The best, worst, and most unnecessary prequels in movie history

Timothée Chalamet will play Willy Wonka in the upcoming origin story "Wonka."Paramount Pictures; Warner Bros. Pictures

• With a prequel, Hollywood can get as much out of intellectual property as possible.
• But prequels can also be a good way to illuminate something new about a story or character.

Timothée Chalamet might have a "no superhero" rule for his career, but he clearly doesn't have any rules about taking on a beloved character previously played an actor in a career-defining performance — yes, we're talking about Willy Wonka, the somewhat mercurial chocolatier played by Gene Wilder in 1979's "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory."

This December, Chalamet will play Wonka in "Wonka," an origin story that — from what the new trailer suggests — will show how Wonka met the Oompa Loompas, became a successful chocolate-maker, and more.

This isn't the first time Hollywood has released a prequel that may or may not be totally unneeded. We've compiled a list of the 21 best, worst, or confusing prequels of all time — keep reading to see which films made the cut.