Prequel
A prequel is a literary, dramatic, or filmic work whose story precedes that of a previous work,[1][2] by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative.[3] A prequel is a work that forms part of a back-story to the preceding work. 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. The term is a 20th-century neologism, and a portmanteau from pre- (from Latin præ, "before") and -quel as in sequel (a supplementing work, especially one with a setting later than its predecessor's, from the Latin sequela, that which follows).[1][2]
History
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, used to describe James Blish's novel They Shall Have Stars. The term came into general usage in the 1970s and 1980s.[2]
Butch and Sundance: The Early Days (1979) may have inaugurated the term "prequel" into the mainstream.[4] The term has since been popularized by the Star Wars prequel trilogy (1999-2005).[5][unreliable source?]
Usage
Rather than being a concept distinct from that of a sequel, a prequel still adheres to the general principle of serialization, defined only by its internal chronology and publication order. For example, the Star Wars episodes were released in the order IV-VI followed by I-III; Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999) is a prequel to Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983) but, under the dictionary definition, is only a predecessor rather than a prequel of Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002) due to release order.
Sometimes "prequel" describes followups where it is not always possible to apply a label defined solely in terms of intertextuality.[6] In the case of The Godfather Part II, the narrative combines elements of a prequel with those of a more generalized sequel by having two intercut narrative strands, one continuing from the first film (the mafia family story under the leadership of Michael Corleone), and one, completely separate, detailing events that precede it (the story of his father Vito Corleone in his youth). In this sense the film can be regarded as a "prequel and a sequel" (i.e., both a prior and a continuing story), and is often referred to in this manner.[6] Star Trek (2009) has also been referred to as a "prequel",[7] although the film has a narrative much more complex than that of a typical prequel, sharing traits with that of a sequel and a remake too. In the film an elderly Spock enters a parallel universe at an earlier point in the timeline, which results in him encountering his younger counterpart along with the other younger incarnations of the crew of the Enterprise. Besides depicting an early adventure of the crew, it still operates as a sequel by depicting a later adventure of the Spock character, and by altering the history of the characters it also partially remakes the original series. Due to these conflicting factors, it has been argued that the film is not a prequel to the series, but in fact a parallel development to it.[8]
Similarly, in the original Planet of the Apes series, even though the latter three films depict events chronologically prior to those of the first film, the narrative itself is continuous. The latter installments (Escape,[9] Conquest,[10][11] and Battle[12]) are sometimes called "prequels" in a broad sense of the word, and they are also sequels defined both broadly (as later installments) and narrowly (as continuation of the previously established storyline).[1]
In recent times the term "prequel" has also been applied to origin-story reboots, such as Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Batman Begins, and Casino Royale.[13][14] The creators of both Batman Begins and Rise of the Planet of the Apes also stated their intent to dispense with the continuity of the previous films so they would exist as separate pieces of work, with Christopher Nolan—director of Batman Begins—explicitly stating he does not consider it a prequel.[14][15] Here, "prequel" denotes status as a "franchise-renewing original" that depicts events earlier in the (internally inconsistent) narrative cycle than those of a previous installment.[14] Some reviewers require that a prequel must lead up to the beginning of its original work,[3] which is inconsistent with works that dispense with the narrative of previous work and are not significantly within the same continuity.
List of prequels
Please do not add unreleased works to these lists without a reliable source that it is actually a prequel.
Literature
Plays
| Prequel | Original |
|---|---|
| Richard II; Henry IV, Part 1; Henry IV, Part 2; Henry V | Henry VI, Part 1; Henry VI, Part 2; Henry VI, Part 3; Richard III |
| The Mystery of Hamlet King of Denmark (1949) | Hamlet (c. 1600) |
| Homelife (2007) | The Zoo Story (1958) |
Films
Television series
Comics
| Prequel | Original |
|---|---|
| Superboy (1945–) | Action Comics (1938–) Superman (1939–) |
| All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder (2005) | Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (1986) |
| The Man Who Falls (1989) | Batman: Year One (1987) |
| Batman and the Monster Men (2005–2006) Batman and the Mad Monk (2006–2007) Batman: The Man Who Laughs (2005) |
Batman: The Long Halloween (1996–1997) Batman: Dark Victory (1999–2000) |
| 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: Dead Days (2007) |
Marvel Zombies (2005–2006) |
| Mr. and Mrs. Spider-Man (2008–2009) | Spider-Girl (1998–1999) Amazing Spider-Girl (2006–2009) |
| Tales of the Jedi: The Golden Age of the Sith (1997) Tales of the Jedi: The Fall of the Sith Empire (1998) |
Tales of the Jedi series (1994–1996) |
Computer and video games
Manga and anime
| Prequel | 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-current) | Saint Seiya (1986–1991) |
| Saint Seiya: Next Dimension (2006–current) Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas (2006–2011) |
Saint Seiya Episode.G (2002–current) Saint Seiya (1986–1991) |
Cross-media
See also
References
- ^ a b c Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (10th ed.). Springfield, Massachusetts: Merriam-Webster. 1993. pp. 921, 915, 1068, 246.
- ^ a b c d e f "prequel, n.". [[Oxford English Dictionary]] (online) (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. March 2012 [March 2007]. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
{{cite book}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help) - ^ a b Silverblatt, Art (2007). Genre Studies in Mass Media: A Handbook. M. E. Sharpe. p. 211. ISBN 9780765616708.
Prequels focus on the action that took place before the original narrative. For instance, in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith the audience learns about how Darth Vader originally became a villain. A prequel assumes that the audience is familiar with the original—the audience must rework the narrative so that they can understand how the prequel leads up to the beginning of the original.
- ^ a b Burgess, Steve (1999-06-26). "Richard Lester: A Hard Day's Life".
Lester may also have locked up the dubious distinction of inaugurating the term 'prequel' in 1979 when he directed 'Butch and Sundance: The Early Days.'
- ^ Deever, Chris (28 May 2001). "On prequels and The Prequel". TruthInStuff. Archived from the original on 1 January 2004.
- ^ a b c Jess-Cooke, Carolyn (2009). Film Sequels: Theory and Practice from Hollywood to Bollywood. Edinburgh University Press. p. 6. ISBN 9780748626038.
- ^ a b Hemmingson, Michael (2009). Star Trek: A Post-Structural Critique of the Original Series. Wildside Press. p. 114. ISBN 9781434403490.
- ^ a b Klawans, Stuart (2009). "Live Long and Prosper". The Nation. Vol. 288–289. p. 43.
The new Star Trek is not a prequel.
- ^ a b Dirks, Tim. "Science Fiction Films Part 5". AMC Filmsite.
A sequel and prequel to the first two films.
- ^ a b Britt, Ryan. "Who's Your Caesar? Rewatching Conquest of the Planet of the Apes". Macmillan Publishing.
Conquest is in a separate category of films as it serves as both a sequel to the previous film and a prequel to the first two films.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ a b Matheou, Demetrios (August 14, 2011), "Ascent of Ape", The Sunday Herald, Washington, D.C.,
Aficionados of the original series of five films will know that a prequel already exists, namely Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes.
- ^ a b c Chappell, Arthur (2011-08-20). Film Review: Rise of the Planet of the Apes: After the Tim Burton travesty, the Apes are back in a genuinely fantastic movie. Socyberty/Triond.
Stunning prequel to the original Planet Of The Apes movie, with some elements of the original franchise sequel / prequel Battle For The Planet Of The Apes.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help) - ^ a b Associated Press. "With the documentary 'Chimpanzee' opening, a look at 5 prime primate movies". The Statesman. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
- ^ a b c Sutton, Paul (2010). "8. Prequel: The "Afterwardsness" of the Sequel". In Jess-Cooke, Carolyn; Verevis, Constantine (eds.). Second Takes: Critical Approaches to the Film Sequel. State University of New York Press. pp. 139–152. ISBN 9781438430294.
- ^ Keegan, Rebecca (11 August 2011). "'Rise of the Planet of the Apes': 21 nods to classic 'Apes'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
- ^ a b c DuHamel, Brandon (2008-11-20). "Planet of the Apes: 40-Year Evolution Blu-ray Collection Review". Big Picture Big Sound.
So, in effect, Escape from The Planet of The Apes, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes and Battle for the Planet of The Apes are prequels to the original saga.
- ^ "The Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy Film Review".
With Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, the series sets out to chart the beginning of the events that lead up to the ape-ruled future.
- ^ Eggertsen, Chris (2011-12-02). "The 10 best film and television prequels". HitFix.com.
The Godfather Part II remains perhaps the greatest film prequel - not to mention sequel - of all time.
- ^ "ETHERIA: A Sequel or a Prequel?". The Gazette. Cavite State University. 2006-01-15.
- ^ 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. 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. Retrieved 4 July 2008.
- ^ Impact, 2004 http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/150546, retrieved 28 April 2012,
Working Title, Universal and I ... chose to make a prequel, something that took place before the Thunderbirds that everyone knows and loves.
{{citation}}: Missing or empty|title=(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - ^ The Telegraph
- ^ http://screenrant.com/monsters-inc-prequel-monsters-university-robf-108351/