What is a prequel? Merriam-Webster defines a prequel as, “a work whose story precedes that of an earlier work.” In terms of movies, it might be the first movie in a series. However, it can be a release that follows the first movie years later to provide background into the current characters. If you’ve ever watched the TV sitcom “The Big Bang Theory,” “Young Sheldon” is the prequel as it introduces Sheldon as a child and helps shed light on his quirks.
There are dozens of prequels in movies, literature and TV shows. They’re also in songs, comics and video games. Some work well and others don’t. Do you know the Bon Jovi song “Living on a Prayer?” Tommy and Gina’s story is briefly touched up again in “It’s My Life,” which turned the original song into a prequel.
One of my favorite TV show prequels was “Tiny Toon Adventures.” It took the popular “Looney Toons” cartoon characters and showed what they were like as children. It was a fun look at how they became the “adults” they grew into. Movies do the same thing and draw you into the origin story of a place, character or organization.
Many people feel that prequels are never as good, but there are many amazing prequels out there. Our focus is on movies and the prequels that people should watch as they offer a closer look into the character’s lives or the world they live in.
Enjoy our list of the best prequels of all time. (While you’re between movies, see if you can answer our movie trivia questions. Some of the questions are harder than you might think.)
To determine the best prequels of all time, 24/7 Tempo developed an index of movies using average ratings on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and a combination of audience scores and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, as of March 2024, weighting all ratings equally. We considered only prequels with at least 25,000 ratings on either IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes. Documentaries were not considered. Cast credits are from IMDb.
Here is the list of the best prequels of all time.
40. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009)
Source: Courtesy of Screen Gems
- IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (155,425 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 63% (232,687 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 29% (78 reviews)
- Starring: Rhona Mitra, Michael Sheen, Bill Nighy
- Original: Underworld (2003)
39. Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
N/A
- IMDb user rating: 5.7/10 (101,093 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 48% (103,048 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 58% (137 reviews)
- Starring: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Molly Ephraim
- Original: Paranormal Activity (2007)
38. X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
- IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (482,171 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 58% (561,786 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 37% (263 reviews)
- Starring: Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Ryan Reynolds
- Original: X-Men (2000)
37. Minions (2015)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 6.4/10 (221,609 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 49% (137,056 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 55% (221 reviews)
- Starring: Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm, Michael Keaton
- Original: Despicable Me (2010)
36. Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015)
Source: Courtesy of Focus Features
- IMDb user rating: 6.1/10 (99,084 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 51% (32,593 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 58% (130 reviews)
- Starring: Dermot Mulroney, Stefanie Scott, Angus Sampson
- Original: Insidious (2010)
35. Final Destination 5 (2011)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
N/A
- IMDb user rating: 5.8/10 (110,821 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 52% (52,255 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 62% (137 reviews)
- Starring: Nicholas D’Agosto, Emma Bell, Arlen Escarpeta
- Original: Final Destination (2000)
34. Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
N/A
- IMDb user rating: 5.8/10 (92,419 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 51% (74,801 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 66% (125 reviews)
- Starring: Chloe Csengery, Jessica Tyler Brown, Christopher Nicholas Smith
- Original: Paranormal Activity (2007)
33. Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
- IMDb user rating: 6.5/10 (756,088 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 59% (1,210,584 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 51% (232 reviews)
- Starring: Ewan McGregor, Liam Neeson, Natalie Portman
- Original: Star Wars (1977)
32. Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)
Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 6.3/10 (202,862 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 56% (293,048 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 57% (273 reviews)
- Starring: James Franco, Michelle Williams, Rachel Weisz
- Original: The Wizard of Oz (1939)
31. X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
- IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (409,719 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 65% (127,995 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 47% (345 reviews)
- Starring: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence
- Original: X-Men (2000)
30. Alien: Covenant (2017)
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
- IMDb user rating: 6.4/10 (265,614 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 55% (64,185 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 65% (406 reviews)
- Starring: Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup
- Original: Alien (1979)
29. Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002)
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
- IMDb user rating: 6.5/10 (665,845 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 56% (855,142 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 65% (252 reviews)
- Starring: Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor
- Original: Star Wars (1977)
28. Annabelle Comes Home (2019)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 5.9/10 (67,260 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 70% (9,417 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 65% (206 reviews)
- Starring: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Mckenna Grace
- Original: The Conjuring 2 (2016)
27. Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971)
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
- IMDb user rating: 6.3/10 (33,671 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 53% (22,594 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 77% (30 reviews)
- Starring: Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Bradford Dillman
- Original: Planet of the Apes (1968)
26. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 6.3/10 (83,865 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (2,500 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 47% (222 reviews)
- Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, Ezra Miller
- Original: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001)
25. Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
N/A
- IMDb user rating: 6.1/10 (57,321 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 57% (14,942 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 82% (125 reviews)
- Starring: Elizabeth Reaser, Lulu Wilson, Annalise Basso
- Original: Ouija (2014)
24. Annabelle: Creation (2017)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 6.5/10 (123,007 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 67% (22,159 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 71% (189 reviews)
- Starring: Anthony LaPaglia, Samara Lee, Miranda Otto
- Original: The Conjuring 2 (2016)
23. Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (312,726 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 64% (44,536 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 70% (482 reviews)
- Starring: Alden Ehrenreich, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke
- Original: Star Wars (1977)
22. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (494,189 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 74% (215,504 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 59% (265 reviews)
- Starring: Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage
- Original: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
21. Meet the Robinsons (2007)
Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
- IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (92,658 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 74% (400,204 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 67% (143 reviews)
- Starring: Daniel Hansen, Wesley Singerman, Angela Bassett
- Original: Meet the Robinsons (2007)
20. Kong: Skull Island (2017)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (298,582 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 69% (54,886 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 75% (389 reviews)
- Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson
- Original: Godzilla (2014)
19. Prometheus (2012)
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (584,143 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 68% (263,434 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 73% (307 reviews)
- Starring: Noomi Rapace, Logan Marshall-Green, Michael Fassbender
- Original: Alien (1979)
18. Red Dragon (2002)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (262,088 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 74% (275,635 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 68% (189 reviews)
- Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Edward Norton, Ralph Fiennes
- Original: The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
17. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992)
Source: Courtesy of New Line Cinema
- IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (92,415 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 78% (42,789 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 64% (75 reviews)
- Starring: Sheryl Lee, Ray Wise, Mädchen Amick
- Original: Twin Peaks (1990)
16. Puss in Boots (2011)
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (150,476 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 67% (79,045 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (155 reviews)
- Starring: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Zach Galifianakis
- Original: Shrek 2 (2004)
15. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (737,919 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 66% (33,683,838 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 80% (302 reviews)
- Starring: Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor
- Original: Star Wars (1977)
14. Fast & Furious 6 (2013)
Source: Frazer Harrison / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (381,477 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (348,936 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 71% (211 reviews)
- Starring: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson
- Original: The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)
13. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (428,445 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 79% (88,208 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 74% (343 reviews)
- Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Alison Sudol
- Original: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001)
12. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (780,688 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (483,592 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 64% (305 reviews)
- Starring: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage
- Original: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
11. Bumblebee (2018)
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (150,903 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 74% (10,222 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (251 reviews)
- Starring: Hailee Steinfeld, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., John Cena
- Original: Transformers (2007)
10. Monsters University (2013)
Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (337,570 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (305,679 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 80% (203 reviews)
- Starring: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi
- Original: Monsters, Inc. (2001)
9. Fast Five (2011)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (366,978 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (139,932 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 77% (204 reviews)
- Starring: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson
- Original: The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)
8. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (621,866 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (264,662 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 74% (250 reviews)
- Starring: Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage
- Original: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
7. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (465,229 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (717,093 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (69 reviews)
- Starring: Harrison Ford, Kate Capshaw, Ke Huy Quan
- Original: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
6. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
N/A
- IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (580,375 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (105,328 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 84% (456 reviews)
- Starring: Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Alan Tudyk
- Original: Star Wars (1977)
5. X-Men: First Class (2011)
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (663,070 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (184,854 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (298 reviews)
- Starring: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence
- Original: X-Men (2000)
4. X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (679,797 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (277,422 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (330 reviews)
- Starring: Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Hugh Jackman
- Original: X-Men (2000)
3. Star Trek (2009)
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (589,910 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (747,981 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (354 reviews)
- Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg
- Original: Star Trek (1966)
1. The Godfather: Part II (1974)
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 9.0/10 (1,183,912 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 97% (411,793 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (114 reviews)
- Starring: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall
- Original: The Godfather (1972)