Prey Director Explains How The New Movie Connects With Predator
Dan Trachtenberg, the director of the upcoming movie Prey, has some thoughts about where it sits in the Predator Cinematic Universe.
Dan Trachtenberg, the director of the new Predator film Prey, is clarifying the movie’s place in the sci-fi/horror franchise, which could provide a glimpse into Fox’s approach for future films. The 10 Cloverfield Lane director stresses that this is not a prequel that ties into any of the other films. Rather, it is a story set within what might best be described as a “Predator Cinematic Universe” (our term, not his). In an interview with SFX Magazine (and shared with Bloody Disgusting), Trachtenberg says there is no direct connection to the original 1987 film, and yet, Prey marks an important turning point in the Predator mythos.
Hoping to clear up any confusion, Trachtenberg said “In my mind, this is not a prequel movie. This isn’t, ‘Let’s tell the origin of the Predator.’ This is really something that’s set prior to the original Predator movie.” He also pointed out that for “The Predator creature in this one, this is its first time traveling to Earth.” This is likely a tease that the Predator we see in this film will not be the experienced, nearly-invincible hunter we see in other films. That may explain why the film’s protagonist, the Comanche warrior Naru (Amber Midthunder), has a fighting chance against a technologically-superior foe. Set nearly 300 years ago, in colonial America, Prey is set to deliver visuals never before seen in a Predator film, including a showdown with a grizzly bear, the apex predator of the American wilderness.
Prey premieres on Hulu on August 5, but hopes are it will help get the Predator film franchise back on track, after some notable cinematic misfires over the six-film series. None of the sequels have ever matched the heights of the original 1987 film, in which Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Dutch and a team of American commandos did battle with the intergalactic hunter in a South American jungle. The latest film in the series, 2018’s The Predator, was a bomb among critics and fans, despite being co-written and directed by Shane Black, who appeared in the original film and wrote all of the Lethal Weapon movies.
While most of the recent films (particularly Predator 2 with Danny Glover) relied on telling the story in an urban setting, Prey is getting back into nature, echoing the original film and 2010’s Predators. John Davis, who produced the original film, feels that Prey gets back to the basics that made the original film a success while admitting the sequels often veered off into “different places.” Of Prey, he says “I think this is a worthy complement to the first one. It’s going to be as good.” The film is rated R for strong, bloody violence, in keeping with the Predator tradition. It could mark a trend of future films working as stand-alone stories within a larger universe, with different settings to keep the story fresh.
Prey also stars Dakota Beavers (in his first film role), Stormee Kipp (Sooyii), Michelle Thrush, Julian Black Antelope, Harlan Blayne Kytwayhat (Tribal), and Dane DiLiegro as the Predator. Amber Midthunder is perhaps best known for her role as Kerry Loudermilk in the Marvel FX series Legion. She has also appeared in Roswell, Netflix’s The Ice Road, and Hell or High Water. She will be the first female lead in a Predator film since Sanaa Lathan starred in 2004’s Alien vs. Predator. The response so far to the new film has already sparked talk that another Predator movie is on the way.
