prequel

American  

[pree-kwuhl] / ˈpri kwəl /

noun

1. a literary, dramatic, or filmic work that prefigures a later work, as by portraying the same characters at a younger age.

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prequel British  

/ ˈpriːkwəl /

noun

1. a film or book about an earlier stage of a story or a character's life, released because the later part of it has already been successful

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Etymology

Origin of prequel

First recorded in 1970–75; pre- + (se)quel

Example Sentences

It’s rare that an existing franchise ever needs a prequel.

From Salon

Then there’s the new “Game of Thrones” prequel.

From MarketWatch

The second spin-off/prequel after House of the Dragon, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is once again set in Westeros, but the action takes place a century before Game of Thrones.

From BBC

In the coming year the studio also has slated a Michael Jackson biopic and a “Hunger Games” prequel, Harrigan says.

From The Wall Street Journal

Stephen King’s readers had to know that the show would get there eventually, regardless of the prequel’s time shift to 1962.

From Salon