Wicked fever is upon us, Mufasa: The Lion King is a week away, and we are once again wondering about whether prequels are essential or just a shameless cash grab. While some prequels like The Godfather Part II elevate their original stories, others such as the Star Wars prequels leave fans divided and questioning their necessity. So what is it that separates the wheat from the chaff when it comes to prequels.
But first, a quick explainer for if you happened to just wake up for a coma. Wicked delves into the origins of Glinda, the Good Witch, and Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, offering a nuanced take on their complicated relationship. By expanding the World of Oz, Wicked charms us with its tale of political intrigue, social commentary, and adolescent trials wrapped in magical wonder.
It works. But not every prequel does. So what makes for a successful prequel as opposed to a prequel that is wholly unnecessary?
Prequels: Origins!
Almost every conversation about movies will inevitably descend into a diatribe about the ubiquity of franchise fare, of prequels and sequels, of spinoffs and reboots. God knows we’ve all read enough think pieces that bemoan the lack of original ideas in Hollywood. It’s an argument that is hyperbolic at best, and misinformed at worst. Because the practice of crafting prequels has been a feature of media for the longest time.
Just take C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia. While The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe was the first novel published in 1950, a prequel titled The Magician’s Nephew was released five years later. It fleshed out the world of Narnia and even featured a minor character that appeared in the original novel.
The great William Shakespeare also partook in the prequel phenomenon. He wrote a tetralogy of plays (Richard II, Henry IV: Part I, Henry IV: Part 2, and Henry V) which were written cohesively and meant to serve as prequels that lead up to some of his earlier works which were focused on The War of the Roses (Henry VI: Part I, Henry VI: Part 2, Henry VI: Part 3, and Richard III).
Not All Prequels Are Created Equal
Despite the languid reputation that prequels tend to get, several examples have notably bucked the trend. The Godfather Part II further developed Michael Corleone’s character and provided a foil by contrasting him with his father, Vito Corleone. Fast Five (yes, Fast Five!) didn’t just inject new thrills into the Fast and Furious franchise, but also served to set the series down a new narrative path. And lest we forget, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom takes place before Raiders of the Lost Ark.
But not all prequels are necessary, nor do they adequately expand the world. The seminal case for this would be the infamous Star Wars prequels (also known as Episodes I, II, and III). Whilst there are undeniable highlights to the prequel trilogy, the general fan consensus has been decidedly mixed regarding George Lucas’ storytelling choices.
Recent years have also seen the rise of villain-focused prequels of classic tales, with Cruella and Maleficent being two of the biggest names. These “prequels” serve as interesting origin stories for classic villains and give audiences a more three-dimensional look at these antagonists beyond the context of their original story.
In the case of Wicked, what marks it as an effective prequel would be the deliberate and thoughtful expansion of the world of Oz — giving us a glimpse into what it was like before Dorothy, giving it further context to the events of the seminal movie. In addition, familiar characters such as Glinda and the Wizard are given additional screentime and layers that shed new light on their actions in the original tale. The biggest twist, however, was giving the Wicked Witch of the West a new backstory and motivation. Adding elements of social disillusionment and political propaganda made her a far more complex character than merely the two dimensional villain we were lead to believe she was.
The One Oz Prequel to Rule Them All
The success of Wicked also makes for an interesting contrast with Oz: The Great and the Powerful – Disney’s own take on a prequel to The Wizard of Oz.
Oz focuses on the adventures of one Oscar Diggs, a small-time magician and con artist who gets transported into the magical land of Oz. Despite adapting a well-known story, Oz fails as a prequel by having wildly different characterizations of familiar characters, such as The Wicked Witch of the West (Theodora) and The Good Witch of the North (Evanora). In addition, there is also very little exploration of the magical world of Oz in this mostly disconnected story.
Wicked embraces the darker side of the original story by spinning a tale filled with social intrigue that seeks to reframe The Wicked Witch’s actions by providing a nuanced motivation for going against the Wizard. Plus, themes such as the power of propaganda in distorting the truth remain relevant in the modern information age.
Balancing the Past for a Brighter Present
Prequels are difficult things to do. Justifying their worth might be one of the hardest storytelling maneuvers to pull off. So maybe instead of criticizing it as being something derivative, we should focus instead on how successful it is in adding to the original source material.
The Fox X-Men movies, for example, which have been a mixed bag, nevertheless had their fair share of bright spark. 2011’s X-Men First Class really developed the central relationship of Magneto and Professor X whilst showcasing a unique dimension to the X-Men world. It tied into the real-life history of the Cuban Missile Crisis, and was a great example of a worthy prequel that offered intriguing insights and further revelations about what we had already seen in previous movies.
A successful prequel balances honouring the original source material while forging its own path. The best prequels expand the original world, add further depth to its characters, and offer fresh perspectives to established canon. Prequels that merely retread familiar ground often fall flat, as audiences question their reason for being. Ultimately, by striking the right balance between nostalgia and innovation, creators can elevate the story of an established work by adding their own voice to the existing conversation.
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