Rogue One Is Rogue One a Prequel?

I don't know if this has been discussed before, but I keep seeing suggestions on youtube videos and various articles that Rogue One is a prequel. Some commentators not even questioning if it is or isn't, just stating that it is. It almost seems to come from a prequel hating/ignoring angle.

For one thing, I wonder how this might change the marketing narrative for Rogue One. It could possibly become somewhat divisive amongst fans, with one camp aligning themselves with the idea of it being a prequel while the other camp maintaining that its an anthology.

Then there's the obvious SW timeline question which this debate will surely have to answer: What then is the specific time frame in which something is considered a prequel? Because if Rogue One is a prequel than that makes the events of ANH the exact point at which something is considered a prequel or not. And if Rogue One isn't a prequel, at what point do we decide that something is?

I don't know. I see this becoming a growing movement, not just for Rogue One, but any SW movie that takes place prior to ANH.

Maybe Disney or the filmmakers might come out and squash the idea at some point that Rogue One is a prequel. I mean if they could do it with what used to be long standing canon storylines in the expanded universe, why not with something like this?

 

Well by definition the movie is a prequel. It takes place before the events of ANH and are directly correlated with the film. Now, because some may hold negative connotations with the word prequel because of the Prequel Trilogy, it doesn't change the fact the movie is a prequel.

However I do think, and we are starting to see this already with the teaser, that they are simply going to market this movie as a "Star Wars story" spin-off. I think the fact this movie is a prequel is pretty irrelevant to Lucasfilm, they just want to market this movie as a general expansion movie of the Star Wars cinematic universe.

 

I suppose as it's telling the events leading up to Star Wars that it can be referred to as a prequel. Don't see why that's a problem though, unless you're suggesting it's in some way going to be tarred by the prequel trilogy? Labelling these as A Star Wars Story is their way around any confusion between the new ST, the OT and the PT I suppose.

 

So then are we defining prequel as anything taking place prior to the exact moments that ANH begins?

Timeline wise you can't get much closer moving from Rogue One to ANH.

In my opinion, there oughta be set parameters, almost like the way we see certain histories written from era to era. We wouldn't consider events leading up to one era of history as being a part of the previous era, even though those events may take place before that era officially is considered to have begun. With Star Wars, I think we oughta look at more than just timelines and establish certain periods in the SW timeline as being prequel eras and OT eras. And should a movie take place in either of those settings it should be considered as such.

 

If it takes place before the events of ANH, then yes it's a prequel in the strictest definition of the word. It's really more of a prequel/spinoff hybrid imo though.

 

There are plenty of those.

Maybe you're reading in something that isn't there. It is a prequel to ANH - the events in the movie take place before ANH. It is set in the OT era, not the PT era.

 

I just think there is going to be a growing number of people who won't bother to make that distinction and will consider Rogue One to be as much of a prequel as Eps 1-3.

 

It is.

That's what I don't get. Are you saying they'll make a quality assessment based upon that? Are you saying they'll assume it takes place in the PT era?

 

i have come to hate the term. but we know that Rogue one take splace right before ANH, so i guess it is a prequel

 

If we're considering Rogue One a prequel to ANH, can the same not be said for ANH being a prequel to ESB?

I just think that certain periods can be considered a prequel period and an OT period. Rogue One is obviously an OT period. A prequel to the OT, sure. But it wouldn't be correct to consider it a prequel in the same manner that Eps 1-3 are prequels in the overall timeline.

Not to mention I think many prequel haters/ignorers may champion the idea of Rogue One being a prequel just out of spite.

And if the debate gains more traction then I think it could garner some confusion amongst general audiences as to whether it is a prequel or an anthology.

 

I really don't see the point of this thread. Yes, Rogue One is a prequel, it plays prior to the movie that started it all, which by definition makes it a prequel. None of that matters though, because Lucasfilm has never ever used the term prequel to market anything. As such, they don't have a reason to squash anything.

You are putting an artificial category onto these movies that simply doesn't exist. Lucasfilm doesn't split Star Wars into prequels, originals and sequels, and because of that they have no reason to assign any spin-off to such a category.

And no, ANH isn't a prequel to ESB, because its the original. "Prequel" is just a play on words of the word sequel, which portrays something that follows the original. The concept of a prequel is that it plays prior to the original, but has been made after it.

 

No. ANH proceeded it in both "movie time" and physical time.

I don't think that is in question. Most timelines that you'll see tend to break things down based on the battle of yavin, but they're usually still grouped by what is going on at the time (new republic, old republic, empire, etc.)

***** em. Haters gonna hate.

I think that has generally been a concern since the movie was first announced, though most of it concerned the break between the ST and the anthology films. I don't think the general audience is concerned about it as we are. They'll get that it takes place before ANH and after ROTS, I don't think they really need anything more than that to get it.

 

Yes.

I think people are smart enough to understand that the concept of a prequel isn't inherently bad. They'll watch the trailers, think it's awesome, and watch the film.

 

Is this post a prequel to the lock, or is the lock a sequel to this post?

 

I feel this is not worthy of any type of consideration -- it's kind of silly to even care as there isn't much "fun" per se in discussing it.

If anything is worth discussing - it would be what viewing order does this fall into. which is really not much of a debate -- especially not having seen the movie yet.

 

^That is the fundamental question.

Just wait, give it some time, there are already those classifying it as a prequel and not an anthology. From what I can gather thus far there will be a bigger discussion on this topic as the movie moves closer to being released.

 

That would be because definition it is a prequel to ANH. It takes place prior to the original movie and its events directly play into the original movie. Simply to say if the events of this movie do not happen the events in ANH do not happen. So by every definition it is a prequel.

An anthology is simply a collection of works that may or may not be related. There is nothing preventing a prequel from also being part of an anthology.

 

I really don't think people are as dumb as the OP fears. "Prequel" or not, if it looks and sounds great, fans and general audiences alike are going to flock to it. There's nothing to worry about.

 

Okay, maybe that was a bad comparison saying ANH is a prequel to ESB.

Still though, it bothers me the way I've seen some of these reviews and speculation completely dismiss the anthology aspect and focus more on the prequel aspect. And I just hope it doesn't lead to a trend in continually ignoring the actual prequels in favor of prequel anthologies.

 

I've seen some reactions like, "Ugh, another prequel?" but that will fade. It barely skirts by the major issues with prequels by focusing on new characters. And beyond that, if the movie is actually good, the meme will become "The first good Star Wars prequel".

That said, there's a reason LFL are avoiding the P-word in promotional material.

 

It's a sidequel. A spinquel.

 

Of course it's a prequel. Just not part of the Prequel Trilogy.