We’re getting another entry in the Predator franchise with the new 2022 movie Prey. After a couple of middling attempts at reboots and the critically-panned Alien vs Predator movies, the iconic sci-fi villain is heading back in time with a prequel and opting for the streaming play rather than a big movie theater debut.
The original Predator came out in 1987 and starred Arnold Schwarzenegger and Carl Weathers (featuring their now iconic meme) and kicked started a sci-fi franchise that has four solo entries and the previously mentioned mashup with the Alien franchise. However, none of them have been able to live up to the original so far. Can that change with Prey?
Here is everything we know about Prey.
When is the Prey release date?
Prey is now available to watch. It skipped the movie theaters and is available exclusively online, where according to Disney, The Hollywood Reporter details, it had the best ever premiere on the streaming service of any title, movie or TV, for Hulu, and the best movie premieres on Star Plus and Disney Plus.
Read our guide to find out more about where and how to watch Prey.
While it won’t be getting to play in movie theaters, we consider it to be another summer blockbuster movie, just this time you’ll be able to watch it from the comfort of your own home.
What is the Prey plot?
Plots for the Predator movies all have the base concept set pretty much in stone: an intergalactic hunter decides to hunt humans for sport. What makes Prey unique is that it is taking things back a ways. Here is the official synopsis for Prey:
"The newest entry in the Predator franchise, 20th Century Studios’ Prey is an all-new action thriller set in the Comanche Nation 300 years ago. It is the story of a young woman, Naru, a fierce and highly skilled warrior who has been raised in the shadow of some of the most legendary hunters who roam the Great Plains. So when danger threatens her camp, she sets out to protect her people. The prey she stalks, and ultimately confronts, turns out to be a highly evolved alien predator with a technically advanced arsenal, resulting in a vicious and terrifying showdown between the two adversaries."
Prey was written by Patrick Aison.
Find out all you need to know about the Prey ending right here.
Prey trailer, featurette and teasers
We've got the full-length trailer for Prey below, which has Amber Midthunder's young hunter squaring off against the Predator.
Watch a previously released teaser trailer right here:
A feature that details the how Prey plays on the legacy of the Predator franchise:
Who is in the Prey cast?
The hero of Prey is the young Comanche hunter Naru, who is played by Amber Midthunder. Midthunder has been acting for most of her life with some notable credits on her resume. She has appeared in Banshee, Longmire, Spare Parts, Hell or High Water, while also starring in Legion as Kerry Loudermilk and Roswell, New Mexico as Rosa Ortecho.
Along with Midthunder, almost all of the cast of Prey is made up of Native and First Nation actors. This includes Dakota Beavers, Stormee Kipp, Michelle Thrush and Julian Black Antelope and Dane DiLiegro, who is playing the Predator.
Prey reviews — what are the critics saying?
Prey appears to be a hit. The movie so far (as of August 3) has an impressive Rotten Tomatoes score of 98%. Over on Metacritic, it has earned a score of 73, safely in the site's "Good" classification.
Reviewer Matt Donato says Prey is "inarguably the best Predator since the original. The film gets so much right..." in a review for Paste.
This echoes the reaction that Prey got at an exclusive early screening at San Diego Comic-Con 2022. Social reaction it found a hugely receptive audience of not just fans but critics as well. Check out some of the first reactions from the Prey screening:
#PREY is, indeed, the best Predator entry since PREDATOR. All praise to Amber Midthunder who owns the screen against her alien foe. It’s back to the bloody basics of a thrilling hunt that delivers everything I want from a Predator flick in its brutally primal glory. pic.twitter.com/2QWpwOgwGIJuly 22, 2022
#Prey is my favorite Predator movie. (Coming from someone who's a big fan of the original and also 2010's Predators.) Love how the story is a deeply personal journey -- one powered by Comanche tradition just as much as it is by Predator-sparked thrills. pic.twitter.com/2hjoGhk2MwJuly 22, 2022
I’m at the #PREY premiere at #SDCC2022 and this thing justifiably earned a huge, rousing standing ovation. Easily my favorite PREDATOR movie since the original. @DannyTRS and team have made a primal and emotional survival epic. @AmberMidthunder is a total badass in this too. pic.twitter.com/7r9KnBW0jYJuly 22, 2022
Count me in as a big fan of #Prey. Amber Midthunder and Dakota Beavers are tremendous, the callbacks to the original gave me chills, and it's a blast. Would've loved to see this on the big screen. pic.twitter.com/t1xmGBICpiJuly 22, 2022
#PreyMovie received a roaring standing ovation from the fans during the @Collider San Diego screening. pic.twitter.com/0axidFuBKfJuly 22, 2022
What is Prey rated?
Prey is rated R in the US for "strong bloody violence."
How long is Prey?
Prey has a runtime of one hour and 39 minutes.
Who directed Prey?
The director of Prey is Dan Trachtenberg. While this is only Trachtenberg’s second time directing a feature film, he is no stranger to big projects like Prey. Trachtenberg’s first movie was 10 Cloverfield Lane, while on the TV side he has directed episodes of Black Mirror ("Playtest"), The Boys ("The Name of the Game") and The Lost Symbol ("As Above, So Below").
