FINALLY, Disney Is Getting The Predator Franchise Right!

After many lackluster Predator sequels and reboots, Prey is solidifying the franchise's future with an innovative premise and a consistent tone.

After a few lackluster reinventions, the Predator franchise is finally finding its footing under Disney’s ownership, as evidenced by Prey. 1987’s Predator brought to life an iconic movie monster in the form of the titular extraterrestrial hunter, who blends the mysterious poise of Alien‘s Xenomorph with the unstoppable persistence of Halloween‘s Michael Myers. However, the Predator franchise struggled to find its identity after the success of the first movie, as its sequels failed to live up to its impact.

While 1987’s Predator delivered high-octane action with the muscle-bound Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, and Bill Duke, the first movie was actually filled with suspense, as the creature didn’t kill its victims like any common horror villain. Instead, the Predator toyed with them while it carefully hunted them down. This awakened a clear sense of desperation in the human characters, particularly in Dutch, who needed to use his brains as much as his brawn. But just one movie later, this suspense dissipated with the city setting of 1990’s Predator 2, which delivered a more straightforward bloodbath. After a couple of Alien vs Predator movies that offered a silly showdown akin to the infamous Freddy vs Jason, 2010’s Predators attempted to recapture the essence of the original, though it fell short in replicating what made it exciting. Lastly, 2018’s The Predator had another shot at it, but while it certainly updated the franchise to modern times, it ended up becoming a disjointed story with little sense of purpose.

Despite some improvements in certain regards like VFX, none of the Predator sequels succeeded in matching the positive reception of the 1987 classic. Fortunately, 2022’s Prey promises to fix this. Prey returns to Predator‘s suspenseful roots, but at the same time puts a fresh spin on the original premise with a brand new protagonist, a different historical setting, and a darker tone. It doesn’t aim to copy the first movie, nor does it pretend to completely subvert it. At its core, Prey is still the story of a warrior who goes to great lengths to flee a predator — nothing more and nothing less. This return to the franchise’s original intensity is what gives it the potential to succeed.

How Prey Can Fully Revive The Predator Franchise

Prey confirms that Predator movies don’t have to stray too far from the original. Amber Midhunter’s Naru may be as mighty as Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Dutch, just with a different set of skills. And while the early 1700s setting provides a fresh backdrop, the battleground is still the same. Yet, the absence of military-grade weapons completely renovates the combat, and Naru’s Comanche background completely transforms the Predator franchise in regard to its protagonists. This balance between tradition and innovation paves the way for more movies filled with thrilling action, scares, and suspense, as well as with a more diverse cast of characters and settings.

Prey also allows for a deeper exploration of the Predator lore. Naru’s encounter with a Predator takes place more than 300 years before the events of 1987’s Predator, but Prey likely isn’t the first time a Predator visits Earth. Future sequels could follow many more predators that arrived before or after, which could provide a slow reveal of humans’ history with Predators and the legends they inspired. Exploring different creatures throughout the ages and across different locations would be an interesting idea for future installments, as they would minimize the risk of tonally inconsistent stories like Predator 2 or Alien vs Predator.