Prequel, Sequel, Reboot: Episode 183

It has become something of a Hollywood crutch. The cynical amongst us consider prequels, sequels, and reboots to be lazy storytelling. Franchise horror comes in all forms. When obvious profits are predicted, big-budget studio films and straight-to-streaming B-movies fall into the same formula. Rinse, repeat, and rinse again. We think we can do this a little better. You be the judge!

Sometimes, a horror movie is so powerful that it demands more content. We get invested in the final girls. We wonder what became of the monster. Is it really dead? Or, there are some movies that were made a generation or several generations ago, and it might be worth updating them for a modern audience. On a few rare occasions, the prequel, sequel, or reboot matches or supplants the original film.

As a testament to how Hollywood can mess up a good franchise, we recorded The Worst Horror Sequels way back in Episode 72, in the pre-Liz 2019. That said, we also recorded The Best Horror Sequels in Episode 26, and The Best Horror Remakes in Episode 24. (A long time ago, where there was a lot less text to accompany the podcast episodes!)

Prequels:

This is a relatively new variant of horror films. Most notably, the use of the prequel concept was brought to prominence with the Star Wars prequel trilogy. Prequels benefit from stories having background lore that has direct ties to the original. If you want to go back in time, the backstory of history can be a compelling reason to journey back. Also, this is where screenwriters can go when the monster or villain is dead at the end of the original.

Prequels Done Right:

• Predator (1987): Prey (2022)
• Ouija (2014): Ouija Origin of Evil (2016)
• Paranormal Activity (2007): Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)
• Annabelle (2014): Annabelle Creation (2017)
• The Thing (1982): The Thing (2011)
• X (2022): Pearl (2022)
• The Omen (1976): The First Omen (2024)

Sequels:

There are so many sequels out there, it’s cliche. It’s so easy to ride the coattails of success that sometimes a movie gets rushed into production before careful thought is given to the sequel. Cheap sequels litter the cinema landscape like dead fish in a red tide. When the original director and cast drop from the franchise, you end up with inevitable diminishing returns. However, there are times when the same director and cast come back, or a credible movie star wants to get in on a franchise that the progeny lives up to the parental billing.

Sequels Done Right:

• Frankenstein (1931): Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
• The Exorcist (1973): The Exorcist III (1990)
• Alien (1979): Aliens (1987)
• Evil Dead (1981): Evil Dead 2 (1987)
• Halloween (1978): Halloween (2018)
• A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984): A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 Dream Warriors (1987)
• A Quiet Place (2018): A Quiet Place Part II (2020)
• Scream (1996): Scream 2 (1997)

Reboot:

Reboots are movies that get the benefit of being based on iconic properties. The difficulty is that there are often high expectations. Also, recasting iconic characters can be both exciting and potentially problematic. A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Halloween (Rob Zombie), and Friday the 13th franchises all have had major reboots that disappointed fans. Getting a bit of distance from the original helps. Sometimes doing a serious take on a campy original can elevate the movie. It’s only a matter of time before somebody tries to remake “It Conquered the World”.

Reboots Done Right:

• The Fly (1957): The Fly (1987)
• The Thing from Another World (1952): The Thing (1980)
• The Blob (1958): The Blob (1988)
• Maniac (1980): Maniac (2012)
• King Kong (1933): King Kong (2005)
• Dawn of the Dead (1978): Dawn of the Dead (2004)
• Suspiria (1977): Suspiria (2018)
• Dracula (1931): The Horror of Dracula (1958)

POST NOTE:
It is with sadness that Mike’s comment that Roger Corman is still alive to do the reboot proposed by Liz for Silence of the Lambs proved to be a comment told a week too soon. Rest in peace, Roger.

The Podcast: