How Prey reinvigorated the Predator franchise with a trip back in time — and a female warrior in the lead

Prey is a bit of a storytelling rarity. Housed within the immensely popular Predator franchise, the movie — which debuted on Hulu in August to positive critical response (it's currently sitting at 93 percent on Rotten Tomatoes) — gave audiences something new, with cultural and emotional complexity.

Directed by Dan Trachtenberg, Prey follows young hunter Naru (Amber Midthunder) as she battles the powerful Predator while on a journey to prove what she's truly capable of. The story, which is a departure from the action-thrillers that came before it, is a boon for representation and has now garnered critical acclaim with six Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Television Movie, as well as directing and writing.

Jody Cortes/Getty Images Amber Midthunder and Dan Trachtenberg at the Saturn Awards in Oct. 2022

Prey didn't start out as part of the Predator franchise, though. "I was first thinking of how to tell a story about someone trying to prove themselves and what they could be up against," Trachtenberg explains to EW. As a creature who comes to planets to seek out the alpha, the Predator became a great opponent for Naru as she aimed to prove herself to her community. "I already had a good idea for a movie separate from the IP. When the IP came into the equation suddenly it made our movie better," he says.

Focusing on Naru meant that Prey became a slower, more character-driven story that channels the emotion of its characters in a different way from its predecessors. There are many scenes where Midthunder is fighting for respect from her community, traveling with her canine bestie, and exploring her world as she ramps up to her showdown with the unknown figure in the Predator.

David Bukach/20th Century Studios Amber Midthunder in 'Prey'

Looking back on Midthunder's well-received performance, Naru's war cry in the final action sequence stands out to Trachtenberg. He remembers the actress being sick and having to muscle through the exhaustion and illness to bring Prey's intense and triumphant climax to life. "She put that exhaustion and the insanity of having to do all this crazy physical stuff while also being under the weather into that final cry. It gives me chills every day. It's the most real thing," he remembers.

In addition to melding Naru's story with the IP, Trachtenberg envisioned the Predator looking more "feral" than it had in the past. This version is less top-heavy with a slimmer head in order to look more like a creature. Performer Dane DiLiegro was actually looking through the neck of the suit, which included less armor (the material wasn't really available in the Great Plains in the early 1700s), helping make it look even less humanoid. "The design of the skulls infused with tech furthers the concept of the creature, but also allows for a more horrific aesthetic," Trachtenberg says. "Allowing the mask to not cover up his mandibles allowed for a very visceral, emotional articulation even while it's masked."

David Bukach/20th Century Studios Dan DiLiegro as the Predator in 'Prey'

Trachtenberg was also intrigued by the creative challenge that came with creating a period piece that incorporated sci-fi elements. "The weapons still being very future and tech-oriented while still having fun was quite the dance. There's a variety of ways in which he kills, but never like nuclear or plasma weaponry," he says as an example of the balancing act that was necessary.

Prey's varied and exciting fight sequences show how Trachtenberg's team got to play in that disparity. We see the fur trappers struggling to load their guns as the Predator attacks, and the thrilling final showdown between Naru — spoiler alert! — who succeeds by adapting to the Predator's weapons. Hand-to-hand combat is more prevalent in this film, another way Prey sets itself apart. "The Comanche warriors getting theirs was important for us. We wanted the Comanche to get their f---ing licks in. They wound him before they got taken down," he explains.

There's even room to show the disparity between the fur trappers and the Comanche warriors, as Naru uses her surroundings and the fur trappers' own weapons against them. "Ultimately it's about using your smarts and ingenuity because there's no set of brawn other than fortitude that can allow you to succeed against the impossible," he says.

David Bukach/Hulu Amber Midthunder as Naru in 'Prey'

Setting the story in the past also allows Prey to play with the lore of Predator. There was a scene where dead buffalo are getting skinned that was not in the original script. "I remember realizing how great it would be because we assume that the Predator has done this since in the original Predator movie there's a bunch of skinned people. Then the second time we see the buffalo is when the Predator encounters it and we realize that it was the fur trappers," he explains.

Trachtenberg has been quiet about where he plans to take the story from here, but Naru is set up for more thrilling adventures in Prey. After defeating Predator in the end, Naru steps into a leadership role in her tribe. While she had always hoped to prove herself as a hunter, her capabilities and battle skills against this unknown creature had even greater rewards. "Being in the shoes of a leader will certainly allow for lots of different kinds of stories," he explains.

The mix of critical and popular positive feedback is something Trachtenberg is incredibly proud of. He loves that Prey shows that a movie can be both enjoyable for fans and celebrated by critics. "It is exciting and doing all the genre things but it's also a more moving experience that is worthy of acknowledgement of awards by peers. It's the best kind of congratulations we could get," he says.

Prey is available to stream on Hulu.

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