10 Best Opening Scenes From Movie Prequels

Grabbing hold of an audience from minute one is unquestionably just as important as leaving them with their minds being utterly blown in the closing stages. If you fail to completely nail that opening stretch, then an uphill battle to keep the attention of those engaging in the film in question most definitely awaits.

Luckily, in the case of many a sequel and prequel flick, said features have the advantage of an already somewhat invested fanbase quite happily strutting into a movie theatre to see whatever next chapter of sci-fi chaos or action-packed joy has been cooked up by the minds behind the magic.

But that still didn't stop the brilliant filmmakers and performers behind the following prequel entries in particular from going ridiculously hard in the opening stages, often before fans had even been afforded a chance to comfortably park their asses in their seats.

Even with these films belonging to some of the most adored franchises of all time, establishing the right tone, delivering an effective emotional hook, or attempting to reintroduce some of the most popular characters in movie history in these prequel outings isn't what you'd class as the easiest task on the planet.

Each of the following opening sequences all most definitely knocked it out of the park from the get-go, however, and quickly signalled to film fans that they were in for a hell of a feature-long flashback.

Admittedly, even Daniel Craig himself has been quick to question whether his time in the suit and tie can be classed as a prequel period for 007. Though he eventually noted how he was actually a fan of the idea.

So, if you also subscribe to the theory of his James Bond sitting at the centre of a prequel saga of sorts which involves him earning his 00 status and license to kill before eventually having his origins unpacked on the big-screen, then Casino Royale, and its unbelievably stylish opening, certainly earn their place on this list.

This first glimpse at the blonde Bond-shell is delivered entirely in black and white, with a not yet fully 007-ed Bond found waiting for the traitorous Dryden in the shadows. In between a brilliantly tense back-and-forth between the pair, Craig's Bond can then be seen displaying the sort of ruthless physicality that would ultimately go on to define his run as the icon, brutally battering and eventually killing Dryden's contact in a bathroom.

Cutting Dryden off before he could even get his statement of Bond's second kill being a bit easier than the first, the newly promoted MI6 agent puts a swift bullet in his head. A slick as all hell "yes... considerably" then paves the way for the legendary shot down the barrel visual back in that gritty bathroom setting, and Chris Cornell's outstanding 'You Know My Name' catapults us right into the franchise-reigniting action.