The next installment of the Predator franchise, Prey, could have a double meaning in its title similar to what Predators did in 2010. The upcoming fifth Predator movie Prey will follow a young Comanche warrior named Naru (Amber Midthunder) as she and her people encounter the famed movie monster. Prey will take the Predator franchise into some new territory with its 1719 setting, while its potential commonality with Predators shows it could be repurposing a trick previously used by the series.
Predators are well-known for hunting various kinds of species from other planets across the universe, including humans and Xenomorphs, as seen in the Aliens vs. Predator crossover section of both franchises. In applying her own hunting skills in battling the Predator, Naru might give Prey the double-meaning of its title, with the movie showing both her and her fearsome enemy in the Predator as one another's respective prey. As it turns out, Predators did much the same trick with its own title and premise in 2010.
The title of Predators was not strictly in reference to the alien hunters of the film, but also referred to the humans being pursued. Set on a planet used as an alien game preserve, Predators' human characters were a collection of the most dangerous mercenaries and killers that the Predators could find. Isabelle (Alice Braga) even comments on their dark backgrounds directly to Royce (Adrien Brody), saying "We're predators."
What Prey's Title Could Also Mean In The Predator Franchise
Both Predators and Prey act as re-inventions of sorts for the Predator franchise, with Predators taking the series off-world and establishing the Predators as having two factions with the classic Predators and the Super Predators introduced in the film. Prey builds on the long-standing teases of the Predator franchise of the Predators visiting Earth for several centuries to hunt humans, being the first movie in the series to deliver on that concept. In both respects, Predators and Prey stand apart as two of the most unique entries in the Predator series.
With that in mind, positioning the titles of each one to carry a surface-level and secondary meaning shows the gimmick they each bring. With Predators, the humans being hunted are all anti-heroes and in some cases outright cold-blooded killers fully worthy of the title of predator themselves. In Prey, Naru's skill as a warrior and a hunter might make her so formidable as to make the film's hunt an unusual two-way street for the alien.
The trailer and setting for Prey show that the newest chapter of the Predator series has a lot going for it. What could be hiding in plain sight is that its greatest gimmick is the idea of a mutual hunt, which the original Arnold Schwarzenegger-led Predator devoted its third act to, could be the essence of the story of Prey. In doing so, it could also be running with the same concept that Predators introduced to the Predator franchise.