Elle Fanning's New Predator Movie: Why It's Even Better Than a Prey Sequel!
The Predator Franchise: A Surprisingly Chaotic History
The Predator movies have a really weird history. They're often compared to Alien—which is unfair! Alien’s the classy sci-fi horror franchise. Predator's usually seen as that cheaper, B-movie cousin. Think about it, the Alien movies usually have Sigourney Weaver's Ripley to keep them all connected! Each Predator movie brings new faces; a different protagonist. And then there's Shane Black's The Predator (2018), which had production problems and tanked.
But then Dan Trachtenberg's Prey (2022) happened and became insanely popular, both amongst critics and regular viewers alike! That movie became extremely praised, establishing Amber Midthunder as the awesome new fan-favorite, Naru. And it left everybody screaming “Prey 2!” But…it hasn’t happened yet. Why? That’s important because that impacts and completely explains that next move in this series, which we are going to discuss.
Why Dan Trachtenberg Ditched Prey 2 (And Why It’s Awesome!)
Steve Asbell (big boss at 20th Century Studios) spilled the beans to THR recently— and that information shows some serious creative choices made behind the scenes. Even with all the hype, Dan Trachtenberg (the director for Prey) didn’t want to do Prey 2! He said he wanted to explore other, "crazier and cooler" ideas, as quoted by that interview in THR.
This sounds very smart! Prey was great, but was brilliantly streamlined! Keeping it simple allowed the storytelling brilliance to be more emphasized. A sequel? A risk. A half-hearted sequel? Even worse. But Trachtenberg's new Predator: Badlands (starring Elle Fanning) suggests he wanted more! What is truly special and interesting is that Trachtenberg rejected Prey 2 but later became involved with the two films: suggesting that Trachtenberg not only remained very satisfied but also eager to continue being part of the project!
Prey: A New Template for the Predator Series
The Predator and Alien franchises get constantly compared, making these movies into this ongoing clash with audiences and fans – especially given that the former usually gets that bad B-movie reputation! The original four Alien films used Ripley to link everything! But Predator’s all different. Each time its a different character in a new place; not connected in this very strong narrative thread of continuity. Yet Prey did exactly this without issue. It was brilliant – completely breaking this trope and producing something equally interesting; and demonstrating another key aspect. Creating a brilliant new standard; demonstrating the success behind utilizing this new template which suggests that other future ventures may potentially succeed even more! And that approach may become the very next standard.
Will We Ever See Prey 2? The Mysteries Around Predator’s Future
Badlands leaves that Prey 2 question open. There’s this rumour of a second secret Predator film (Trachtenberg's also doing that) coming in 2025! Could THAT be Prey 2? Probably not, considering those accounts of Trachtenberg's thoughts about these separate movies.
One thing is certain– the producers behind those two Predator movies appear to be focusing on multiple films simultaneously! There's talk of Prey 2 being in development already (as found from Deadline in June 2024), with Amber Midthunder potentially returning to continue that original series storyline. Those events however, from that end-credits scene hint toward a larger story which could bring back Naru.
Conclusion: The Future of Predator Is Looking Brighter Than Ever
The Predator franchise was a bumpy ride and the last-minute adjustments did bring some surprise plot reveals. The story is going to be even better! Those big-name movies have amazing plans with Badlands, those unexpected yet totally interesting projects already in development suggest this is true. And Prey 2? There are strong hints pointing towards more of Naru that many fans await. Whether you love the classic Arnold Schwarzenegger films or that more modern approach that was present in Prey, there’s a lot to look forward to. And they are even creating brand-new opportunities not available otherwise: showing that not simply replicating and building upon older success might not work and should probably be approached differently!
