A sequel is a work of fiction in literature, film, and other creative works that is produced after a completed work, and is set in the same "universe", but at a later time. It usually continues elements of the original story, often with the same characters and settings, although this is not always the case. For example, if the main character dies at the end of the first work, a new character (such as a son or daughter) may take up the role in the sequel. A sequel is somewhat different from a series, in which the same character appears in a number of stories, although some media franchises have enough sequels to begin to resemble a series.

The popularity of sequels comes about in large part because it is less risky to build on a known success than to gamble with new and untested characters and settings. And audiences often beg for more stories about a certain character or setting. Sherlock Holmes was so popular that Arthur Conan Doyle was unsuccessful in his attempt to kill off the character and gave in to demands to bring him back.

Characteristics of sequels

Film

Often movie sequels are criticized as artistically inferior, and accused of simply repeating the story of the original film. However, a sequel can give an opportunity to address weaknesses in the original. For instance, the film Star Trek: The Motion Picture was panned as overlong, boring and short on character play. In reaction, Paramount Pictures hired Harve Bennett to produce a sequel that addresses the criticisms; he produced Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, which is considered not only superior to The Motion Picture but one of the best films of the series. ^{[citation needed]} There are some common plot issues regarding sequels. Often when the original movie involves a character resolving a conflict, it is difficult to arrange the plot so that the characters face a similar problem. Other series do not share this problem, such as the James Bond series which simply has the character assigned to a new mission in each film.

Sometimes the original film deliberately has story developments that a sequel could develop into future stories, such as in the film Spider-Man. In that film, Peter Parker rejects Mary Jane Watson's love without explaining himself to protect her from his enemies while MJ is left with a suspicion that he is Spider-Man. If no sequels were produced, that development could have been treated as simply a tragic ending for the hero. However, with the film's success guaranteeing sequels, this ending provides the basis for a continued story arc in which the troubled relationship between the characters forms an important basis of future film plots.

Some films even give audience's hints or cliffhangers that there will be a sequel. For example, Batman Begins ends with Jim Gordon giving Batman a joker playing card, which hints to the audience that the villain in the sequel, The Dark Knight, will be the Joker or in Casino Royale, which ends with James Bond apprehending and beginning to question a key member of the secret organization behind Le Chiffre, which implies that the organization and other members and its purpose will be revealed in the sequel. This can backfire, however, leaving the movie feeling incomplete, as in Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes.

With the recognition of the long-term profitability of successful film series, most major films where sequels are expected have the major talents like the director and main actors contractually obliged to participate in sequels. This increases the chance of the sequel being produced with at least the equivalent quality of the original film.

Computer and video games

In video game media, the trend for sequels seen in other media such as film often seems to work in reverse; as increasingly sophisticated technology allows the story to be portrayed more effectively. In fact, some sequels have even overshadowed their predecessors, becoming huge successes on their own right (as evident with Street Fighter II and Metal Gear Solid). However, despite this, there are examples of game sequels that are interpreted as inferior to the original or earlier sequels. This could be because of a change in concept or gameplay, an inability to integrate new technology effectively, or simply poor production values. Master of Orion III is one notable example that seems to suffer from all three. Another not uncommon occurrence is that a low-budget game meets critical acclaim and becomes an underground hit, but is followed up with a sequel that is simplified from the original, rather than expanding on the original's innovative qualities, in an attempt to be more accessible to the mass market. Recent notable examples include Deus Ex: Invisible War and Serious Sam II.

Literature

Most literary sequels are planned as a series beforehand e.g. the Harry Potter series was planned as seven novels before the first was even published. Other "sequels" are additional volumes of what could be considered a single work e.g. À la recherche du temps perdu (seven volumes) or The Lord of the Rings (three volumes).

But occasionally an author (particularly children's authors) may return to write a sequel after a stand-alone book was a large success e.g. Jacqueline Wilson wrote two sequels to The Story of Tracy Beaker after its commercial success, while Eoin Colfer has written four sequels to Artemis Fowl. In general these sequels are of a lesser regard because the characters' stories are "complete" by the end of the first book but must be changed to allow for a sequel.

Other terms

Prequel

Main article: Prequel

A related word, prequel, is used to describe a work that portrays events which precede those of a previously completed work. Star Wars is the best-known film that has multiple prequels. A prequel can often avoid the plot problems associated with having to deal with the consequences of the original. An example of this involves the Planet of the Apes series of movies, where the entire Earth was destroyed in Beneath the Planet of the Apes. The succeeding movies were technically prequels as they took place before the original two films and explained the events that led up to the original film. Prequels often have the problem of maintaining dramatic interest when the outcome is known, and often gather interest by attempting to show aspects of familiar characters that were not seen in the original.

Interquel

The word interquel is used to describe a work that portrays events which happen between those of two previously completed works. An interquel is therefore a sequel to one work and a prequel to another. The novel The Godfather Returns takes place between the events of The Godfather and The Godfather Part II and is therefore an interquel. Another example of an interquel is the video game Metroid Prime, which was released after Metroid and Metroid II but takes place between them, as well as Shadows of the Empire, which takes place between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

Midquel

The word midquel is used to describe a work that portrays events which take place during a chronology gap in a single previously completed work. For example, the video game Daxter takes place during a two-year gap in Jak II, between the moments when the character of Jak is taken prisoner and when the character of Daxter rescues him. Some Lost flashbacks serve as midquels, such as those in Maternity Leave, Three Minutes and The Brig, explaining what happened - to Claire, Michael and Locke, respectively - during their absences in the main timeframe of the show.

Parallel

The word parallel is used to describe a work that portrays the events of a previously completed work from another perspective. For example, the novel Ender's Shadow covers the events of the previous novel Ender's Game from the point of view of a supporting character in Ender's Game. The film The Lion King 1½ is a parallel of The Lion King; the same story is told, only from the point of view of Timon and Pumbaa, secondary characters in the original film. The previously mentioned Lost flashbacks may also be considered parallels as they take place during a time which has already been shown during the main timeline. Another example is in the upcoming Austin Powers 4 it has been said that it will take place in the eye view of Dr. Evil.

Distant

The word distant in a chronological sense implies a long chronological interval between entries in a series. The term distant sequel is used to describe a work that portrays events that happen long after those of a previously completed work. The term distant prequel is the opposite of that. The Terminator (1984), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003), each set around their time of release, are distant sequels. The video game Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004), which takes place in 1964, is a distant prequel to Metal Gear (1987), which takes place in 1995.

Sidequel

Main article: Side story

A sidequel is a neologism describing a work of fiction in literature, film, and other creative works that is produced after a completed work, set in the same "universe", with arbitrary chronology and unrelated plots. The word is a portmanteau formed from side-, as in side by side, and sequel, a work which takes place after a previous one.

The term appears to date from 1998 when it was used by David Webb Peoples, the screenwriter for the film Soldier, which he described as a 'sidequel' to the film Blade Runner (which he co-wrote). Other similar terms are gaiden and spin-off.

A video game example would be Manhunt, it would be a spin-off of the Grand Theft Auto Series. the fictional city, Carcer City, in which Manhunt is based is mentioned a few times in the GTA series.

Companion Piece

A companion piece is a creative work that is produced as a complementary work to another stand-alone project, but storywise has nothing to do with its predecessor. While a companion piece does not necessarily need to take place within the same "universe" as the predecessor, it must follow-up on specific themes and ideas introduced in the original work. It must also be intentionally meant by its creator to be viewed alongside or within the same context as the earlier work. Examples would include Letters from Iwo Jima (Clint Eastwood's companion piece to his earlier picture, Flags of our Fathers), the Road to... pictures starring Bing Crosby, Dorothy Lamour, and Bob Hope, and films featuring the Three Stooges, the Marx Brothers, or the Tramp.

Threequel

A threequel is a sequel to a sequel, the third in a series of similarly-themed films that feature one or more of the same characters. While a sequel, such as The Miniver Story, Father's Little Dividend, or Return to Peyton Place, often continues the storyline initiated in the first film, a threequel usually has a plot that has no bearing on that of the original movie.

Although the term is contemporary, the concept of a threequel dates back to the 1930s with such releases as Another Thin Man, in which William Powell and Myrna Loy reprised their roles of Dashiel Hammett's debonair detectives Nick and Nora Charles for the third time, and Nancy Drew: Trouble Shooter, featuring Bonita Granville's third appearance as the teenaged detective polularized in a series of mystery books that began publication in 1930.

Six threequels competed for box office revenue in Summer 2007: Spider-Man 3, Shrek the Third, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Ocean's Thirteen, Rush Hour 3, and The Bourne Ultimatum. The last of these, which set a record for the best August opening weekend ever, was the only one to out-gross its predecessors^[1].

See also: Three-peat

Media franchises

Main article: media franchise

In some cases, the characters or setting of an original film or video game become so valuable that they develop into a media franchise. Generally a whole series of sequels is made, along with merchandising and endorsements. Multiple sequels are often planned well in advance and actors and directors often sign multi-film deals to ensure their participation.

Some franchises are accidental, such as the Ma and Pa Kettle series of films (the title characters of which broke out of the 1947 film The Egg and I), and some are pre-planned, such as The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The most profitable film franchises include Star Wars, James Bond, Harry Potter, and The Lord of the Rings.

Long-running franchises were common in the studio era, when Hollywood studios had actors and directors under long-term contract. Examples include Andy Hardy, Ma and Pa Kettle, Bulldog Drummond, Superman, Batman, Tarzan, and Sherlock Holmes. The longest-running modern film franchises are James Bond, Godzilla, Friday the 13th, Halloween and Star Trek. [1] In such cases, even lead actors are often replaced as they age, lose interest, or their characters are killed.

Media shifting

Sequels (along with prequels, interquels, etc) are most often produced in the same medium as the previous work (i.e., a film sequel is usually a sequel to another film), but this is not always the case. Producing sequels to a work in another medium has recently become common.

Author K. W. Jeter published several novels that serve as sequels to the film Blade Runner. The film Final Fantasy VII Advent Children is a sequel to the video game Final Fantasy VII. The novels in the Star Wars Expanded Universe are sequels, prequels, and interquels to the films. The computer games The Matrix Online, Stranglehold, and Scarface: The World is Yours are sequels to the films The Matrix, Hard Boiled, and Scarface, respectively.

Similarly, it has become common for authors who write novelizations to write original novel sequels in between novelizations. The novels Halo: The Fall of Reach and Halo: First Strike, which serve as prequel and sequel, respectively, to the video game Halo: Combat Evolved, were written before and after the novelization of the game, Halo: The Flood. Author Greg Cox wrote the original novel Underworld: Blood Enemy after writing the novelization of Underworld and before writing the novelization of the sequel film Underworld: Evolution. Also, while novelizing the Resident Evil video games, author S. D. Perry wrote original interquel novels that took place between the novelizations.

Whether these alternate-medium sequels are considered canonical varies. Final Fantasy VII Advent Children was produced by the same company responsible for Final Fantasy VII and is therefore canonical, but other sequel or prequel films based on video games, such as Resident Evil, are not. Bungie Studios, the developer of the Halo video games, considers the novel sequels to be canonical. The novels in the Star Wars Expanded Universe are considered canonical by Lucasfilm, the films' production company, though this is often debated amongst fans. Likewise, the Blade Runner sequel novels are authorized and officially considered canonical, but the issue is also a topic of debate amongst fans.

Sometimes sequels are produced without the consent of the author or studio of the original creation. These are often dubbed informal sequels, unauthorized sequels, or illegitimate sequels. One example is the 1991 Alexandra Ripley novel Scarlett, a sequel to Margaret Mitchell's 1936 novel Gone with the Wind. Producing informal sequels to works that have passed into the public domain is common, as there is no chance for the creator(s) of the original work to bring legal action regarding copyright infringement against the creator(s) of the informal sequel. Many informal sequels to public domain works, such as H. G. Wells's 1895 novel The Time Machine and George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead, have been produced. Informal sequels to works still under copyright sometimes change the names of the characters and settings to avoid legal action.

Sequel titles

Titling sequels has always been something of a problem. For marketing purposes, it is important to make it clear to potential audiences that the sequel is related to the original. But for creative purposes, it is important to make clear that the sequel is a new story that explores new territory.

In the early years of film, sequels were generally given titles similar to the original and usually made use of the main character's name. When the William Powell-Myrna Loy mystery film The Thin Man (1934) turned out to be a hit, the studio produced several more films featuring the characters, such as The Thin Man Returns and The Thin Man Goes Home, even though the original "thin man" was the subject of the mystery and not the detective. After the success of A Family Affair (1937), there came a whole series of films starring Mickey Rooney reprising the Andy Hardy character in titles such as Love Finds Andy Hardy and Andy Hardy Meets Debutante. The James Bond franchise, however, stuck to the titles of Ian Fleming's novels until they ran out, then fashioned new titles with similar forms, none of which use the name "James Bond" or a number.

While numbered sequels are extremely rare in literature, they became very popular in films and video games in the 1970s and 80s. The Godfather Part II (1974) was the first major motion picture to use Part II in the title. Paramount Pictures was initially opposed to Francis Ford Coppola's decision to name the movie The Godfather Part II. According to Coppola, the studio's objection stemmed from the belief that audiences would be reluctant to see a film with such a title, as they would supposedly believe that, having already seen The Godfather, there was little reason to see an addition to the original story. The success of The Godfather, Part II began the Hollywood tradition of numbered sequels; the first sequel to designate itself as such simply by using a number in the title was 1975's French Connection II, and the trend continued with films such as Rocky II, Jaws 2, Halloween II, and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

However, as sequels came to be perceived as routinely inferior to the originals, the numbering of sequels became the butt of numerous jokes. Back to the Future Part II features a movie theater in the future showing Jaws 19. Even actual movie titles began to use numbering playfully. Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult is simply the third in the Naked Gun series. Leonard Part 6 had no predecessors, while History of the World, Part I was made with no intention for a sequel. Perhaps due to this conception, numbered sequels have fallen out of popularity somewhat, with many sequels instead using subtitles, such as Resident Evil: Apocalypse, Underworld: Evolution, and X-Men: The Last Stand. In other cases, sequels use titles similar to their predecessors, such as Analyze This sequel Analyze That, Meet the Parents sequel Meet the Fockers, and Day of the Dead sequel Land of the Dead. Some such titles give a playful nod to the numbering practice, as with The Whole Nine Yards sequel The Whole Ten Yards, or Ocean's Eleven sequels Ocean's Twelve and Ocean's Thirteen.

Throughout this period of numbered sequels, like-named sequels remained somewhat popular, and sometimes the original film was renamed when it was released on home video to match the naming of the sequels. What was once known as Star Wars is now known as Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, a title that would likely have doomed it on its original theatrical release. Similarly, Raiders of the Lost Ark is known in its current video release as Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark to better align it with its prequel and sequel, and the DVD of Pitch Black was renamed "The Chronicles Of Riddick: Pitch Black" to help promote it as a prequel to the upcoming The Chronicles Of Riddick.

With the rise of pre-planned film franchises such as The Lord of the Rings, filmmakers turned more to long titles that include the franchise name and the title of the film separated by a colon. Examples of these include Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Sequel-naming in translation varies. Following the success of Home Alone in Germany (German title: "Allein zu Haus" "Alone at home"), some of Macaulay Culkin's other films were retronymed to capitalise on the success (Uncle Buck became "Allein mit Onkel Buck" "Alone with Uncle Buck"), even though the two films were not linked in the same continuity. When Dawn of the Dead was released in Italy under the title Zombi, a similar but unrelated Italian film was in production, which was released as Zombi 2.

Numbers in the titles of sequels sometimes indicate the order in which the sequel was produced, regardless of the chronological events in the story. For example, the video game Devil May Cry 3 was the third title in the Devil May Cry series to be produced, though it is a prequel that takes place before the events of Devil May Cry and Devil May Cry 2. The upcoming Devil May Cry 4 is an interquel set between the original game and Devil May Cry 2. However, while the sequel to the Japanese movie Ring was called Ring 2, the subsequent prequel was Ring 0.

Occasionally a work is designated as a sequel to an unrelated but similar work strictly for marketing purposes. After releasing the computer game Quake, developer id Software decided to name its next game Quake II, despite the fact that the two games are completely unrelated. Quake III is also unrelated to either of the previous Quake games, although Quake 4 continues the story of Quake II.

See also

• Prequel
• Threquel
• Spiritual sequel
• Duology
• Cliffhanger
• Film series
• List of video game franchises
• List of movie sequels by box-office improvement
• Trilogy
• Tetralogy
• Pentalogy
• Heptalogy

Reference

External links

• "Sequelogue": "The definitive list of upcoming movie sequels and remakes"
• Slate: "The Midas Formula (How to create a billion-dollar movie franchise)"
• Box Office Mojo: Film franchise earning comparison

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