The Predator prequel, Prey, is around the corner, and many are wondering how the film connects to the original movie and franchise. While the obvious answer is it's a prequel that will somehow connect to the greater universe, director Dan Trachtenberg is claiming that it isn't a prequel but a standalone film that is quite distant from the rest of the franchise.
20th Century Fox's Prey is about to stream exclusively on Hulu, and it has left fans of the Predator films wondering where exactly the new film will take place in relation to the larger Predator timeline. Trachtenberg, who brought audiences 10 Cloverfield Lane, gave an interview to SFX Magazine(via Bloody Disgusting) where he explained that Prey will take place in the same timeline as the original Predator yet long before. Therefore, he does not identify the film as a prequel per se. Instead, It will stand on its own without necessarily connecting to the larger franchise.
"I want to specifically say this, because I think there's been some confusion. In my mind, this is not a prequel movie, this isn't, 'Let's tell the origin of the Predator.' This is really something that's set prior to the original Predator movie," Trachtenberg detailed. The original film pitted Arnold Schwarzenegger against an alien creature with advanced technology, set loose on Earth to specifically hunt humans. Obviously, fans are wondering if there might be a connection, but the director reassures there isn't one. "And the Predator creature in this one, this is its first time traveling to Earth."
Prey tells the story of Naru, played by Amber Midthunder, a Comanche woman who confronts gender norms and traditions of the Comanche Nation to become a warrior. It is set 300 years ago when legendary hunters roamed the Great Plains. When the danger threatens her camp, she sets out to protect them, inspired by the legendary hunters in which shadow she has been raised. The threat turns out to be this highly evolved and weaponized Predator. "I think this guy's perhaps from a different hemisphere of the planet, and a little bit of a different breed. So even his look is a little new," said Trachtenberg in a previous interview.
This will be the fifth Predator movie, excluding the two Alien vs. Predator spinoffs, and it is set to be inherently different from the previous installments. Trachtenberg famously pitched it as a Western without cowboys, and mixing it with a Predator will create a unique vision that will surely bring some changes to the franchise. The director also establishes that it will center itself in action instead of dialogue to bring out Naru's emotionality.
So the obvious answer is that Prey is set in the same timeline as the original Predator, but Trachtenberg believes the story is different enough -- and distant enough -- to stand on its own. That said, let's not expect any direct references or connections to previous installments. Let's enjoy what Trachtenberg is bringing audiences when Prey is released on Hulu on August 5.