Why Prey’s new Predator looks even more alien than before

One of the most exciting things about prey, the latest film in the Predator franchise, is how it finally delivers one of the few backstories we have about the alien hunter race. The film, coming direct to Hulu on August 5, reveals that they’ve haunted people for centuries. Set in 1719, prey shows what could be the first time a Predator has come to earth, and given the much earlier time frame, this Predator looks very different from any we’ve seen before.

Appropriate for the 1987s predator and its many sequels and spinoffs, prey takes a while to get a good look at the creature. But if it does, the Predator’s new design catches the eye. Lean and unarmored save for a skull mask in homage to the iconic faceplate, actor Dane DiLiegro’s Alien is imbued with relentless and dexterous physicality. It’s exciting to watch and pay attention to.

“It was exciting to tell a story set 300 years in the past, but it was challenging to create a creature that felt both older and more advanced at the same time,” director Dan Trachtenberg told Polygon. “I wanted it to feel a lot more like an alien creature than ever before, a lot wilder, wilder, more primal and less armored. So all technological advances had to come through his arsenal, through his weapons.”

Photo: 20th Century Studios

To that end, the new Predator showcases an extensive array of weapons throughout the film, many of which will be familiar to fans as they are based on classic gear from previous films. There are also a few new surprises. Working with acclaimed visual effects studio ADI, Trachtenberg and crew developed the new creature’s look and gear in hopes of designing a Predator that’s familiar, yet “really scary.”

“More than ever, we wanted to change it so that it would be a new sight, a new thrill, even for die-hard fans of the franchise,” Trachtenberg said. “I think we found the right balance. And then we had a team of incredible visual effects artists to help expand the suit so that it could always feel like a living, breathing thing at key moments. So that it never felt like it was constrained by movie physics, you know it can always feel like how it should feel as an alien creature.”

prey will be available to stream on Hulu on Friday, August 5th.