In order to fill up its programming slate, Disney+ is regularly turning towards producing TV shows that serve as prequels to some of Disney’s most successful movies. The company has announced a prequel TV show exploring the early adventures of the versions of Gaston and LeFou from the live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast, a Cassian Andor prequel show (set prior to Rogue One), and a TV series following the exploits of the Prince Anders character from the live-action Aladdin remake.
Given the success that Disney has enjoyed from spinoffs, prequels and sequels, it’s doubtful that Disney+ will ease up on the prequel TV show trend anytime soon. Considering that, there are plenty of other titles in the Disney film library with universes and characters ripe for this type of television programming.
Four Disney movies, in particular, stand out as having enough material to support prequel TV shows – including one that happens to be one of the most succcessful Walt Disney Animation Studios features ever. Here are the best options for Disney+ to base prequel TV shows on.
Zootopia
While the Zootopia movie focused on the dynamic between the scheming fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) and hopeful bunny cop Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin), a Zootopia prequel TV show could shift focus over to what Wilde was up to in the years before he met Hopps. Exploring those earlier adventures of Wilde when he was a scheming hustler in Zootopia could provide plenty of material for a prequel TV Show. Both Wilde and the viewer could explore previously unseen parts of Zootopia, while certain side characters from the Zootopia film – chiefly Wilde’s partner-in-crime, Finnick (Tom Lister Jr.) – would have a chance to be fleshed out.
The Incredibles
Throughout the original Incredibles film, Bob Parr (Craig T. Nelson) makes repeated references to “the good o’l days” when he and wife Helen Parr (Holly Hunter) were superheroes that weren’t forced to keep their superpowers secret. An Incredibles prequel TV show could take viewers back to the time period that Parr is so often wistful for, in the process giving Incredibles fans a chance to see younger versions of beloved characters like Edna Mode (Brad Bird) and Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson) in their heyday. This prequel show could also be an exciting chance for full-fledged appearances by superheroes like Gazerbeam that were already killed by the time the first Incredibles movie began.
Pirates of the Caribbean
The younger years of Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) have already proven so creatively tantalizing that they were explored in a series of children’s novels that ran from 2006 to 2009. A flashback sequence in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales also gave audiences a brief look at the escapades of a younger Jack Sparrow. Returning so often to the characters’ formative years indicates there’s plenty of material to be mined from exploring this period of Sparrow’s life. A Pirates of the Caribbean prequel TV series on Disney+ could be the perfect vehicle for such exploration, especially since the expansive budgets of Disney+ programs like The Mandalorian ensure that a Pirates of the Caribbean prequel TV show wouldn’t lose the high production values of the preceding movies.
Sky High
Since its theatrical release in July 2005, Sky High has developed a massive cult following, lending credibility to the persistent rumors that a Sky High sequel could be on the horizon. But what if the future of Sky High isn’t in a sequel movie, but in a prequel TV show for Disney+? Such an endeavor could focus on the formative teenage years of The Commander (Kurt Russell) and Jetstream (Kelly Preston) as they navigate the titular educational location in the 1960s. Among the endless possibilities in this concept is the opportunity to provide further background on the surprise villain of the original Sky High movie, Royal Pain (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) as well as supporting Sky High characters like Coach Boomer (Bruce Campbell).
