Prequel
A prequel is a work that portrays events and/or aspects of a previously completed narrative, but is set prior to the existing narrative. The word is a neologism, formed as a portmanteau from pre-, meaning before, and sequel, a work which takes place after a previous one (although the word sequel comes from the Latin verb sequor, there is no verb "prequor"). Its meaning is easily grasped and it has passed into common usage. An alternative term would be protosequel (though it would literally mean first sequel), as adopted in other languages, like the Spanish "protosecuela" (which however is not so frequently used as precuela).
History
Though the word "Prequel" is of recent origin, works fitting this concept existed long before. By the theories accepted by many historians about authorship of the Book of Ruth in the Bible, it was written as a kind of prequel - i.e., an acount of the ancestors of King David written when an extensive literature on King David himself was already in existence.
According to OED 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 70's 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 not to Attack of the Clones (Episode II, 2002). In the latter case, the proper term would be "predecessor."
List of prequels
Literature
Plays
| Prequel | Original |
|---|---|
| The Mystery of Hamlet King of Denmark (1949) | Hamlet (circa 1600) |
Comics
| Prequel(s) | Original(s) |
|---|---|
|
All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder (2005) |
|
| The Kingdom (comics) (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) |
Films
Television
| Prequel | Original(s) |
|---|---|
| Star Trek: Enterprise (2001–2005) |
Star Trek: The Original Series (1966–1969) |
| First of the Summer Wine (1988–89) | Last of the Summer Wine (1973–) |
| Etheria (2005–) | Encantadia (May 2005–December 2005) |
| Caprica (2010) | Battlestar Galactica (miniseries) (2003)
Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009) |
| Clifford's Puppy Days (2003 - current) | 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-) |
|
Superman: The Animated Series (1996-2000) The New Batman Adventures (1997-1999) Static Shock (2000-2004) Justice League (TV series) (2001-2004) Justice League Unlimited (2004-2006) |
Batman Beyond (1999-2001)
|
Computer and video games
Manga and anime
| Prequel(s) | Original(s) |
|---|---|
| Fist of the Blue Sky (2001-current) | Fist of the North Star (1983–1988) |
| 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) |
Cross-media
See also
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
- ^ Many would argue that the principal plot structures in The Silmarillion were devised long before The Hobbit, and that the latter was incorporated into an existing structure, meaning the work, although published later, is not a prequel in the strict sense of the word.
- ^ Mielke, James (2007-11-16). "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 2008-07-04.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (2008-05-22). "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. Retrieved 2008-07-04.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Luke, Anderson (2008-05-23). "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 2008-07-04.
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