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An example of a sequel is the novel Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling. Since it is the second book in the series, and follows Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, it is that novel's sequel.

Successful movies also have sequels, particularly horror, action and science fiction movies, as well as various comediesand westerns. The frequency of sequels of successful movies comes about in large part because it is seen as much less risky to reproduce a known success than to gamble with a new and untested story.

Often sequels are criticized as artistically inferior, and accused of simply repeating the story of the original film. However, sometimes a sequel gives an opportunity to address weaknesses in the original. For instance, the film 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 , which is considered one of the best films of the series. Other examples of sequels which are widely considered as good as or better than the original include The Godfather, Part II.

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.

Sometimes, the original film deliberately has story developments that a sequel could develop into future stories, such as in the film, Spider-ManSpider-Man is the name of an extremely successful movie (released on May 3, 2002) which stars Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst and Willem Dafoe and was directed by Sam Raimi. It is an adaptation of the story of how the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man came. In that film, Peter Parker rejects Mary Jane WatsonMary Jane Watson is a fictional character in the universe of Marvel Comics. She is the love interest of Spider-Man (Peter Parker), whom she affectionately refers to as "Tiger". She herself often goes by the nickname "MJ". She was created by Stan Lee.'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 arcA story arc is a term in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books and comic strips that refers to a continuing storyline. In a television series, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the stor in which the troubled relationship between the characters forms an important basis of future film plots.

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 directorcostume drama on location in London. A film director directs the artistic and dramatic aspects of a film. The role typically includes: Defining the overall artistic vision of the film. Controlling the content and flow of the film's plot. Directing the per and main actors contractorally obliged to participate in sequels. This increases the chance of the sequel being produced with at least the equivalent quality of the original film.

A related word, prequelA prequel is a work that portrays events which are set in the same "universe" as a previously completed narrative, but at an earlier time. The word is a neologism, dating to the early 1970s; it is a portmanteau formed from pre meaning before, and sequel a, is used to describe something that portrays events which precede those of a completed work, i.e., the opposite of a sequel. Star WarsAlternate meaning: Strategic Defense Initiative Star Wars is the name of a series of science fantasy movies, a literary franchise, and a series of video games based on the ideas of filmmaker and writer George Lucas, which consist of numerous prequels, seq 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 ApesPlanet of the Apes is a novel by Pierre Boulle, originally published in French as La Planete des Singes and also translated as Monkey Planet (translator Xan Fielding). It has been made into a movie twice: Planet of the Apes ( 1968), directed by Franklin J series of movies, where the entire earth was destroyed in Beneath the Planet of the Apes. The succeeding movies were therefore prequels. 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.

The story that comes between two previously published works is called an interquel. This latter variation is less used than the other two.

See also: List of movie trilogies, List of movie series, Cliffhanger