"Previous films" refers to movies that were made or released before a certain film, referring to the works that came out earlier or were done in the past. Full definition
The film pays off things established in previous films while also laying the ground work for what's to come in an almost too easy fashion. (cinemanerdz.com)
I felt that the heart of previous films wasn't there, and the filmmakers tried to replicate the same old formula, but to no avail. (rottentomatoes.com)
Obviously part of the fun was spotting the existing characters from previous films. (timeout.com)