Prey (2022 film)

Prey
Prey 2022 poster.png
Official promotional poster
Directed byDan Trachtenberg
Screenplay byPatrick Aison
Story by
  • Patrick Aison
  • Dan Trachtenberg
Based on
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyJeff Cutter
Edited by
  • Angela M. Catanzaro
  • Claudia Castello
Music bySarah Schachner
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • July 21, 2022 (2022-07-21) (San Diego Comic-Con)
  • August 5, 2022 (2022-08-05) (United States)
Running time
100 minutes
CountryUnited States
Languages

Prey is a 2022 American science fiction horror action film based on the Predator franchise. It is the fifth installment in the franchise and is a prequel to the first four films, being set in the Northern Great Plains in North America in 1719. The film is directed by Dan Trachtenberg and written by Patrick Aison. It stars Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Michelle Thrush, Stormee Kipp, Julian Black Antelope, Bennett Taylor, and Dane DiLiegro. The story revolves around Naru, a skilled Comanche warrior, protecting her tribe from a humanoid alien that hunts humans for sport, fighting against the wilderness and fur traders to keep her people safe.

Development of the film began during the production of The Predator (2018), when producer John Davis was approached by Trachtenberg and Aison, with a concept that they had been developing since 2016. In late-2020, the film's title was revealed to be the codename for the fifth installment in the franchise. Filming took place around Calgary during summer 2021, with the entire film shot in English and some sequences show in Comanche as well. The remaining sequences were dubbed into Comanche by the cast, reprising their roles.[2]

Prey premiered at the San Diego Comic-Con on July 21, 2022, and was released by 20th Century Studios as a Hulu original film in the United States and on Disney+ Star internationally on August 5. The film received positive reviews from critics, with praise for the action sequences, Midthunder's performance, Trachtenberg's direction, and the indigenous casting, with many critics calling it the best Predator installment since the first film.[3][4]

Plot

In 1719 in the Great Plains, Naru, a young Comanche woman trained as a healer, dreams of becoming a great hunter like her brother, Taabe. While tracking deer with her dog, Sarii, she witnesses a Predator spacecraft in the clouds, which she likens to the Thunderbird, and takes this as a sign to prove herself. Taabe agrees to bring her to join the search party for the mountain lion that attacked one of the tribe's hunters, but only so she can provide medical treatment if they find the hunter alive. They retrieve the wounded hunter and depart, though Taabe stays behind to find and kill the big cat.

Finding unusual tracks and a meticulously skinned rattlesnake, Naru circles back with Paake and finds Taabe. Together the three set a trap for the mountain lion but it kills Paake. Naru faces off with the big cat on the branch of a tree, but falls and strikes her head after being distracted by strange sounds and lights in the distance. She wakes up in her family home, having been carried back by Taabe. He later returns to the village with carrying the dead mountain lion, earning him the title of War Chief. Convinced of a greater threat, Naru departs with Sarii. After coming across a herd of skinned bison, they are attacked by a grizzly bear. The bear is killed by the Predator, giving Naru time to escape before running into a group of Comanche sent to find her. The Predator ambushes and kills them in combat, while Naru is caught in a foothold trap; the Predator leaves as she is no longer a threat.

French voyageurs, responsible for killing and skinning the bison, find Naru and cage her. Their translator, Raphael Adolini, questions Naru about the Predator, with whose species he is familiar.[a] When she refuses to talk, the lead voyageur reveals that he has Taabe captive and tortures him before using both siblings as bait for the Predator. While tied to a tree, Taabe admits to his sister that she had weakened the mountain lion, enabling him to kill it. The Predator kills most of the Frenchmen while Taabe and Naru escape. Naru rescues Sarii from the camp and stumbles across a dying Raphael, who teaches her how to use his flintlock pistol[b] in exchange for medical treatment for his severed leg. Naru gives him herbs that reduce his body heat to stanch the bleeding. When the Predator arrives, Raphael plays dead, and Naru realizes that the creature cannot see him. After it steps on Raphael, he screams, at which point the Predator kills him.

Taabe arrives on horseback to rescue Naru. Together they weaken the Predator, but it kills Taabe. Naru flees and finds the surviving lead Frenchman. She knocks him out, severs one of his legs, and gives him an unloaded gun before eating the herbs to hide her body heat, baiting the Predator to kill the voyageur. She uses Raphael's pistol to ambush the creature, knocking off its mask, which she discovers to have the targeting system for the Predator's gun that automatically targets anything that is weilding weapons. She steals the device and flees into the woods.

Naru used the Frenchman's severed leg to lure the Predator into a mud-filled bog pit, where she has positioned the creature's mask such that, when the Predator unsheathes one its weapons to strike her, it is targeted by the mask's projectiles, killing it. Naru severs its head and paints her face with its glowing green blood. She brings the head and the flintlock pistol back to her tribe. They honor her victory by declaring Naru a War Chief. A hide painting in the end credits depicts three Predator spaceships arriving in Comanche territory.

Cast

  • Amber Midthunder as Naru, a young Comanche warrior who protects her tribe against a Predator.
  • Dakota Beavers as Taabe, Naru's brother and a skilled hunter.
  • Dane DiLiegro as the Predator, shown to wield primitive versions of the advanced weaponry used by Predators in previous future-set films.
  • Michelle Thrush as Aruka, Naru and Taabe's mother
  • Stormee Kipp as Wasape, a Comanche hunter who looks down on Naru
  • Julian Black Antelope as Chief Kehetu
  • Mike Paterson as Big Beard
  • Bennett Taylor as Raphael Adolini, an Italian translator hired by the French, introduced in the comic book Predator: 1718 (1996) and first alluded to in Predator 2 (1990).

Production

Development and casting

Dan Trachtenberg on the set of "The Totally Rad Show" in 2007.
Amber Midthunder at the 2019 WonderCon for "Legion" in Anaheim, California.
Prey is the second feature film from director Dan Trachtenberg (left) after 10 Cloverfield Lane. It stars Amber Midthunder in the lead role as Naru.

The film began development during the production of the prior Predator film, titled The Predator (2018), when producer John Davis was approached by Dan Trachtenberg and screenwriter Patrick Aison, with a concept they had been conceptualizing since 2016.[5] Former 20th Century Studios Production president Emma Watts fast-tracked the development of the film prior to her resignation in January 2020.[6][7] It was conceived as an R-rated film.[6]

In December 2019, the film was initially under wraps, going by the name of Skulls. The film reportedly was to "follow a Comanche woman who goes against gender norms and traditions to become a warrior". It was to be directed by Trachtenberg and written by Aison.[8] In November 2020, Skulls was revealed to be a codename for a fifth installment in the Predator franchise, with the same creative team working on the film. It was not expected to correlate to the events of the prior installment.[9] Upon the announcement, Trachtenberg indicated that the original intention was to market the film with no reference to the Predators, something no longer possible with the confirmation of the film's place in the franchise.[5]

In May 2021, Amber Midthunder was announced to star.[10] On November 12, 2021, Disney+ Day, the film was given the title Prey, and announced for a mid-2022 release on Hulu and Disney+ internationally.[11] Trachtenberg explained his goal for the film was to get back to the roots of the franchise: "the ingenuity of a human being who won't give up, who's able to observe and interpret, basically being able to beat a stronger, more powerful, well-armed force".[1] Bennett Taylor was also cast as Raphael Adolini, a translator and former pirate introduced in the 1996 Predator 2 prequel comic book Predator: 1718.

Filming

Cinematographer Jeff Cutter shot the film. Filming occurred in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, in 2021.[12] Jhane Myers, a member of both the Comanche Nation and the Blackfeet Nation,[13] served as a producer on the film.[14] Describing filming near Calgary, Myers stated, "We were shooting on Stoney Nakoda land. [Midthunder] is part Nakoda—even I am on my grandmother's side. Usually when we start a production, someone comes in and does a cedar ceremony and blesses everything. But because we had so many indigenous people on the cast, First Nation people too, and since we were on true plains land, they sent out two pipe carriers and two smudge people to have a pipe ceremony."[13] The pipe ceremony was conducted outside Calgary by local Indigenous leaders and attended by Midthunder and her co-stars Beavers and Kipp, as well as Myers and Trachtenberg, among others.[13]

In July 2021, Davis revealed that the film was officially three quarters of the way finished.[6] In September, filming wrapped and the castings of Dakota Beavers and Dane DiLiegro were confirmed.[15] Sarii, Naru's dog companion, was played by a Carolina dog named Coco that was adopted and trained specifically for the film. The idea of giving Naru a dog companion was inspired by Mad Max 2. Initially, Coco was to be in fewer scenes but they found with her training and energy, they were able to include the dog in several more scenes including some of the action sequences.[16]

Language

Trachtenberg said they discussed whether they should start the film with characters speaking the Comanche language before switching to English for the benefit of the audience, similar to the Russian language in The Hunt for Red October (1990). They considered doing something similar at first but ultimately felt it did not work. The film was shot in English and later dubbed in Comanche, with the entire cast performing an alternate all-Comanche dub of the film. Both language versions are available on Hulu and Disney+.[1]

Special effects

During post-production, Moving Picture Company and Industrial Light and Magic provided the visual effects.[17] Amalgamated Dynamics Inc. (ADI) was hired to work on the special and creature effects on the film, having previously worked on The Predator and the crossover films Alien vs. Predator (2004) and Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007).[18] Additional visual effects were provided by The Third Floor, Inc., Track VFX and Pixel Light Effects. Sound design was done by Pacific Standard Sound as the film's dailies and color were provided by Company 3. The film's main and end titles were done by Filmograph.

Music

Sarah Schachner composed the musical score.[19] The soundtrack album was released by Hollywood Records on August 5, 2022.[20]

Historical accuracy

During the film's production, Myers provided binders of reference materials to the production team.[14] Myers advised the production on creating a period-accurate toothbrush, which Midthunder can be seen using in the film.[14] An early draft of the script did not include mention of horses; Myers insisted that horses be added, later stating, "We're a horse culture, so you can see that in [the character of] Taabe and his horse riding. And then you can see that in the camps where we have horses. When I originally saw the first script, there were no horses in it. And I said, 'You can't have Comanches without horses!' So that's where that came in, and when we wrote the Taabe scene."[21]

Brad Curran of Screen Rant described the Comanche characters' clothing, village setting, and hunting lifestyle depicted in the film as historically accurate, along with the depiction of the French settlers as hostile towards the Comanche.[22] Curran added that the film makes traditional Comanche gender roles "central to its story", writing that, in Comanche culture, men took on more physical roles as hunters and warriors, while women served as caregivers who oversaw homes and children.[22]

Release

Prey premiered at the San Diego Comic-Con on July 21, 2022, and was released by 20th Century Studios as a Hulu original film on August 5.[23][24] It was also released on Disney+ Hotstar in Southeast Asian territories, on Star+ in Latin America and on Disney+ as part of the Star content hub in other international territories.[25][24]

Reception

Audience viewership

According to 20th Century Studios, Prey was the most-watched premiere across all films and television series on Hulu in the United States, as well as the most-watched film premiere on Star in international markets, and on Star+ in Latin America.[26][27][28]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 93% of 230 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.60/10. The website's consensus reads, "The rare action thriller that spikes adrenaline without skimping on character development, Prey is a Predator sequel done right."[29] Metacritic gave the film a weighted average score of 71 out of 100, based on 42 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[30] It is the highest-rated Predator film on both websites.[31]

David Fear of Rolling Stone referred to the film as a "long-awaited masterpiece" and "series highlight", and compared Midthunder's character favorably to Ellen Ripley of the Alien films.[32] Andrew Webster of The Verge admired "how patient it is", adding: "what makes Prey work is its simplicity. It never strays from its concept, instead slowly building up the tension before reaching a very exciting battle."[33] Belen Edwards of Mashable called it "intimate and character-driven, with more than enough action to satisfy the most die-hard Predator fans ... even if you've never watched a Predator movie, chances are you'll love Prey. It's just that good."[34]

In a 3.5 out of 4 star review, Odie Henderson of RogerEbert.com praised Naru's character and the representation of the Comanche Nation, and called the film a "scary and fun amusement park ride that also elicits a surprisingly tender emotional response".[35] Tom Jorgensen of IGN rated it 8 out of 10, commended the level of violence and tension depicted across the action sequences, and felt the story was simple without being simplistic.[36] James Dyer of Empire rated the movie 4 out of 5 stars and found it to be the best Predator since the original, with a "ferocious heroine, authentic period setting, and a bloody string of inventive action beats".[37]

Future

Prior to the film's release, Trachtenberg stated in June that there are discussions for additional installments to be developed after the release of Prey, saying their intent was to "do things that have not been done before" in the franchise.[38] In August, Bennett Taylor expressed interest in reprising his role as Raphael Adolini as "the pirate he is" in a potential prequel to Prey, serving as a loose adaptation of the 1996 comic book Predator: 1718 in which Adolini was introduced, reading it as research before shooting Prey, having aimed to "bring as much of [Raphael] into Prey that made sense".[39]

Notes

  1. ^ As depicted in Predator: 1718 (1996).
  2. ^ The engraving on the gun reveals it is the same weapon that a Predator gives to Mike Harrigan in 1997 during the events of Predator 2 (1990).

References

  1. ^ a b c Colangelo, BJ (June 7, 2022). "Prey Will Give Viewers The Option To Watch The Film In The Comanche Language, albeit as a dub over the footage of the English performance". /Film. Retrieved July 31, 2022.
  2. ^ Trachtenberg, Dan [@DannyTRS] (July 31, 2022). "The film was shot in both English and Comanche (for some sequences). However, on Hulu/Disney+ there will be an option to watch the entire film DUBBED in Comanche. All the actors returned to voice this version as well" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  3. ^ Lemieux, Melissa (August 1, 2022). "Here's What Critics Are Saying About Prey". Looper.
  4. ^ Venable, Heidi (August 3, 2022). "Prey Reviews Are In, And The Critics Can't Stop Talking About Amber Midthunder, Star Of The New Predator Movie". CinemaBlend.
  5. ^ a b Trachtenberg, Dan [@DannyTRS] (November 20, 2020). "This was meant to be a surprise. Been working on this for almost 4 years now. I am very sad that what we had in store for how you could discover this movie will no longer happen. It's a bummer. But also...YAY!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  6. ^ a b c Sneider, Jeff (July 27, 2021). "Exclusive: New 'Predator' Movie Title, Plot Details, and Timeline Revealed by Producers John Davis and John Fox". Collider. Archived from the original on July 27, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
  7. ^ Lang, Brent (January 30, 2020). "Emma Watts Resigns as Twentieth Century Studios Production President". Variety. Archived from the original on July 27, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
  8. ^ Fisher, Jacob (December 12, 2019). "Dan Trachtenberg Set To Direct 'Skulls' For Fox/Disney (Exclusive)". Discussing Film. Archived from the original on December 12, 2019. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  9. ^ Fleming, Mike, Jr. (November 20, 2020). "'Predator' Returning With '10 Cloverfield Lane' Helmer Dan Trachtenberg At 20th Century Studios". Deadline. Archived from the original on November 20, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  10. ^ Fisher, Jacob (May 21, 2021). "Amber Midthunder Cast in Lead Role of New 'Predator' Film (Exclusive)". DiscussingFilm. Archived from the original on May 21, 2021. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  11. ^ Aurthur, Kate (November 12, 2021). "Predator Prequel Prey to Stream on Hulu in Summer 2022". Variety. Archived from the original on November 12, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  12. ^ Lowery, Mike (February 16, 2021). "Predator 5 synopsis revealed ahead of Calgary shoot". Movie Hole. Archived from the original on February 16, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  13. ^ a b c Ingram, Simon (August 5, 2022). "Why sci-fi movie Prey moves the needle for Indigenous American visibility". National Geographic. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  14. ^ a b c Galuppo, Mia (August 4, 2022). "Next Big Thing: 'Prey' Star Amber Midthunder on Bringing an Indigenous Action Hero Into 'Predator' Franchise". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  15. ^ Oddo, Marco Vitto (September 13, 2021). "New 'Predator' Movie Wraps Filming and Reveals Cast". Collider. Archived from the original on May 11, 2022. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  16. ^ Ryan, Danielle (August 6, 2022). "The Dog Actor In Prey Was Adopted Especially For The Movie ⁠⁠– And She Was A 'Hot Mess'". /Film. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
  17. ^ "Filmography". MPC Film. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  18. ^ Marc, Christopher (June 12, 2021). "'Predator 5': Studio ADI Officially Returns To Handle Creature Effects". The Ronin. Archived from the original on June 13, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  19. ^ "Sarah Schachner Scoring Dan Trachtenberg's Prey". Film Music Reporter. June 16, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  20. ^ "'Prey' Soundtrack Album Details". Film Music Reporter. August 4, 2022. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  21. ^ Cremona, Patrick (August 5, 2022). "How the Predator prequel Prey draws on real history". The Radio Times. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  22. ^ a b Curran, Brad (August 8, 2022). "How Accurate Prey Is To Real Life Comanche Culture & History". Screen Rant. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  23. ^ Squires, John (July 8, 2022). "Hulu Movie Prey Will World Premiere on the Big Screen at San Diego Comic-Con This Month". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  24. ^ a b 20th Century Studios [@20thcentury] (May 16, 2022). "Prey is coming to @hulu August 5" (Tweet). Retrieved May 16, 2022 – via Twitter.
  25. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 12, 2021). "'Predator' Prequel Gets Title & Sets Summer 2022 Release". Deadline. Archived from the original on November 12, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  26. ^ Spangler, Todd (August 9, 2022). "Hulu Says 'Prey' Is Its Biggest Movie or TV Series Premiere Ever". Variety. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  27. ^ Grobar, Matt (August 9, 2022). "'Prey' Lands No. 1 Premiere On Hulu To Date Across Film & TV". Deadline. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  28. ^ Bjornson, Greta (August 9, 2022). "Hulu Claims 'Prey' Is Their Biggest Premiere of All Time, Film And TV". Decider. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  29. ^ "Prey". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
  30. ^ "Prey Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  31. ^ Anikó, Angyal (August 6, 2022). "Prey Is The Top Rated Predator Movie On Both Rotten Tomatoes And Metacritic". The Geek.
  32. ^ Fear, David (August 4, 2022). "'Prey' Gives the 'Predator' Franchise Its Long-Awaited Masterpiece". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  33. ^ Webster, Andrew (August 3, 2022). "Prey understands what makes Predator interesting: the hunt". The Verge. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  34. ^ Edwards, Belen (August 5, 2022). "'Prey' review: Brilliant 'Predator' prequel is a must-watch". Mashable. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  35. ^ Henderson, Odie. "Prey movie review & film summary (2022)". www.Roger Ebert.com. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  36. ^ Jorgensen, Tom (August 3, 2022). "Prey Review". IGN. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  37. ^ Dyer, James (August 3, 2022). "Prey". Empire. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  38. ^ de Semlyen, Phil (June 28, 2022). "'Prey': Everything you need to know about the new 'Predator' movie". TimeOut. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  39. ^ Taylor, Bennett [@bentayman] (August 13, 2022). "@bentayman Would you be interested in returning as Raphael Adolini in the future, in a potential adaptation of the original 'Predator: 1718' comic book which introduced him (as a prequel to Prey)? Did you read '1718' also, before portraying the character? Bennett Taylor: Yeah! 1000% I would. It would be so cool to portray the pirate he is in the comic. I read it before shooting and I tried to bring as much of that character into Prey that made sense" (Tweet) – via Twitter.

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