Why Prey Director Dan Trachtenberg Doesn't Think His Movie Is A Predator Prequel
When you first heard that the newest "Predator" movie was to be set in 1719 in the Comanche Nation, you may have assumed that it would be a direct prequel to every other entry in the franchise. However, that's not exactly the case — at least according to "Prey" director Dan Trachtenberg. When speaking to SFX Magazine (via Bloody-Disgusting), he explained why he doesn't like hearing his film be referred to as a prequel.
"In my mind, this is not a prequel movie," Trachtenberg explained. "This isn't, 'Let's tell the origin of the Predator.' This is really something that's set prior to the original Predator movie, and the Predator creature in this one, this is its first time travelling to Earth."
That mentality makes sense. "Prey" appears to be focused entirely on Naru (Amber Midthunder), who finds herself having to save her people from an otherworldly threat as she tries to become a hunter. The Predator, much like how it appeared in the 1987 original, seems to be a more obscured threat in order to focus on Naru's fight, unlike how it has been in other entries in the franchise.
So, what is new about the Predator in Prey?
Just because "Prey" will not be exploring the origins of the Yautja (or Hish-qu-Ten) doesn't mean we won't be seeing new aspects of it in the film. In fact, Trachtenberg previously told Time Out that the Predator, which he said was made "slimmer and less armored" in order for it to more closely resemble a "creature," was designed to look more threatening than ever.
"It's intelligent and it has advanced technology, and that makes it even more difficult to take on," he pointed out, "but because the movie is set 300 years in the past, those things need to feel a little bit older than we've seen before, but also still far more advanced than what we think our earthlings would be able to handle."
He elaborated on this in a separate interview with Empire Magazine (via AVP Galaxy). He described wanting to make the conflict between the Predator and Naru resemble David and Goliath, meaning he had to make some changes to ensure the alien wasn't overpowered. Plus, it was important to showcase how the Predator eventually evolves into the iconic character it is today.
"I didn't want to make [the Predator] smaller," he said. "It doesn't have its plasma caster, but it does have heat vision and other tools."
You won't have to wait much longer to see "Prey," as it will have its world premiere on July 21 at San Diego Comic-Con. Afterward, it will be available to stream on Hulu starting August 5, 2022.