Prey director Dan Trachtenberg recently teased easter eggs he'll be incorporating from the original Predator film. The upcoming horror-thriller will be a prequel in the long-running franchise that was kicked off by 1987's monster-action classic Predator, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, and Jesse Ventura. The original John McTiernan-directed film proved popular with audiences, which propelled it to cult status and spawned five films and two Alien franchise crossover films over the course of 35 years.
Prey is set long before the events of the original film in 18th century North America and stars Legion actor Amber Midthunder as a fierce Comanche warrior who comes face-to-face with the alien hunter. When the Predator threatens her tribe, the warrior must use her survival skills to outsmart the creature to protect her people. The Sioux actor is joined by Michelle Thrush, Julian Black Antelope, Dakota Beavers, Stormee Kipp, and former professional basketball player Dane DiLiegro who will portray the latest iteration of the Predator.
Empire recently caught up with Trachtenberg, who teased easter eggs from the original Predator movie in his upcoming prequel. When asked if the audience can expect any callbacks to the 1987 film, the director stated that there were too many opportunities to include easter eggs and that they had to deliberately avoid such moments, although he admits to inserting some details that reference the original film. Trachtenberg then shared one such reference that happened by accident. Read what the director recalled below.
"There was so many moments where were almost seduced by putting in more and more easter eggs! 'Get to the chopper!' is not in this movie despite so many people wondering, 'what if there was a horse named Chopper?' We didn't go all the way there, though there are tonnes of intentional and unintentional nods to the first movie."
"What's funny is in the trailer, there's a sequence in the tall grass. And I remember going over to one of our actors, Harlan [Blayne Kytwayhat], who plays Itsee in the movie. He's the one who pulls Amber down into the grass. And he has to tell her to be quiet. And I said, 'I think it wants to feel like you don't freak out.' There was a line or something, but I said, just go, 'Ssh. Just hold up your finger.' I watched the take back, turned the cinematographer, and said, 'this feels familiar, I think.' And he goes, 'yeah, Predator.' And I was like, 'Oh, yeah...' Obviously that movie is ingrained in my brain."
Predator has produced many memorable quotes, such as Schwarzenegger's iconic "Get to the chopper!" command. However, Trachtenberg thought better of jamming the upcoming film with overt references as it would likely distract the audience and break the film's immersion. However, Itsee's unintentional callback to the original by simply placing a finger to his mouth is subtle enough to not pull audiences out of the experience.
Franchise sequels often struggle to find a balance between formula and originality. Studios wish to make entries into an established series of films familiar enough that they match the feeling and tone of the franchise - as well as meet the audience's expectations - but also different enough to offer something that feels new. When things go right, such as James Cameron's Aliens, the experience can feel fresh and original despite pulling many elements from another film. However, when a sequel tries to match the original film too closely, or strays too far from the feeling of the original, then audience's reactions to the movie can be negative. Trachtenberg appears to understand that his film needs to tap into what made the original Predator resonate with audiences while also adding a unique experience to the franchise. Only time will tell if Prey succeeds on the director's promise.
Source: Empire