Sean Parker
The Predator is back! 20th Century Studios and Hulu have released the first teaser trailer for Prey (2022), the fifth installment in The Predator movie franchise. 10 Cloverfield Lane Dan Trachtenberg takes the helm this time, offering a considerably quieted take on the futuristic character by setting this story three hundred years in the past.
This first Prey (2022) teaser shows Legion star Amber Midthunder running through the woods before crouching low in an overgrown grassy field behind a Comanche hunter. The hunter draws his bow toward an invisible enemy, and the audience’s excitement rises as three red dots appear on the hunter’s forehead. The hunter is now the hunted. After the title card, there’s another brief shot of the actress, rising with an ax in her hand after recognizing the Predator’s camouflage, bringing additional anticipation.
It’s been four years since we last saw our interstellar hunter. In 2018, the alien visitor faced an all-star cast of rag-tag soldiers that included Keegan Michael Key, Olivia Munn, Thomas Jane, Jake Busey, and Alfie Allen and also featured Yvonne Strahovski and Sterling K. Brown in supporting roles. The movie began with great promise, especially considering it came from an action-comedy writer who actually co-starred in the original Arnold Schwarzenegger film. Alas, even with his impressive resume, the movie just didn’t land (particularly the ending).
The latest approach in the Prey (2022) teaser is a far cry from the technology and mayhem of Black’s modern-day 2018 release. Going back to the more limited aspects of having the hunter in a woodsy element, like the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger film and Nimród Antal’s 2010 effort, Predators. Trachtenberg’s latest entry into the franchise tells the story of Naru (Midthunder), a highly trained warrior raised in the shadow of some of the Comanche Nation’s greatest warriors. When a dangerous presence threatens her people, she tries to protect her people, unknowingly discovering the universe’s most advanced weapon instead.
While growing up, I always appreciated the contemporary setting of Predator 2 more than the original jungle scape of its predecessor. I watched these films often and still do, now knowing that the eerie, unsettling calm of the John McTiernan original is why it’s a better horror experience. I see a lot of that nerve-wracking ominousness in that field as the hunter draws his bow as well.
Committed to making the best possible film by providing an authentic and accurate account of the Comanche, the production enlisted Sundance Fellow Jhane Myers. Myers, a member of the Comanche nation, serves as a producer on Prey and features a cast comprised almost entirely of Native and First Nation talent. Myers is known for her devotion to honoring the legacies of the Comanche and Blackfeet nations and oversees projects dedicated to faithfully representing its people.
You’ll be able to hunt for Prey on Hulu beginning August 5.
