Prey 2has yet to happen for a reason that makes the nextPredatormovie very exciting. Writer/director Shane Black felt like the perfect fit to revive thePredatormovie franchise- especially having played the hunter’s first onscreen victim - but his 2018 sequelThe Predatorsuffered through a messy production and the final film was a letdown. The series then appeared to be on life support, which made the streaming success of Dan Trachtenberg’sPreyall the more startling.
This prequel received great reviews from critics and audiences and established Amber Midthunder’s Naru as a new fan favorite.Prey 2feels all but inevitable, but it’s unknown when (or if) it will arrive. What is known is that Trachtenberg is returning to the series withthe upcomingPredator: Badlands, starring Elle Fanning. A recent report fromTHRalso revealed there is a second, top secretPredatorfilm that Trachtenbergalsohelmed that will arrive in 2025.
20th Century Boss Reveals Major Updates On 10 Movie Franchises, From Alien & Predator To Die Hard & Speed
20th Century Studios boss Steve Asbell delivers a number of updates on some of the company’s biggest franchises, including Alien, Predator, and Speed.
Dan Trachtenberg Choosing Badlands Over Prey 2 Makes The New Movie More Exciting
Predator: Badlands was the more interesting choice for Trachtenberg
Movie boss Steve Asbell providedTHRwith lots of exclusives on 20th Century Studios' upcoming slate, including anAlien: Romulussequel and a potentialSpeed 3. He also revealed thatinspite of the success that greetedPrey, Dan Trachtenberg rejectedPrey 2. Instead, the helmer had other pitches he was more excited about.
After Prey became a success, Dan [Trachtenberg] came back and said he didn’t want to do Prey 2. And we’re like, “What do you want to do?” And he rattled off a bunch of ideas that were really crazy but really cool.
While it would have been great to see Trachtenberg back behind the camera for Naru’s next adventure,thisPredator: Badlandsadmission makes the next entry even more exciting.Preyworked so well because it was a simple story well told, stripping the premise back to its essence. If Trachtenberg felt there was no more meat on the bone and was more jazzed about hisBadlandspitch, this is excellent news for the franchise.
While most studios would insist on a direct sequel, the director was given the leeway to make the film he wanted.Little has been revealed aboutPredator: Badlands, other than it involving two sisters making their way through a deserted wastelandand coming face to face with a past trauma; it feels like a safe bet this trauma comes in the shape of the title alien hunter though.
Prey Was Great (But Standalone Predator Movies May Be The Best Way To Go)
Maybe it’s time for Predator to take the anthology route
ThePredatorfilms have always been compared toAlien- often unfairly. The latter is considered the classy sci-fi horror franchise, whilePredatortends to be rated as the cheaper, B-movie equivalent.The first fourAliensalso had Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley to tie them together, while everyPredatorhas focused on new charactersand storylines.Preyfinally turned the latter into a feature and not a flaw, and set a new template for future sequels.
80%
$98.3 million
30%
$57.1 million
65%
$127.2 million
34%
$160.5 million
94%
N/A
The issue there is that viewers really connected with Naru and would love to see her return. Great asPreywas, unless the creatives behind it have a solid story for a follow-up, a sequel doesn’t need to happen. Nobody wants a lame, half-heartedPrey 2, and while most studios would have insisted on a direct sequel, they’re opting for a more creative approach. Again,Naru will likely return in some way down the road, but this standalone approach frees thePredatorseries from being tied to any ongoing plotlines.
Will A Prey Sequel Ever Happen?
Maybe fans need to pray for Prey 2
Predator: Badlandsdoes leave aPreysequel in a curious spot. It’s possible to speculate that the second, secret film actually isPrey 2, though the fact Trachtenberg directed both makes this doubtful; why would he rejectPrey 2in favor ofBadlands, only to make both at the same time anyway?It sounds like the secondPredatormight be heading to streaming, withBadlandsgoing theatricalinstead. This mystery project could take the hunter to another unique era of history, but that’s just guesswork.
… it was reported that while Badlands was up next, a direct Prey sequel was in early development with Amber Midthunder potentially returning.
WhilePrey 2still hasn’t been confirmed, it sounds like 20th Century Studios has the wheels turning on multiplePredatorprojects. In a June 2024Deadlinefeature, it was reported that whileBadlandswas up next, aPreysequel was in early development with Amber Midthunder potentially returning. Indeed,Prey’smid-credits stinger suggested Naru’s battle was far from over, and her defeat of the Feral Predator would likely make her a subject of curiosity for the clan.
AssumingPrey 2comes together, another question is whether it will go direct to streaming or theaters. It was considered a huge mistake on Disney’s part to bypass a cinema release in favor of making the film a Hulu exclusive, especially considering the praisePreyreceived. A sequel would need to feel like a bigger event - and a wide release in theaters is the best way to make that happen.
While Arnold Schwarzenegger has yet to reprisePredator’sDutch for a live-action sequel, he voiced the role for the 2020 video gamePredator: Hunting Grounds.
Predator: Badlands
Cast
Predator: Badlands is a science fiction film set for release in 2025, building on the longstanding Predator franchise.
Prey 2
Prey 2 is the sequel to the 2022 Predator franchise prequel written and directed by Dan Trachtenberg. Details on the film remain unknown. Still, it is expected that Amber Midthunder will reprise her role as Naru - the first time the franchise has ever returned to a prior character as the protagonist.
