prequel
n. countablen. a story, movie, or game that shows what happened before an earlier story. It is usually made after the original one to explain how everything started.
n. a literary, cinematic, or video game work whose narrative precedes that of a previously released work. Often explores the origins of characters or the backstory of a fictional universe.
The new movie is a prequel to the original trilogy.
Fans were excited to see the prequel because it finally explained how the main villain lost his eye.
While sequels often struggle to maintain narrative momentum, a prequel faces the unique challenge of creating tension despite the audience already knowing the eventual fate of the protagonists.
Patterned after sequel using pre- (“before”).
Often paired with the preposition 'to' when identifying the original work.