At their best, they can deepen an existing story, or offer additional dimension and insight into familiar characters. (Like what happened with the Star Wars prequel movies.)īut once in a long while, prequels can also tell new stories that experiment with stylistic shifts and new characters.

Who can blame anyone for dismissing out of hand the marketing formulation that gave us 2007’s Hannibal Rising, 1979’s Butch and Sundance: The Early Days, or 2004’s Exorcist: The Beginning? Prequels tell stories where the end has been predetermined, often without beloved key actors, prompting unflattering comparisons to inimitable classics. Whenever a new movie prequel is announced, even the core audience that loved the original work sometimes responds with a resounding ugh.