at the worldwide box office, though it was the first Pixar film not to be nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards.

The second installment in director Ti West’s X film trilogy, Pearl is a prequel to the 2022 slasher X centering on the origin story of the film's primary antagonist—Pearl, a homicidal elderly woman played by Mia Goth. Starring Goth, David Corenswet, and Tandi Wright, Pearl premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in September 2022 to much critical applause with Goth in particular delivering a startlingly uncanny performance in the lead role. West announced at a festival showing of Pearl that a third film titled MaXXXine was in development and would center on Maxine’s search for fame in 1980s Los Angeles after surviving the grisly massacre in the first film.

A prequel to David Lynch’s phantasmagoric serial drama Twin Peaks, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me centers around the investigation into the murder of Teresa Banks, a teenage vagrant and drug addict. It also shows viewers the last week of the life of Laura Palmer, a central figure in the TV series. Notably darker in tone than Twin Peaks, Fire Walk with Me premiered at the 45th annual Cannes Film Festival in 1992 where it received a nomination for the Palme d’Or, the festival’s highest honor. The film was met with exceedingly polarizing reviews, vacillating wildly between emphatic praise and bitter derision. The film has since has experienced a positive reevaluation in recent years, with many critics now citing it as one of Lynch’s seminal works.

Though The Godfather Part II is technically both a sequel and a prequel, no collection of outstanding prequels would be complete without its inclusion. The 1974 crime epic is composed of two parallel stories following Michael and Vito Corleone and their activities with the Corleone crime syndicate. Often recognized as one of the greatest films of the 20th century, Francis Ford Coppola’s follow up to The Godfather received nominations for 11 Academy Awards and is a rare example of a pre/sequel arguably surpassing its predecessor. Coppola’s final installment, The Godfather Part III, was given less than charitable reviews by critics.

Starring Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, and Ben Mendelsohn, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story takes place one week prior to the events of the first installment in the original Star Wars series (aka Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope), documenting the Rebellion’s first victory against the Empire referenced in the text crawling intro of A New Hope. Rogue One first entered production in August 2015 but required extensive reshoots to be completed throughout 2016 leading to production of the film costing around $220 million, making it one of the most expensive films ever made. The film was well received by critics, receiving Academy Award nominations for both Best Sound Mixing and Best Visual Effects.

Directed by Steven Spielberg and based on a story by George Lucas, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is the second installment in the Indiana Jones film series and serves as a prequel to 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark. Starring Harrison Ford once again, Temple of Doom follows the treasure hunter after arriving in British India where a group of villagers begs him to retrieve a mystical lingam stone and save their children from a cult practicing human sacrifice and black magic in the nearby Pankot Palace. Alongside receiving nominations for two Oscars, Temple of Doom pulled in more than $330 million at the box office.

A prequel to the first four films in the Predator franchise, Prey follows Naru, a young Comanche woman protecting her tribe not only from encroaching French fur traders, but also the manhunting alien known as the Predator. Set in the American Great Plains in the early 18th century, Prey is the only feature film to be entirely dubbed in the Comanche language. After premiering at the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con, Prey was met with glowing reviews. Critics applauded the production’s dedication to historical accuracy and strong character development often forgotten in action films.

Directed by renowned sci-fi filmmaker Ridley Scott, Prometheus serves as a prequel to Scott’s 1979 classic Alien. Starring Michael Fassbender, Idris Elba, and Charlize Theron, Prometheus centers on the crew of a spaceship following an ancient star map in search of the origins of humanity. The fifth installment in the Alien franchise, development for a prequel originally began back in 2002 before being placed on a moratorium when 2004’s Alien vs. Predator film took precedence. Following its summer 2012 release, Prometheus received generally positive reviews and even secured an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects.