Prequel

A prequel is a work that portrays events which are set in the same "universe" as a previously completed narrative, but at an earlier time. The word is a neologism, dating to the early 1970s; it is a portmanteau formed from pre-, meaning before, and sequel, a work which takes place after a previous one. "The term has recently slipped into common usage with its popularization by the advent of '" wrote Chris Deever in Truth in Cinema, May 28, 2001. The Star Wars prequel trilogy greatly popularized the term in American culture.

Related Topics:
Neologism - 1970s - Portmanteau - Sequel - Trilogy

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Another popular cinematic prequel is The Godfather Part II. This film is both sequel and prequel, since it intercuts the further story of the Corleone family under the leadership of Michael Corleone with the story of Vito Corleone in his youth.

Related Topics:
The Godfather Part II - Michael Corleone - Vito Corleone

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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. Prequels often play on the fact that the audience knows what will happen next, using deliberate references to create dramatic irony.

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The idea of a prequel is not new. The libretti for the four operas of Richard Wagner's Ring Cycle -- Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, Siegfried and Götterdämmerung -- were written in reverse order, making each opera a prequel to the following one. The Silmarillion contains prequels for The Lord of the Rings, though since The Silmarillion was conceived earlier than The Lord of the Rings, even though published later, it is not a true prequel.

Related Topics:
Libretti - Richard Wagner - Ring Cycle - Das Rheingold - Die Walküre - Siegfried - Götterdämmerung - The Silmarillion - The Lord of the Rings

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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.

Related Topics:
C. S. Lewis - The Chronicles of Narnia - The Magician's Nephew - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

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The term prequel is often used to describe any work with a sequel. This is contrary to the term's original meaning; by its original meaning, a prequel is a type of sequel, not the converse of a sequel. For example, ' (1999) is a prequel to ' (1983), but not to ' (2002).

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