Prequel
A prequel is a work that supplements a previously completed one, and has an earlier time setting. The widely recognized term was a 20th-century neologism, and a portmanteau from pre- (Latin for "before") and sequel (a supplementing work with a setting later than its predecessor's, from the Latin sequella, thing that follows). The prequel forms part of the "back-story".
Contents |
[edit] History
Work W is a prequel to work Y, if W's storyline precedes Y's, yet W was released later than Y. So, a prequel is a work which is primarily a flashback for the viewer/reader who takes them in order of publication.
Though the word "prequel" is of recent origin, works fitting this concept existed long before. The Cypria, presupposing hearers' acquaintance with the events of the Homeric epic, confined itself to what preceded the Iliad, and thus formed a kind of introduction.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary the word prequel first appeared in print in 1958 in an article by Anthony Boucher in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. It appears to have first come into general use in the early 1970s, in which its first known, traceable use is in the original press pack for The Godfather Part II,[1] where it is used to describe the sections of the film which take place before the events of The Godfather, which intercuts the further story of the Corleone mafia family under the leadership of Michael Corleone with the story of his father Vito Corleone in his youth.
According to the Internet Movie Database, an early prequel in film was Another Part of the Forest (1948).[2]
Some prequels of the 1970s were The Nightcomers (1972),[3] prequeling Henry James's novel The Turn of the Screw, and the 1979 film Butch and Sundance: The Early Days, which was a prequel to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
Francis Ford Coppola credited George Lucas with devising the term,[citation needed] which Lucas and Steven Spielberg later used to describe their joint project Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (which also occurred before the events of the first Indiana Jones film) during publicity for its release. Lucas's own Star Wars prequel trilogy greatly popularized the term in American culture.[4]
Like sequels, prequels may or may not concern the same plot as the work from which they are derived. Often, they explain the background which led to the events in the original, but sometimes the connections are not as explicit. Sometimes, prequels play on the fact that the audience knows what will happen next, using deliberate references to create dramatic irony.
It is also important to note that a prequel must be part of the same series as the publication to which it is a prequel. If, as with the case of Batman Begins it starts the story (and the series) anew, it is not a prequel; but rather a reboot.
Another example of a prequel in C. S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia is The Magician's Nephew, a prequel to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe which was written first. Though originally they were unplanned and unnumbered, many newer publications of the series order them chronologically in regards to the storyline. There is debate as to whether this was an appropriate change.
The term prequel is sometimes used to describe any work with a sequel. This is contrary to the term's original meaning, which defines a prequel as a type of sequel, not the converse of a sequel. For example, The Phantom Menace (Episode I, 1999) is a prequel to Return of the Jedi (Episode VI, 1983) but, under the original definition of the term, is not a prequel to Attack of the Clones (Episode II, 2002) because Episode I's release date is earlier than Episode II's as well as the story line. In the latter case, the term would be "predecessor." Episodes I, II and III are prequels to Episodes IV, V and VI only because they were released later while their story lines are earlier.
[edit] List of prequels
[edit] Literature
[edit] Plays
| Prequel | Original |
|---|---|
| The Mystery of Hamlet King of Denmark (1949) | Hamlet (c. 1600) |
| Homelife (2007) | The Zoo Story (1958) |
[edit] Comics
| Prequel(s) | Original |
|---|---|
|
The Man Who Falls (1989) |
Batman: Year One (1987) |
|
Batman and the Monster Men (2005–2006) |
Batman: The Long Halloween (1996–1997) |
| The Kingdom (1999) | Kingdom Come (1996) |
| Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects (comics) (2005–2006) | Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects (2005) |
|
Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness (2007) |
Marvel Zombies (2005–2006) |
|
Mr. and Mrs. Spider-Man (2008–2009) |
Spider-Girl (1998–1999) |
|
Tales of the Jedi: The Golden Age of the Sith (1997) |
Tales of the Jedi series (1994–1996) |
[edit] Films
[edit] Television series
| Prequel | Original |
|---|---|
| Star Trek: Enterprise (2001–2005) |
Star Trek: The Original Series (1966–1969) |
| First of the Summer Wine (1988–1989) | Last of the Summer Wine (1973–2010) |
| Etheria (2005) | Encantadia (May – December 2005) |
| Caprica (2010) | Battlestar Galactica (miniseries) (2003) |
| Clifford's Puppy Days (2003–2006) | Clifford the Big Red Dog (2000–2003) |
| Young Hercules (1998–1999) | Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (1995–1999) |
| Meerkat Manor: The Story Begins (2008) | Meerkat Manor (2005–2008) |
| Rock & Chips (2010-2011) | Only Fools & Horses (1981–2003) |
| Spartacus: Gods of the Arena (2011) | Spartacus: Blood and Sand (2010) |
[edit] Computer and video games
[edit] Manga and anime
| Prequel(s) | Original |
|---|---|
| Fist of the Blue Sky (2001–current) | Fist of the North Star (1983–1988) |
| Fushigi Yuugi Genbu Kaiden (2003-current) | Fushigi Yuugi (1992-1996) |
| Dragon Ball Z: Bardock – The Father of Goku (1990) |
Dragon Ball (1986–1989) |
| Rozen Maiden: Ouvertüre (2006) |
Rozen Maiden (2004) |
| Hellsing: The Dawn (2001–current) | Hellsing (1997–current) |
| Saint Seiya Episode.G (2002) | Saint Seiya (1986–1991) |
| Saint Seiya: Next Dimension (2006–current) Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas (2006–current) |
Saint Seiya Episode.G (2002–on hiatus) Saint Seiya (1986–1991) |
[edit] Cross-media
[edit] See also
 |
Look up prequel in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
[edit] References
- ^ Amazon.co.uk: George Lucas (Virgin Film Series): Jim Smith: Books
- ^ IMDb: Another Part of the Forest (1948)
- ^ IMDb: The Nightcomers (1972)
- ^ "The term has recently slipped into common usage with its popularization by the advent of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace" wrote Chris Deever. Truth in Cinema, May 28, 2001
- ^ Mielke, James (16 November 2007). "Previews: Ninja Gaiden 2, "This is a new story starring Ryu Hayabusa. It takes place after Ninja Gaiden 1 for Xbox, and before the timeframe of the old Ninja Gaiden games on the NES."". 1Up.com. http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?pager.offset=1&cId=3164447. Retrieved 4 July 2008.
- ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (22 May 2008). "Ninja Gaiden 2 Interview, "Story chronologically as well, this takes place after the fist Ninja Gaiden for Xbox, then after this, the story for this game from a chronological stand point leads into the old Ninja Gaiden for the NES. I think we have a nice continuity there."". Video Gamer. http://www.videogamer.com/xbox360/ninja_gaiden_2/preview-948.html. Retrieved 4 July 2008.
- ^ Luke, Anderson (23 May 2008). "Ninja Gaiden II: Q&A with Tomonobu Itagaki, "In story chronology as well, this takes place after the first Ninja Gaiden for Xbox and then after the story of this game it leads into the old NES ones, so I think we have a nice continuity there."". Gamespot. http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/ninjagaidenii/news.html?sid=6191514&part=rss&subj=6191514. Retrieved 4 July 2008.
