Making a prequel is hard. Granted, filmmaking is a hard endeavor regardless, but a prequel must fulfill a certain requirement that original movies don’t necessarily have to. The purpose of a prequel is to simply capitalize off a popular character and milk as much cash from the intellectual property as possible. You don’t think Disney released Cruella because they genuinely felt that the story of an evil fashion designer who was outsmarted by dogs needed to be told, did you? The business and creative side of filmmaking has always been a murky line. Hollywood is a business, so of course, money is the most important thing on their minds. Obviously, there’s nothing wrong with that as every business is run with the notion of trying to achieve top sales. However, it clashes with the ideology of movies and creatives making features. Their goal is to make the best movie possible. I could be wrong, but no filmmaker goes in with the intention of making a bad movie.
However, when you’re under the umbrella of a prequel, there are certain restrictions that handicap your chances of success. The biggest thing about a prequel is the fact that every signature beat regarding a character must be hit that explains said person. For example, Cruella DeVille has her signature white/black hair, thus the prequel was forced to explain it. Unfortunately, the filmmaker went the extremely complicated route by giving her the signature hair at birth, instead of just making it a rebellious fashion statement that actually would’ve fit with Cruella’s character. Leatherface went back to the titular character’s childhood to explain why he’s such a monster. The same thing can be said about Solo: A Star Wars Story and most of their prequels. Except for the monster part. Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd was…something. Definitely a prequel just not a good one. The point is that since filmmakers are forced to hit these necessary character beats, they have to craft a narrative around these moments or character quirks. Like Cruella’s hair or the existence of Dumb and Dumberer, it comes across as unnatural and actually kills the mystique of the character itself. Leatherface didn’t need a prequel. Part of the reason he’s so scary in the first film is that we don’t know his reasoning for being such a murderous brute. I could go on about numerous Alien prequel attempts, The First Purge, etc, but you get the point by now.
However, it’s not just the fact that these filmmakers are forced to hit a certain character beat. It’s also the fact that there’s not an air of mystery regarding their outcome. We expect Cruella to rise through the ranks because she’s already a top-notch fashion designer in 101 Dalmatians. We expect Leatherface to live because he becomes the titular villain. No one thought that the cast in Prometheus would go over the aliens, did they? Since we know that the main character goes on to be a big success then it becomes an uphill battle to convince audiences of their predictable journey. Now, that’s not to say all prequels suck. Godfather Part II is arguably the best because the film is wisely a prequel and sequel.
It explores Vito Corleone a bit deeper while it continues the struggles of Michael Corleone to protect his family. Joker goes into depth of how Arthur Fleck spirals into such a mad man. Better Call Saul follows Saul Goodman as he climbs his way to being the top corrupt lawyer that he player in Breaking Bad. Hannibal goes into great depth of the title character himself. Do we believe that any of these men will die or get caught in the prequel? No, but what makes them great is that they’re world is a fascinating one that allows multiple characters to shine and the intrigue regarding the central character grows. I know that the last two are not movies, but the point is that some movies don’t work because the lore surrounding it just isn’t interesting enough to deserve its own movie or television series. Financially speaking, prequels do well because they’re essentially a nostalgia trip that audiences tend to enjoy. However, on the movie spectrum, there aren’t many prequels that people consider classics because they’re mostly void of originality and a sense of true identity. How many times have we gotten the sympathetic villain origin story? Maleficent, X-Men: First Class, Hannibal Rising, Star Wars: Episode I- The Phantom Menace are just some that follow the typical path of a villain. Hell, even Rob Zombie’s Halloween makes Michael Myers more sympathetic. Prequels can actually end up ruining characters, but as long as they keep making money, it doesn’t manner to the suits in Hollywood at the end of the day.
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