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

Gabbi ShawMay 29, 2024, 13:46 IST

Andy Serkis.Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

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.

When the news dropped in May 2024 that a new "Lord of the Rings" film was in the works, 21 years after "The Return of the King," some fans wondered if "The Hunt for Gollum" was really a necessary story.

Of course, this movie might have something to do with the fact that the original "LOTR" trilogy and its prequel "Hobbit" trilogy made billions at the box office.

It isn't the first time Hollywood has released a prequel that may or may not be totally necessary. 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.

In contrast to "The Hunt for Gollum," we can't wait for the upcoming "Furiosa," the prequel to "Mad Max: Fury Road."

"Mad Max: Fury Road."Jasin Boland/Warner Bros.

Another amazing prequel? "The Godfather Part II."

Robert De Niro in "The Godfather Part II."Paramount

"Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again" follows a similar format, and it's also a total banger.

"Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again."Universal Pictures

"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" is a perfectly entertaining film, whether you've seen the other two films in the trilogy or not.

"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.""The Good, the Bad and The Ugly"/Produzioni Europee Associati

"Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" is a controversial film, but there are still things to enjoy about it.

"Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom."‘Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom’/LucasFilm

"Rogue One" is the best "Star Wars" prequel — bar none.

"Rogue One."Lucasfilm

"Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith" is also a solid prequel.

"Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith."Lucasfilm

"Bumblebee" gave audiences the chance to learn more about everyone's favorite yellow Transformer.

"Bumblebee."Paramount Pictures

"Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" is pretty good too — "Transformers" might be the only franchise that's truly benefited from prequels.

"Transformers: Rise of the Beasts."Paramount Pictures

And "X-Men: Days of Future Past" was a fun way to see younger versions of our favorite characters while keeping around some of the original X-Men.

"X-Men: Days of Future Past."20th Century Fox

The only prequel Pixar has ever produced is "Monsters University," which doesn't match the highs of "Monsters, Inc.," but is still a prequel worth watching.

"Monsters University."Disney/Pixar

"Alien: Covenant" is more connected to the original "Alien" films than its predecessor, "Prometheus."

"Alien: Covenant."Fox

But not all prequels are great — some are completely unnecessary, like "Oz the Great and Powerful," an origin story for the Wizard from "The Wizard of Oz."

"Oz the Great and Powerful."Sony Pictures Imageworks/YouTube

We can't knock Emma Stone's performance in "Cruella," but did we really need an origin story for the Dalmatian-hating Cruella de Vil?

Emma Stone in "Cruella."Laurie Sparham/Disney

Many people loathe the "Hobbit" trilogy — "Lord of the Rings" fans were content with the original three films.

Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins.Warner Bros.

"300: Rise of an Empire" took everything that was not great about "300" and doubled down.

"300: Rise of an Empire."Warner Bros.

"The Thing" didn't live up the '80s original.

"The Thing."Universal Pictures

"Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace" and "Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones" are just boring.

"Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace."Lucasfilm

"The Scorpion King's" only redeeming quality is that it started Dwayne Johnson on his path to movie stardom.

"The Scorpion King."Universal Pictures/"The Scorpion King"

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