Preyhas been something of an unexpected hit in thePredatorfranchise. Having been prematurely written off by those unhappy with the movie having a female lead, or just assuming that the movie would go the way of its predecessors,Preyhas instantly become the biggest debut of any release on Hulu and a number of Disney Star Banner platforms. ActressAmber Midthunder, who stars as the lead in the movie has revealed how directorDan Trachtenbergused a classicPredatorline to tell her that she had won the role in the film, even if she wasn’t sure at first that it meant she had been cast in the movie.
Preyis claimed not be a prequel to the originalPredatorby Dan Trachtenberg, but it is set many years before Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Dutch found himself confronting the terrifying alien creature in the jungle, back in the 18th century. The film tells of the first Predator to land on Earth and Comanche hunter Naru, played by Midthunder, who must battle against the creature.
When Trachtenberg reached out to Midthunder to tell her she had been cast as Naru, the director attempted to use one of the most quoted Arnie lines from the original movie, but explained toThe Empire Film Podcastthat it didn’t quite go the way he intended it to. She explained:
“I got a call from a random number and it was Dan [Trachtenberg] and I was like, ‘Oh, this is either going to go good or bad.’ And then he was like, ‘If you had to get somewhere by air and you couldn’t go by land, sea, or legs, what would you do’? I said hang glider, and he was like, ‘No, it has an engine.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, a hot air balloon.’ And he was like, ‘No, you’re supposed to say “Get to the chopper!” Because you’re going to be Arnold.' And I was like ‘Ugh, I failed’ but then I was like ‘Oh!’ So, not quite what he had in mind. Not, like, the dream scenario of how that would go. But that was how he told me.”
Related:Amber Midthunder Earns Universal Praise for Prey Performance
Prey Sequels Are Being Planned At Disney
Preydelivers the most original and most highly ratedPredatormovie of the entire franchise, with the movie scoring even higher than the 1987 original with both audiences and critics. Having added the title of most watched premiere ever on Hulu’s platform to its list of accolades, as well as being cited as a movie that should have been given a cinematic release over direct-to-streaming, it is not surprising thatmore additions to the IP are now being considered. Trachtenberg previously teased:
“There are a lot of exciting ideas for what could be next for the franchise. The things that most excite me are the boldest swings and I think there’s scope to do other things that haven’t been done before.”
Preyhas certainly managed to alleviate any fears of thePredatorfranchise becoming “Disney’d”, and as word of mouth kicks in, there is no doubt that despite its streaming only release,Preyhas the potential to be the most successfulPredatormovie of the franchise.
