Skip to main content
Games Radar Newsarama Total Film Edge Retro Gamer
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The smarter take on movies
UK EditionUK US EditionUS CA EditionCanada AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
Subscribe now
Don't miss these
Tom Holland in the Uncharted movie
Movies The 32 greatest movies for Uncharted fans to watch
Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark in Game of Thrones
Action Shows Despite cancellation rumors, Amazon's new Tomb Raider TV show from Fleabag helmer Phoebe Waller-Bridge with Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner as Lara Croft is moving ahead with a 2026 filming date
Sam and Lara in Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft
Animated Shows Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft season 2 trailer brings together some of my favorite Tomb Raider eras – but I'm mostly here for Lara's shark showdown
Killer animatronic Freddy Fazbear stalks the streets in Five Night's at Freddy's 2
Movies Every upcoming video game movie you need to know about
Horror Movies 20 years on from the original, The Descent director reveals he's "got a few ideas" for a prequel to the hit horror movie
Elle Fanning in Predator: Badlands
Sci-Fi Movies Predator: Badlands director teases "fun" new Predator movie, as he likens its lead characters to Chewbacca and C-3PO: "There's nothing like a laugh amidst all the violence"
Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi as Dek in Predator: Badlands
Sci-Fi Movies Predator: Badlands director Dan Trachtenberg's first idea for a Prey sequel involved a Yautja "kicking Nazi butt" in World War 2
Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft
Action Shows Following the news of Prime Video's live-action Tomb Raider show, Netflix's animated Lara Croft series is set to end after two seasons
Elle Fanning in Predator: Badlands
Sci-Fi Movies Predator Badlands director explains how Steven Spielberg's Jaws and the video game Shadow of the Colossus influenced the upcoming sci-fi movie: "The Predator's gotta be badass and ferocious, but also sincere and have a pulse of its own"
Tomb Raider 2013 reboot
Movies Tomb Raider TV show: release speculation, cast, plot, and everything else we know
Gimli in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Movies From passing on Lord of the Rings to Cleopatra's infamous budget, film fans are debating some of the worst mistakes in movie history
Lola Tung and Nico Parker next to each other
Horror Movies New "bad trip" movie from Longlegs and The Monkey director taps The Last of Us and The Summer I Turned Pretty stars as leads
The Velocipastor 2
Horror Movies The sequel to one of the best horror comedies has a trailer and, yes, the inflatable dinosaur suit is back
Elle Fanning in Predator: Badlands
Sci-Fi Movies Predator: Badlands final trailer teases "the most dangerous planet in the universe" and gives first look at Elle Fanning's android twin
Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi in Predator: Badlands
Sci-Fi Movies Predator: Badlands review: "Die-hard fans may be disappointed, but as a blockbuster action-adventure, Badlands kills it"
Trending
  • Black Friday streaming deals
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Best Netflix Shows
  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies

10 Prequels Hollywood Should Avoid

Features
By James White published 27 May 2009

Young Lara Croft? Bad. This Lot? Funny!

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

28 Days Later

28 Days Later

The fine folk at Cracked.com threw down the gauntlet to their followers to create the worst prequel ideas.

Since Lara Croft is now going to get her origin story, we thought we’d look at some even worse ideas…

Danny Boyle returns to the franchise he created, artfully building a story about a nurse who falls for a naked bloke in a bed only for her – and most of the rest of England to go BATS***T RAGE VIRUS CRAZY NUTS.

By: dagur

Page 1 of 10
Page 1 of 10
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

A Fincher-free follow-up that sees what Pitt’s Benjamin got up to in the womb. Not much, as it happens. Because he was a tiny, wrinkly foetus. It still costs 700 squillion dollars to make.

By: zeeguy

Page 2 of 10
Page 2 of 10
Kill Bill

Kill Bill

In which Uma Thurman’s Beatrix Kiddo gets star struck around David Carradine’s Bill for no reason at all. It’s the romantic comedy sensation of the year! With some martial arts so blokes aren’t bored! Quentin Tarantino buys a grave to spin in.

By: Migratory

Page 3 of 10
Page 3 of 10
Robocop

Robocop

The wacky, likeable adventures of Alex Murphy as he goes on traffic patrol and annoys everyone with his incessant gun twirling so he can impress his vapid, dribbling idiot spawn.

By: Rutledal

Page 4 of 10
Page 4 of 10
Jurassic Park

Jurassic Park

Crazed scientists recreate a world before the dinosaurs happened along. Cower in terror as someone… slips on a squirming creature and… slightly hurts themselves.

By: popcornmonster

Page 5 of 10
Page 5 of 10
The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight

Just what was Heath Ledger’s Joker on about with his tall tales of fatherly abuse and misspent youth? Now Warners, desperate to wring every last penny from Batman, wants to tell you!

By: tfw4

Page 6 of 10
Page 6 of 10
Sleepless In Seattle

Sleepless In Seattle

Tom Hanks. Asleep. Two Hours. Wait in breathless anticipation for the shocking twist at 75 mins, where he twitches and snorts! Nora Ephron’s best work since… Nora Ephron’s best work, actually.

By: drdouglasp

Page 7 of 10
Page 7 of 10
Star Wars: Episode One The Phantom Menace

Star Wars: Episode One The Phantom Menace

Because George Lucas wants us to suffer for all the nasty things we’ve said about the character through the years. Oh, and because kids like him and kids = money.

By: darrenjames140

Page 8 of 10
Page 8 of 10
The Sixth Sense

The Sixth Sense

Even Dead Bruce Willis* couldn’t have helped with this one. Hayley Joel Osment books the gig and uses make-up to try and look younger. Why? He really needs the work. Rated PG-13 for scenes of horror and some finger-stroking.

*Spoiler alert!

By: Park2

Page 9 of 10
Page 9 of 10
The Evil Dead

The Evil Dead

Ted Raimi forces Bruce Campbell to play his younger self in a bid to silence everyone calling for a new Evil Dead film. No evil, and nothing dead except for poor Ash’s soul as he checks the price on S-Mart brand widgets.

By: chromigula


Check out the whole list at Cracked.com

Page 10 of 10
Page 10 of 10
James White
Freelance Journalist

James White is a freelance journalist who has been covering film and TV for over two decades. In that time, James has written for a wide variety of publications including Total Film and SFX. He has also worked for BAFTA and on ODEON's in-cinema magazine. 

Read more
Tom Holland in the Uncharted movie
The 32 greatest movies for Uncharted fans to watch
 
 
Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark in Game of Thrones
Despite cancellation rumors, Amazon's new Tomb Raider TV show from Fleabag helmer Phoebe Waller-Bridge with Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner as Lara Croft is moving ahead with a 2026 filming date
 
 
Sam and Lara in Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft
Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft season 2 trailer brings together some of my favorite Tomb Raider eras – but I'm mostly here for Lara's shark showdown
 
 
Killer animatronic Freddy Fazbear stalks the streets in Five Night's at Freddy's 2
Every upcoming video game movie you need to know about
 
 
20 years on from the original, The Descent director reveals he's "got a few ideas" for a prequel to the hit horror movie
 
 
Elle Fanning in Predator: Badlands
Predator: Badlands director teases "fun" new Predator movie, as he likens its lead characters to Chewbacca and C-3PO: "There's nothing like a laugh amidst all the violence"
 
 
Latest in Movies
The Wolf of Wall Street
Quentin Tarantino begins his best movies of the 21st Century list with a nuclear hot take: "I don't think Scorsese has made a film this exciting [this century]"
 
 
Baby Yoda and some Anzellans in The Mandalorian and Grogu trailer
A new Mandalorian and Grogu trailer is currently playing in theaters, and it shows off more of Zeb Orrelios and Baby Yoda destroying a droid
 
 
Jake Sully in Avatar: Fire and Ash
Disney boss Bob Iger called Avatar 3 "magnificent" and even shot down executive notes, according to James Cameron
 
 
Ryan Gosling and Flynn Gray in Star Wars: Starfighter
Star Wars: Starfighter director says the biggest inspiration for his film is Return of the Jedi: "I know the cool answer would be Empire"
 
 
Matthew Lillard as Stu Macher and Skeet Ulrich as Billy Loomis in Scream
Five Nights at Freddy's 2 star Matthew Lillard says he and his Scream "husband" Skeet Ulrich are "supposed to" do at least one more FNAF movie together: "I think where the relationship goes is really interesting"
 
 
Nick and Judy in Marsh Market in Zootopia 2
Zootropolis 2 creators brought almost 200 characters to the screen for the sequel and drew inspiration from Disney's "incredible legacy," including Jungle Book and Robin Hood
 
 
Latest in Features
Noah Schnapp in Stranger Things season 5
Stranger Things season 5 volume 1 ending explained: who dies and how those huge revelations set up volume 2
 
 
A knight on horseback leads the charge against another army in classic Heroes of Might and Magic 3 key art, with the GamesRadar+ Big Preview frame
Revisiting Heroes 3 after 20 years has made me realize that Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era may have already surpassed it
 
 
Hot 25 hero image showing multiple video games coming out in 2026
Hot 25: Fall 2025 Edition
 
 
18 years after it owned the Xbox 360 era, Crackdown deserves so much better – and should have one more chance to prove itself
 
 
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
I turned every Oblivion NPC into a sheep and broke the game, but I can only blame myself
 
 
Arc Raiders automaton medical vendor Lance
Arc Raiders has a weird problem for a shooter: the worst guns in the game are really good
 
 
  1. Escape from Tarkov review
    1
    Escape from Tarkov review: "An extraction shooter that will make you truly miserable if you let it, but can offer dizzying highs you won't find elsewhere"
  2. 2
    Fans think this is the best strategy board game ever made, and I have to admit that they've got a point
  3. 3
    Constance review: "If Hollow Knight: Silksong seems too daunting, this wonderful paint powered adventure should do nicely"
  4. 4
    This enthralling team board game is perfect for playing with family this Thanksgiving
  5. 5
    Kirby Air Riders review: "This racer is also equal parts fighting game, minigame collection, and roguelike – and I'm shocked at how well that works"
  1. Josh O'Connor and Daniel Craig in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
    1
    Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery review: "Brings Knives Out back to its roots for a sequel that's almost on a par with the original"
  2. 2
    Wicked: For Good review: "Builds to an incredibly cathartic conclusion, but isn't quite as captivating as Part 1"
  3. 3
    The Running Man review: "Some fun action and Glen Powell's star power aren't enough to energize this disappointing Stephen King adaptation"
  4. 4
    Predator: Badlands review: "Die-hard fans may be disappointed, but as a blockbuster action-adventure, Badlands kills it"
  5. 5
    Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc review "Storytelling just as compelling as the chainsaws, devils, and visually excessive fight scenes"
  1. Noah Schnapp as Will Byers and Jamie Campbell Bower as Vecna in Stranger Things season 5
    1
    Stranger Things season 5 volume 1 review: “Can the Duffer brothers stick the landing? It’s sure looking like they will”
  2. 2
    Pluribus season 1 review: "Easily one of the year's best dramas"
  3. 3
    The Witcher season 4 review: "The Henry Cavill-less fourth season is the best yet"
  4. 4
    IT: Welcome to Derry review: "A supremely confident step back into the history of Stephen King's cursed town and killer clown"
  5. 5
    Splinter Cell: Deathwatch review: "A pale imitation of the long-dormant stealth franchise"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...