20th Century Studios deserves recognition for listening to fan demand, as not only has Prey received a physical media release — virtually unheard of for a Hulu original — but it’s an impressive one. Not only does it carry exclusive extras, but there are 4K UHD and Steelbook options to boot. (Hopefully we can convince them to do Hellraiser next!)
An audio commentary with writer-director Dan Trachtenberg, star Amber Midthunder, director of photography Jeff Cutter, and editor Angela M. Catanzaro is included alongside a making-of featurette, a FYC panel with cast and crew, and more.
Here are eight things I learned from the Prey commentary…
1. The Predator originally infiltrated the 20th Century Studios logo.
The 20th Century Studios opening title card originally featured Predator’s laser target and the logo went invisible like the creature’s cloaking mechanism as the fanfare dropped out.
“We fought for it, and then they gave it to us,” Trachtenberg reveals. “And then at the last second we added the prayer, the beginning of telling the story in Comanche, and it felt like the tone was more serious. It felt good. The cloaking felt too genre, like ‘Tune in for Predator!’ when actually we were saying this movie is doing more things.”
2. The opening scene was different in the script.
Rather than opening with Naru awakening, the script began with a sequence that would establish a theme of the movie.
“It originally started on an opening shot of a bug that got eaten by a fish, and the fish got picked up by a hawk, and the hawk was shot down [by the Predator],” Trachtenberg divulges.
That sequence begat a similar one moments later, with an ant being eaten by mouse, the mouse being eaten by a snake, and the snake being killed by the Predator.
“This was born out of the original opening of the movie, where we sort of do this chain of the natural world that the Predator comes in looking for the alpha. It became better suited tracking the Predator alongside Naru, putting the sequence in the middle, and then making it all more menacing.”
3. The film’s composer was found by playing video games.
Trachtenberg discovered composer Sarah Schachner through a video game:
“I was playing Assassin’s Creed Valhalla while we were prepping the movie, and I was like, ‘God, this music’s beautiful. Who did this?’ And I saw Sarah’s name and wasn’t familiar with it. I did a little bit of a dive on her and found other games she had scored that I loved, and she was incredible.
We had temp scored the whole movie with very modern, atmospheric, droney, brooding. A lot of Sicario score was used. I loved the idea of doing a movie set in a time period where the music didn’t necessarily always reflect the music you expect to hear in that time period. But that sequence where she sets out, we had temped with Maleficent or Snow White and the Huntsman; you know, really big fantasy.”
He continues, “Sarah found a way to have a score for this movie that oftentimes was more modern and not what you’d expect, but then these movies that were ginormous and heavy and inspiring and all those things.”
4. A thermal camera was used to achieve the Predator’s vision.
Although technology has advanced considerably since the original Predator, Prey utilized a thermal camera to show Predator’s point-of-view, just like the original production.
“We actually shot with a real thermal camera, like the original Predator, so that we wanted to have that as much in-camera as possible,” Cutter notes. “Although we did have the same problems they had, which is if it was too hot, everything would be red and yellow.”
“The production of this movie disproves the way that the Predator works,” Trachtenberg adds. “As we learned when we were shooting, when you put on the thermal vision, everything is hot, because we’re outside and the hot sun is baking the ground.”
5. Prey features a bloody nod to the original Predator.
Although Prey is set long before the events of 1987’s Predator, Trachtenberg inserted a subtle reference to the original: the way the French fur trappers cut Taabe is a nod to Sonny Landham’s character cutting his chest in Predator.
“This cut that happens is precisely how Billy in the original Predator cuts himself across the chest. That was by design. That is the exact angle,” Trachtenberg proudly beams.
6. Prey has film and video games homages.
Beyond the Predator franchise, Trachtenberg paid homage to other films and video games with Prey.
When the Predator types on its wrist gauntlet, it corresponds with the Close Encounters of the Third Kind theme.
The Predator’s retractable shield is “a direct lift from the video game God of War, that also is a favorite of mine that I was playing before making the movie,” the director admits.
7. Glow stick fluid was used for some of the Predator’s blood.
There were at least three different versions of the Predator’s fluorescent green blood: pure glow stick fluid was applied to objects but could not touch human skin, a diluted glow stick mixture was used on the Predator suit but would eventually eat through it, and a nontoxic alternative was developed for human skin.
“It all was a substance that was specifically designed to be enhanced,” says Trachtenberg, referring to digital augmentation.
8. Midthunder’s whistle was mimed due to a cultural belief.
Naru’s whistle to the Predator during the finale was an idea from Comanche producer Jhane Myers, but the sound effect was added in post-production due to cultural beliefs.
Midthunder explains, “As part of [Trachtenberg’s] wanting to always be open to ideas and especially putting in as much culture as possible, [Myers] had said, ‘Well, what if we do a whistle in the scene right before the Predator comes because she’s calling it in?’ And also she kind of, at this point, has nothing to lose. She wants it to come to her.”
“And you perform it in a way, if you didn’t know that fact, it just feels badass, but if you know it, it’s a whole nother gear,” Trachtenberg interjects.
As Midthunder elucidates, “Different Plains tribes believe if you whistle at night you’re calling bad things or calling spirits, and it’s not a good thing” Since they were actually shooting outside at night, Midthunder declined to whistle. “I was not gonna do that,” she laughs. “So I just made my lips look like I was whistling and then you guys put in a different whistle later.”
Prey is available now on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD.
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