The remainder of 2023 and the foreseeable future beyond will see the release of highly anticipated prequels to iconic movies. 2023 has already seen immeasurable triumphs in movies that have pleased film buffs and the occasional theater guests alike. From Universal’s mega-hit, The Super Mario Bros Movie, to the resumption of the assassin saga, John Wick: Chapter 4, 2023’s theatrical releases have proven to be sensational and consistent at pulling crowds to the box office. In all likelihood, this summer’s movie season will be no different, kicking off with the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 with The Little Mermaid and Fast X following closely behind.
In addition to the several, big name films pending release in 2023, audiences will have the opportunity to eagerly await monumental prequels to iconic movies. Fans of The Hunger Games, the Transformers franchise, Disney’s The Lion King, and more will be pleasantly gratified with news of the upcoming prequels that are bound for theaters through the rest of this year and shortly thereafter. With big names of their own and relation to quintessential cinema, the prequels of 2023 are sure to continue the trend of success for box offices.
10 Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts
Included in the 2023 summer movie lineup is Steven Caple Jr.’s Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, a prequel to the first five Transformers films. Although Rise of the Beasts’ plot line is set several years after the 2018 Bumblebee film’s main story, Caple Jr.’s movie will similarly exist as a Transformer movie that soft-reboots the continuity within the franchise in order to explain events that occurred some time before the narrative of Sam Witwicky. Set in the ’90s, Optimus Prime will team up with the robots of Hasbro’s ‘Beast Wars’ and a new batch of characters to defend Earth from the threat of Unicron, a planet-eating entity with unexpected power.
9 The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes
The Hunger Games movies, based on the best-selling novel trilogy of the same name, portrayed the mortal combat competition instilled upon the districts of North America by the Capitol and its seated ruler, President Snow. While the plot of The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes takes place over a decade before the events of the first film, thus before the time of the titular female protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, audiences will still see a familiar character in a young Coriolanus Snow. The prequel movie’s premise promises to unpack the complicated history of Snow in a post-war Capitol before he became the tyrannical leader of Panem.
8 Wonka
Along with anticipation for another film set in the whimsical world of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is excitement for Timothée Chalamet’s performance as the candy man himself, Willy Wonka. Chalamet has been trending for his performance in Bones and All and his part in the forthcoming Dune: Part Two, but after confirmed casting that places him together with the likes of Rowan Atkinson, Hugh Grant, and more, Chalamet’s appearance in Wonka has become a hot topic as well. The film will cover one of Wonka’s earliest adventures – how he came to meet the Oompa-Loompas – well before he became the famed chocolatier.
7 Furiosa
Furiosa also follows the younger years of a notable cinema favorite. The prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road sees Anna Taylor-Joy in the role of the badass warrior, Imperator Furiosa, and will attempt to fashion her origins into a box-office blockbuster. Director George Miller, best known for his efforts in all five installments of the Mad Max franchise, is back to work his magic on Furiosa’s post-apocalyptic adventure. The Max Mad prequel, Furiosa occurs before the lead heroine meets up with Max Rockatansky to contend with Fury Road’s Immortan Joe, but the prequel will further develop the characters, world building aspects, and timeline of the franchise.
6 A Quiet Place: Day One
Set for release in early 2024, A Quiet Place: Day One is a prequel to John Krasinski’s sci-fi/horror brainchild. A Quiet Place: Day One precedes the first two films Krasinski directed and starred in, which followed the Abbott family as they navigated a world terrorized by sound-hunting alien creatures. Although A Quiet Place: Day One will transpire in the same world and include familiar faces, there will be divergences away from the Abbott family narrative; instead, screen time will be allotted to several new A Quiet Place cast members, such as Lupita Nyong’o, Alex Wolff, and Djimon Hounsou, to depict their grapple with the first moments of the alien invasion.
5 Mufasa: The Lion King
Mufasa: The Lion King hopes to provide context to Disney fans’ most pressing inquiries involving the contention between the big cat brothers, Scar and Mufasa. The ill-fated death of Mufasa ultimately materialized in the beloved animated film, The Lion King, and traumatized most onlookers enough to have them question the dynamics of the pride. Why Mufasa had to die was and is a question that every inner child begs to know, and although some answers can be found in Simba’s many quests to become the pride’s king, Mufasa: The Lion King will hopefully expose the backstory for one of Disney’s most iconic moments.
4 Saw X
Little is known about the tenth installment of the Saw franchise, but what is confirmed is Tobin Bell’s return as Jigsaw and Shawnee Smith’s reprisal in John “Jigsaw” Kramer’s protégé, Amanda Young. Despite news of Saw X’s plotline and details being strictly under wraps, Bell and Smith’s comeback gives rise to heavy speculation that the film could possibly serve as a prequel. Saw X is bound for theaters this October, and with no trailer to give any clues away, the tenth installment is stuck in theory; however if Amanda Young and John Kramer are indeed working together again, Saw X will certainly be a gory horror spectacle worth waiting for.
3 Lord Of The Rings: War Of The Rohirrim
The Lord of the Rings universe expects to add the animation The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim to its lengthy catalog of entertainment – its second prequel project in development for the franchise. War of the Rohirrim’s events takes place 183 years before the affairs of The Lord of the Rings, giving audiences more world-building frameworks to obsess over, this time, in detailing the history and backstory of Helm’s deep. The prequel animation still has a year until Lord of the Rings fanatics can view the war adventure in theaters, but until then, they can excitedly await the story of Helm Hammerhand and his reign over Rohan.
2 Wicked
Universal’s adaptation of the Broadway favorite, Wicked, has drawn interest due to the casting of Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo as Glinda and Elphaba respectively. Wicked tells the fantastical story of the Wicked Witch of the West from a whole new perspective. Elphaba, the true identity of the green-skinned woman scorned in The Wizard of Oz, was redeemed in Gregory Maguire’s novel as a freedom fighter who was simply misunderstood by Oz. Universal has brought on many incredible performers and will attempt to transform the wondrous world of Oz onscreen to vindicate one of the most notorious villains in cinema; Wicked is certain to be a hit.
1 Ballerina
Keanu Reeves will be back to join Ana de Armas in the first John Wick prequel film. Given John Wick: Chapter 4’s shocking ending, audiences will appreciate the film bringing Wick back into the fold of action. Little information has been released about the meat of the movie, however, the ballerina-assassin Rooney (Armas) will convene with Wick to avenge the death of her family. Ballerina is set after the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and precede John Wick: Chapter 4, and considering the hype that racked up in anticipation for Wick’s latest action adventure, Ballerina will be a success in the list of prequels to iconic movies.
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This story originally appeared on Screenrant
