20th Century Studios President Steve Asbell teases the Predator prequel movie, Prey, will be a big creative swing for the sci-fi action franchise. The fifth installment in the series shifts the focus 300 years in the past to 1719 and centers on Naru, a Comanche warrior living in the Great Plains. When her tribe comes under attack by the highly-evolved alien invader known as the Predator, Naru must rise up and protect those she loves from the extraterrestrial threat in its first visit to Earth.

Legion alum Amber Midthunder is leading the cast of Prey as Naru alongside Dakota Beavers and Dane DiLiegro in undisclosed roles. Development on the film began during the production on Shane Black's The Predator as director Dan Trachtenberg approached producer John Davis with a concept he and an unnamed writer had been working on for a few years, with former 20th Century President Emma Watts fast-tracking the project just prior to her resignation under the codename Skulls. Filming would finally get underway on Prey in early 2021 and wrap the following September and is gearing up to hit Hulu this year.

Related: Predator 5's Prequel Story Is The Perfect Way To Reboot The Franchise

In honor of his 20th anniversary in his position, 20th Century Studios President Steve Asbell caught up with The Hollywood Reporter and looked towards the studio's future. When asked about their plans for original films and new property installments, Asbell said 20th Century will be aiming for a mix of both and explore "bold takes" on some of their franchises, including the Predator prequel movie Prey. See what Asbell shared below:

"Coolest of all for fans, we get to find bold takes on beloved Fox properties. You can take big creative swings -- which you'll see with Prey, which we'll launch this summer. A Predator movie set in the Great Plains in 1719 by Dan Trachtenberg. That's what this allows us to do."

Image for the Predator prequel Prey

Though initially getting off to a strong start with the Arnold Schwarzenegger-led Predator in 1987, the sci-fi franchise has largely suffered from diminishing reviews with each subsequent sequel being criticized for repeating its predecessors' formula and failing to reinvent the series. The announcement of the prequel film was met with a generally favorable response from critics and audiences alike for doing away with the messy canon of the recent films and returning to the survivalist nature of the original film. Additionally, the plans for Prey to center on a Native American heroine and appropriate casting with Midthunder leading the way has been seen as a positive new direction for the franchise.

The one element of Prey that has received some criticism is Disney and 20th Century Studios' plan to release the Predator prequel movie on Hulu instead of offering it a theatrical release. Given the franchise's recent struggles at the box office, some have seen this move as indicative of the film and series' demise, though some have held out hope given the success of fellow 20th Century title Vacation Friends on the streaming platform. Only time will tell if the big creative swing pays off when Prey arrives on Hulu sometime this summer.

More: Disney's Predator 5 Plan Shows How Badly The Franchise Has Failed

Source: THR

Key Release Dates

  • Predator 5
    Release Date:
    2022-08-05