Prey: Hulu’s Predator Prequel Officially Rated R

In a move that should surprise no one that has seen the franchise or anyone that has kept up with the upcoming Prey, the Hulu Predator prequel has officially been rated “R.” The Motion Picture Association confirmed on Wednesday that the film has been given the “Restricted” rating, revealing that it’s rated R due to “strong bloody violence.” As fans of the Predator franchise know, ever main Predator film (not counting the first AvP crossover) have all been rated R. For comparison’s sake, here’s how it stacks up with some of the other Predator movie’s R ratings:

• Predator 2 – Rated R for strong violence and language, and for sensuality and drug content
• Alien versus Predator – Rated PG-13 for violence, language, horror images, slime and gore
• Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem – Rated R for violence, gore and language 
  
• Predators (2010) – Rated R for strong creature violence and gore, and pervasive language
• The Predator (2018) – Rated R for strong bloody violence, language throughout, and crude sexual references

Considering that Prey is being released by 20th Century Studios after its acquisition by The Walt Disney Company, many Predator fans were worried that the days of the alien hunter ripping out spines and skulls were over. Director Dan Trachtenberg recently confirmed to ComicBook.com that Disney had zero notes on the film, especially not about the violence.

“The Disney thing did not affect the movie at all in terms of its content,” Trachtenberg revealed to ComicBook.com. “That’s why I’m excited for this trailer to come out. And for people who were worried that was this gonna be PG-13, or was it gonna be ‘Disney-Made-Predator.’ It was a 20th Century movie throughout the entire experience. And then Disney has been awesome in receiving the reins of it and now delivering it out into the world, but there was never any mandate from them. I was terrified of some of the wording we had in the script and when they read it, I was like, ‘Oh no, are they gonna freak out over the descriptions of gore and stuff?’ But, no. It is a brutal, intense, very R-rated movie. And I’m excited for that to be dispelled, that Disney’s gonna do ‘Disney Things.’”

Prey will debut on Hulu on August 5. The film features a cast comprised almost entirely of Native and First Nation’s talent, including Amber Midthunder (“The Ice Road,” “Roswell, New Mexico”), newcomer Dakota Beavers, Stormee Kipp (“Sooyii”), Michelle Thrush (“The Journey Home”), Julian Black Antelope (“Tribal”).