Prey Director Breaks Down That Big Tease In The Credits
Contains spoilers for "Prey"
"Prey," which is the latest mainline film in the "Predator" franchise, premiered on August 5 to largely positive reviews. Numerous critics on Rotten Tomatoes praised "Prey," citing its lead actor Amber Midthunder and its action sequences as among some of its biggest strengths. Currently, the film holds a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes based on more than 100 reviews.
Of course, viewers who enjoyed "Prey" — which takes place centuries before the events of the original "Predator" movie, making it something of a soft reboot — are surely wondering whether it's going to remain a one-off prequel, or if it will beget additional movies that follow its newly-introduced timeline. In fact, "Prey" leaves certain questions unanswered, keeping the prospect of a sequel effectively the only avenue through which to address them.
At the very least, the ending of "Prey" suggests that predators exist all over the world and in various eras. This leaves plenty of room for future "Predator" entries set in recognizable time periods, pitting different kinds of historical fighters against the franchise's iconic monster. Furthermore, an image in the film's credits suggests that protagonist Naru (Midthunder)'s story may not even be over. In a recent interview, "Prey" director Dan Trachtenberg discussed this credits tease, sharing his thoughts about a potential sequel.
Trachtenberg seems interested in making a Prey sequel
On the date that "Prey" premiered in the US, Syfy published an interview with "Prey" director Dan Trachtenberg in which he shared some behind-the-scenes insights into his latest film. Among them, Trachtenberg discussed the movie's credits sequence, which showcases some real-life Native American hide art made by members of the Comanche Nation. These include an image of a fleet of predator ships in the midst of amassing for a presumed attack, setting up the predators' return.
"We have lots of thoughts," Trachtenberg said about the prospect of a sequel. "How could we ever turn off the thoughts about fun and exciting things?"
He then went on to compare the way "Prey" incorporates its sequel tease directly into its credits to the industry standard of following up some or all of a credits sequence with a scene that stands entirely on its own. "That our end credit sequence actually has a story point in it, I think is really awesome," he said.
In an interview with sci-fi and fantasy blog SFFGazette.com, Trachtenberg further specified that the credits tease isn't necessarily gesturing toward a sequel about Naru. "It leaves room for lots of different kinds of sequels to be made. I don't know if we're ready yet to say exactly what we want to do next, but I think there are lots of cool opportunities," he said, leaving the future of the "Predator" franchise wide open.