Prey Director Teases “Exciting Conversations” For Next Predator Movie

What’s next for the Predator movie franchise? 

A lot of fans are actually asking the question now after the Predator franchise recently got a much-needed and long-overdue shot of life with the recent release of Prey, the Emmy-nominated Hulu original film that was a (not-so-)secret prequel to the other Predator films. Director Dan Trachtenberg really impressed Predator and/or horror fans with his visceral take on the Predator monster, as well as his door-opening vision of how Predator stories can be thrilling when set against many different backdrops – even the 18th-century American wilderness, where weapons technology was a lot less advanced – for both humans and the Predators. 

So now that Prey has proven what Predator can be, what kind of story could Trachtenberg and co. be cooking up next? 

“I can’t really say anything about that right now, but I’ll say while we were finishing the movie, we were having really exciting conversations,” Trachtenberg teased to The Playlist. “The studio, myself, the writer, and the producers about what crazy things could we do next. And I’ve never stopped, no one stopped thinking about how cool things could be going forward.”

When pressed to reveal whether or not the next Predator movie will be a streaming release or a theatrical one, Trachtenberg wouldn’t budge on his policy of secrecy: “No comment. I answered the question. Somewhat answered part of the question. Got to allow me that. [Laughs.]”

As stated: Prey was more than a prequel to the original Predator film: it was a proof of concept achievement. Every other Predator movie tried to ape the structure of the first film: military/law enforcement types are hunted as fitting sport by the Predator. Prey was the first to set the hunt in an entirely new context of the old world, using a female protagonist for the first time. The fact that Prey is almost uniformly hailed as the best Predator film in years (maybe since the original) proves how well it works when the concept is actually allowed to breathe. 

While Prey wowed movie viewers, The Predator franchise has been testing the waters through its Marvel Comics series, which offers a new anthology story annually, sometimes with crossover between stories. Those story arcs have also taken a wider-ranging approach to how the Predator concept actually plays out, so hopefully, Trachtenberg and 20th Century Studios are doing the same. 

Prey is streaming on Hulu.