Prey Producer Hints At How The Franchise Might Continue
Hulu's "Prey" has been a surprising smash hit for the streaming giant, with both critics and audiences praising it for being something much more than just your typical "Predator" sequel or prequel — it's an accurate and awesome depiction of Indigenous culture, and one of the better action flicks and thrillers out there today, per Rotten Tomatoes. And if what franchise producer John Davis recently said in an interview is true, it might not be the last time we see the Yautja doing its thing in Hollywood.
Released in July 2022, "Prey" was immediately praised for being immensely different from the previous "Predator" movies, including bringing our big dreadlocked baddie back in time to the 1700s and Comanche country. Amber Midthunder's Naru shines as the star and main focus, per reviewers, with her eventually taking down the film's feral-like Predator in epic fashion. Which begs the question, what's next for the franchise's titular species? And what sort of story could be told now that we're five installments and two spinoffs deep? Well, Davis has an interesting idea, which is bound to turn some heads.
Davis — who worked on the original 1987 "Predator" and every other film in the series, including the "Alien vs. Predator" spinoffs — reportedly believes the Yautja's story is still not finished yet, and if there is a chance that more "Predator" movies get made, they could possibly involve a deep dive into the alien warrior's past, the producer says.
'Maybe there's an origin origin story,' says Davis
John Davis is excited about the franchise's future. "Well, maybe there's an origin origin story. Right?" Davis told Variety in an August 2022 interview. "Maybe there's another 'Alien vs. Predator' story in a different situation," he said. "And maybe there's a new modern-day version. And maybe there's something somewhere in between." One of the biggest things about the Predator that has yet to be explored is the creature's past and things it's done throughout history and time, which is intriguing to Davis. "I think this character can show up throughout history," he told Variety.
"Prey" has given new life to the "Predator" franchise. The Dan Trachtenberg-directed film set the record for Hulu's biggest debut ever and was also the most watched film premiere on Star+ in Latin America and Disney+ under the Star Banner in all other non-US territories (via Tech Radar). It's only a matter of time before things are eventually taken back to the big screen, especially since "Prey" was originally made to be released in theaters, according to Trachtenberg, but the Disney and Fox merger prevented that.
"We made the movie with the intent of making it a giant cinematic theatrical experience," the director told Variety in early August 2022. "There've been some movies that have been original ideas of mine that have been very hard to push up the mountain," he said. "This one moved very quickly, I think largely because this story is so pure and elemental — very uncomplicated. You can kind of see how it can work immediately."