Unlike sequels that serve as a continuation of the first film, prequels serve to flesh out the events that transpired before, to provide great context in the grand scheme of things. Prequels often promise to enrich stories by exploring origins, but too many end up answering questions no one asked, while diluting what made the originals special. Some characters thrive on mystery, and some plots don’t need additional context, yet Hollywood remains convinced that every hit film can be mined for more content.
From misguided attempts to over-explaining iconic characters, to prequels that merely rehash their predecessors with diminishing returns, these films stand as examples of how filling in the blanks can often make a story weaker. Some, like Solo: A Star Wars Story, suffer from trying too hard to justify their existence, while others, such as X-Men Origins: Wolverine, mishandle their source material so badly they require later films to make course corrections. Then there are the prequels that fail not just narratively but commercially, sinking any hope of continuing their respective franchises.
Here, we take a look at 15 prequels that added nothing meaningful to their original films.
1) Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
Prequel to the Star Wars original trilogy (1977-1983)
Han Solo was already a fully realised character when he first swaggered onto the screen in Star Wars: A New Hope (1977) and filling in the blanks with a backstory that added little to his development only served to dilute that appeal. Fans didn’t need to see how Han got his last name, how he met Chewbacca, or how he won ownership of the Millennium Falcon. The film’s attempt to stitch together every defining aspect of his persona felt more like checking off a list than telling a story worth exploring.
That’s not to say Solo is a bad movie, just an unnecessary one. Unlike Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), which expanded on a pivotal moment in the saga, Solo: A Star Wars Story felt more like an exercise in brand extension than meaningful storytelling. Even the strongest element, Donald Glover’s (Atlanta) Lando Calrissian, only served as reminders that this wasn’t the story people were interested in seeing. Had the film focused on Lando instead, it might have justified its existence. It’s a reminder that not every beloved character needs an origin story, especially when their appeal comes from the air of mystery they carried in the first place.
2) Alien: Covenant (2017)
Prequel to Alien (1979)
Alien (1979) remains one of the greatest sci-fi horror films ever made. Its prequel Prometheus (2012) at least attempted to forge its own path while hinting at the origins of the xenomorphs, but Alien: Covenant fully embraced the prequel trap – over-explaining Prometheus‘ lingering questions that never needed answers.
Rather than enhancing the mythology, Alien: Covenant only muddied it with unnecessary additions to the xenomorph’s life cycle and a convoluted backstory that made the creatures feel less terrifying. The film’s attempts at horror felt hollow, and its characters made the kind of baffling decisions that would get them laughed out of Alien’s Weyland-Yutani training programme, all while replacing practical effects with uninspired CGI. Instead of serving as a bridge to Alien, Covenant felt like a detour that ultimately led nowhere, derailing whatever plans were left for the prequel series in the process.
3) Exorcist: The Beginning (2004)
Prequel to The Exorcist (1973)
The Exorcist franchise has struggled to recapture the brilliance of its 1973 original, and Exorcist: The Beginning is one of the most blatant examples of a prequel that adds nothing of value. Studio meddling doomed it from the start, with Paul Schrader’s initial version (Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist) deemed too cerebral and slow. Renny Harlin (Cliffhanger) was brought in for reshoots, shifting the film toward a more conventional horror approach: one that delivered more blood but little actual terror. The result was a prequel that felt hollow, rehashing familiar exorcism tropes without the weight or tension that made the original so iconic.
Despite Stellan Skarsgård’s (Dune) best efforts as a younger Father Merrin, the film failed to explore his character in a meaningful way. His first encounter with Pazuzu should have been an iconic moment in franchise history, but it played out like a generic supernatural thriller with The Exorcist branding slapped on. Strip away the name recognition, and what’s left is an uninspired horror film that could have been mistaken for any number of forgettable possession movies.
4) Hannibal Rising (2007)
Prequel to The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Hannibal Rising attempts to dissect the making of the world’s most infamous fictional cannibal, but instead of adding curiosity, it strips away everything that made him chilling. Forced into existence by producer Dino De Laurentiis (King Kong), who strong-armed The Silence of the Lambs author Thomas Harris into writing a new story, Hannibal Rising presents a young Hannibal witnessing his sister’s murder and subsequent cannibalisation by Nazis. From there, he embarks on a revenge-fueled journey under the tutelage of his Japanese aunt, complete with samurai influences (because apparently, the filmmakers thought that was the missing piece to Lecter’s backstory).
Gaspard Ulliel (Saint Laurent), tasked with playing the younger version of Anthony Hopkins’ (Hitchcock) legendary character, does what he can, but the script leaves him with little to work with. Gone is the razor-sharp intellect and unsettling charm and in its place is a run-of-the-mill revenge plot that reduces Hannibal to just another killer with a tragic past. It’s a film that misunderstands what made Lecter so terrifying in The Silence of the Lambs, not why he became a monster, but the fact that he simply was one.
5) The Fantastic Beasts Trilogy (2016-2022)
Prequels to the Harry Potter films (2001-2011)
The Fantastic Beasts series started with promise and whimsical charm, offering a new perspective on the Wizarding World through the eyes of magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything). But instead of carving out its own niche, the franchise quickly spiraled into an unnecessary attempt to retrofit more Harry Potter lore into its increasingly convoluted plot weighed down by its desperate need to justify its own existence.
What began as an exploration of magical creatures turned into a convoluted political saga revolving around Dumbledore and Grindelwald, riddled with retcons and plot holes that only muddled the established timeline. By its second instalment, The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018), the series had become an exercise in over-explanation, attempting to force connections to the Harry Potter saga that no one asked for. With a Harry Potter series reboot in the works, most fans are ready to let Fantastic Beasts fade into obscurity… where it arguably should have stayed in the first place.
6) Monsters University (2013)
Prequel to Monsters, Inc. (2001)
While Monsters University is entertaining in its own right, it doesn’t add much to Pixar’s beloved Monsters, Inc. universe beyond some nostalgic callbacks and familiar faces, answering questions no one was really asking. Mike and Sulley’s friendship was already well established in the original film, and their backstory never needed an elaborate explanation. Watching them go from rivals to best friends in a typical underdog college setting did little to enhance their characters, and the story ultimately lacked the emotional weight that made Monsters, Inc. such a standout.
Monsters University may not be the worst offender when it comes to unnecessary prequels, but it’s a prime example of a film that exists simply because the original was a hit – not because the story needed to be told.
7) Minions (2015)
Prequel to Despicable Me (2010)
Illumination saw an opportunity to cash in on the Despicable Me franchise’s breakout characters, but Minions ended up offering little more than a long, stretched-out gag. The film took a bizarre detour into the Minions’ history, revealing that they’ve been around since the dawn of time, constantly seeking out villains to serve, only to inadvertently get them killed. While the concept might have worked as a short, it quickly wore thin across a feature-length runtime, relying on slapstick humour and gibberish instead of a coherent plot.
By the time Minions reached its inevitable conclusion (meeting a young Gru) the film had done nothing to justify its existence beyond reinforcing the brand’s marketability. The Minions were always meant to be side characters, and stretching their antics into an entire film only proved that they work best in small doses.
8) Leatherface (2017)
Prequel to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
Some horror icons are best left shrouded in mystery, and Leatherface proved why. The 2017 prequel attempted to peel back the origins of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’s infamous killer, but in doing so, it stripped away much of what made him terrifying in the first place. By focusing on a young Jedidiah Sawyer and his journey from troubled child to chainsaw-wielding murderer, the film fell into the same trap as Rob Zombie’s Halloween (2007): trying to make audiences sympathise with a character who was always more frightening as an enigma.
On top of that, Leatherface muddles the already tangled timeline of the franchise, presenting a different version of Leatherface’s origins than The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006). The attempt to introduce a psychological element by keeping the killer’s identity a mystery until the end might have been a new approach, but it ultimately serves no real purpose beyond padding the runtime.
9) The Thing (2011)
Prequel to The Thing (1982)
2011’s The Thing prequel set out to explore the doomed Norwegian research station glimpsed in John Carpenter’s 1982 classic, but instead of expanding the mythology in an interesting way, it merely rehashed the same beats with diminishing returns. Scenes that were once ominous hints of unspeakable horrors become dull, over-explained sequences that sap tension rather than build it. Worse still, the reliance on CGI for the creature effects, which replaced the practical work originally planned, strips away the visceral horror that made Carpenter’s version so effective.
What should have been a chilling companion piece ends up feeling like a lesser imitation, complete with characters who serve the same functions as those in the 1982 film but without the same impact.
10) Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd (2003)
Prequel to Dumb and Dumber (1994)
Trying to make a Dumb and Dumber movie without Jim Carrey (The Mask), Jeff Daniels (The Newsroom), or the Farrelly brothers (There’s Something About Mary) was a mistake from the start, and Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd proves it in every way. The prequel attempts to explore how the two dimwitted best friends met in high school, but without the original leads’ comedic chemistry, it becomes an exercise in pointless imitation. Derek Richardson (Men in Trees) and Eric Christian Olsen (NCIS: Los Angeles) try their best, but the magic of the original was never just about the stupidity, but about the charisma and timing that Carrey and Daniels brought to their roles. Without them, the film is just a pale imitation of what made Dumb and Dumber work in the first place.
A weak script packed with lazy gross-out humour only drags it down further. At one point, South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone were in talks to write the film, which might have salvaged something, but the final product settles for two separate jokes about mistaking chocolate for faeces (fitting for a movie that completely mishandles its own comedic potential). The eventual sequel, Dumb and Dumber To (2014), may not have recaptured the original’s charm, but at least it reunited the actors who made the first film a classic. Dumb and Dumberer, on the other hand, is the kind of prequel that only succeeds in embarrassing itself and damaging the franchise.
11) Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009)
Prequel to Underworld (2003)
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans is a textbook example of a prequel nobody asked for. The Underworld series had already laid out the centuries-old conflict between vampires and Lycans in flashbacks, making a full-length movie about it feel redundant. While Michael Sheen (Good Omens) gives an undeniably entertaining performance as the rebellious Lycan leader Lucian, the film adds little to what was already known. The power struggle between Viktor and Lucian had already been established in earlier films, making Rise of the Lycans feel more like an extended prologue than a story that stands on its own.
And without Kate Beckinsale’s (Van Helsing) Selene, the movie also lacks the franchise’s most recognisable lead, reducing it to a battle-heavy spectacle that fails to bring anything new to the series.
12) Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004)
Prequel to Dirty Dancing (1987)
Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights makes the mistake of assuming that the magic of Dirty Dancing (1987) came from its concept rather than its cast. The original film worked because of the undeniable chemistry between Patrick Swayze (Ghost) and Jennifer Grey (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off), a killer soundtrack, and an era-defining romance that resonated with audiences. The prequel swaps out the Catskills for Cuba, but beyond the new setting, it offers little more than a recycled storyline with different faces.
Diego Luna (Andor) and Romola Garai (Emma) try to bring charm to their roles, but the film lacks the spark that made the original so beloved. Even Swayze’s brief cameo as a dance instructor can’t salvage what ultimately feels like a soulless attempt to cash in on nostalgia, proving some films don’t need a second spin on the dance floor.
13) 300: Rise of an Empire (2014)
Prequel to 300 (2006)
300 told a self-contained story that ended with the dramatic sacrifice of its titular warriors, but that didn’t stop Hollywood from trying to stretch the brand with 300: Rise of an Empire. Instead of continuing in a meaningful direction, the prequel/sequel hybrid stitches together events that happen before, during, and after the original film, filling in gaps no one was asking about. Without Gerard Butler’s (Olympus Has Fallen) commanding presence, the film leans on Sullivan Stapleton (Blindspot), whose performance lacks the same intensity and charisma.
The only real saving grace is Eva Green (Casino Royale), who delivers an electrifying turn as Artemisia, a ruthless Persian admiral who commands every scene she’s in. Her performance gives the film a much-needed jolt of energy, but even she can’t carry the weight of a story that feels like an afterthought.
14) X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
Prequel to X-Men (2000)
The title X-Men Origins: Wolverine should have been the first red flag. Was it trying to be an X-Men movie, a solo Wolverine adventure, or a deep dive into his backstory? Gavin Hood’s (Ender’s Game) attempt to cram multiple arcs from the comics into a single film results in a muddled mess that doesn’t do justice to any of them. Instead of focusing on a focused story, the movie piles on unnecessary subplots, shoehorned cameos, and a version of Deadpool so bafflingly wrong that even Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool & Wolverine) made fun of it in Deadpool 2 (2018).
Even Hugh Jackman’s (X-Men) dedicated performance couldn’t salvage a script that felt like a patchwork of half-baked ideas. Liev Schreiber (Ray Donovan) also gave a solid effort as Victor Creed, but even his presence couldn’t add much weight to a film that felt like a studio-mandated cash grab rather than a meaningful addition to the X-Men franchise. With Logan (2017) later proving that a great solo Wolverine film was possible, X-Men Origins: Wolverine became an even more glaring example of how not to handle a prequel.
15) The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
Prequel to the Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-2003)
Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy set the gold standard for epic fantasy adaptations, so it made sense that he would also helm The Hobbit. But the problem wasn’t in bringing Bilbo Baggins’ adventure to the big screen, it was in stretching a single book into three films that became an overextended saga stuffed with unnecessary subplots, CGI excess, and characters who weren’t even in the original novel.
By the time The Battle of the Five Armies rolled around, the story had lost all momentum, opening with the quick disposal of Smaug and dragging on for over two hours with a battle sequence that felt like an extended video game cutscene. Unlike The Lord of the Rings, which had three books to justify its trilogy, The Hobbit never needed that much room to breathe. What could have been a single, well-paced film turned into a bloated trilogy that added little to Tolkien’s world beyond exhausting run times and a cautionary tale about Hollywood’s obsession with franchise expansion.
Hollywood’s obsession with stretching franchises for maximum profit often comes at the cost of storytelling, and these prequels are proof of that. If anything, they serve as cautionary tales, reminders that not every successful film needs an origin story, a tie-in, or a retroactive justification.
The best way to honour a great film is to know when to leave it alone.
Natalie is a big fan of anything related to movies, TV shows, and anime — you name it. When she’s not reading or being a dedicated cinephile, she’s probably playing gacha and tabletop games, or daydreaming of Sylus from Love and Deepspace.
