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Dan Trachtenberg Talks That Predator Feel, Streaming Release, Violence. And New Prey Behind-The-Scenes Images!

There’s barely over a week left until Prey hits the home theatres on Hulu and Disney+! As that release dates draws tantalizingly closer, we’re continuing to see more interviews and articles with director Dan Trachtenberg and producer Jhan Myers to get the blood pumping in excitement! While this interview with NME doesn’t tell us much new about the upcoming film, it does come with 2 new behind-the-scenes images.

 Dan Trachtenberg Talks That Predator Feel, Streaming Release, Violence. And New Prey Behind-The-Scenes Images!

Dan also spoke to Mike Ryan at Uproxx, where he was asked about the difficulty of making a Predator sequel and how Dan wanted to retain the Predator feel without retreading the original.

I think that the challenge is giving that feeling the first one did again, without feeling like we’re just tracing that again. But it’s what inspired the redesign of the creatures. On the one hand, it had to feel undeniably Predator. But also deliver in a surprising way. The first movie was so great because you saw this cloaked being and that was already awesome, and then you saw it with the bio-mask. I assumed as a kid, when I saw it, I was like, Oh, that’s the predator. That’s the cool creature in this movie. And then at the end, you see it in its final form and you’re like, Oh no, that’s what it is?

So I really wanted this movie to also have those three stages. And to have delightful set pieces when it’s cloaked and we’re milking that for all it’s worth and then seeing it in its masked form and having fun sequences there. And then, yet again, delivering still yet one more thing up our sleeve in what it looks like in its final form. So that there’s still new iconography to add in to the franchise.

 Dan Trachtenberg Talks That Predator Feel, Streaming Release, Violence. And New Prey Behind-The-Scenes Images!

Uproxx also asked Dan Trachtenberg about the streaming release.

We made it to be a big theatrical experience and on the downside, it’s not being released that way. So you can’t see in the theater, but on the upside, the thing you’re getting straight into your living room is a giant theatrical experience. It’s not like a straight video dumping ground. It’s like, “This is a real movie.”

There’s so many venues that people want people to experience their, I hate to say the word content… They want things to feel premium. Right?

So Hulu hasn’t really had… There hasn’t been a 20th franchise baby that has come out yet. So they’re hoping to really ignite the platform to say, “We’re not just putting out the smaller, lower-budget fare. That this is also a place to have giant cinematic experiences.

The topic of the Disney merger was also brought up, and how the Prey director was concerned that it would result the film’s violence being toned down. But that wasn’t what happened.

I was terrified after the merger and then the Allens [Alan Horn and Alan Bergman] were going to take a look at the script and see… I was like, “Oh no, what if they don’t get it?” You know what? They loved it. They never said, “Cut the violence.” They never adjusted anything.

In fact, they wanted more dog, which is the one that everyone wants. Yeah, the whole impetus of the dog was to have it feel akin to The Road Warrior. That silhouette of Mad Max and that dog, we wanted to have Nadu and her dog. And they loved that and encouraged us to do more there. So it was not that they never had anything too negative to say, and loved the movie when they saw the first cut of it and wanted to make it as big as they possibly could and capitalize on making Hulu a great platform for giant movies like this.

Be sure to keep your targets set on Alien vs. Predator Galaxy for all the latest Prey news! You can also follow us on FacebookTwitterInstagram, and YouTube to get the latest on your social media walls. Be sure to join in with fellow Alien and Predator fans on our forums as well!



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  1. ace3g

    Quotedannytrs
    Verified
    The PREY sound team nominated for their guild's award. Beyond thrilled. Everyone so talented, for sure, and clever- but also great humans and boy did we have FUN doing it!! @sounddroid


    Quotedannytrs
    Verified
    Incredible concept artist @chaliyart made these for us super early on. Was a constant struggle to try to capture how this art felt.
  2. Kailem
    Quote from: Corporal Hicks on Dec 28, 2022, 09:07:11 AM
    Quote from: Kailem on Dec 27, 2022, 04:05:55 PMYeah I think whatever Marvel goes with will likely be what sticks going forward, since it feels like that's going to be the first really "high profile" AVP release post-buyout.

    Personally I hope they go retro as I've always thought that AVP 2004 logo was butt cheeks.

    I'm hoping they go with the retro logo too. There's just something exciting about seeing the logos of the respective franchises against each other like that.

    Yep. It's a crossover, embrace it! Don't try to act as though it's its own individual, separate thing (even though they did for franchising rights). The retro logo really made it feel more epic that you had these two big series battling it out against each other, and just felt way more AVP to me than the 2004 logo did.
  3. Corporal Hicks
    Quote from: Kailem on Dec 27, 2022, 04:05:55 PMYeah I think whatever Marvel goes with will likely be what sticks going forward, since it feels like that's going to be the first really "high profile" AVP release post-buyout.

    Personally I hope they go retro as I've always thought that AVP 2004 logo was butt cheeks.

    I'm hoping they go with the retro logo too. There's just something exciting about seeing the logos of the respective franchises against each other like that.
  4. Kailem
    Yeah I think whatever Marvel goes with will likely be what sticks going forward, since it feels like that's going to be the first really "high profile" AVP release post-buyout.

    Personally I hope they go retro as I've always thought that AVP 2004 logo was butt cheeks.
  5. RidgeTop
    Glad to see Prey finally getting more merch. I've been pretty into Cavity Colors stuff and am stoked for both Prey and an AVP line.

    Quote from: Kailem on Dec 26, 2022, 08:18:45 PMThe fact that the Alien vs Predator logo there is one of the older, 90's variants makes me hopeful that going forward Disney have decided to ditch the "AVP" logo the first movie introduced for any and all AVP-related stuff going forward.

    The two AVP releases under the 20th Century Studios banner have kept it, with the main change being the title of: Aliens vs. Predators.

    https://i.imgur.com/wio5owM.jpg

    Its continued use was mainly with Dark Horse. Granted the classic style logo never really went away, it was still used in media after the AVP films:

    https://i.imgur.com/CkjUAmY.jpg

    No skin off my back either way, I've always dug both. I think what Marvel does with the AVP branding could be an indicator of the future standard.
  6. Kailem
    The fact that the Alien vs Predator logo there is one of the older, 90's variants makes me hopeful that going forward Disney have decided to ditch the "AVP" logo the first movie introduced for any and all AVP-related stuff going forward.
  7. Master Chief
    Critics Choice Awards Nominee for best movie made for theaters, but Disney would rather deny audiences the theatrical release, hoping to boost Hulu subscriptions, and prevent competitors from making money off the Predator franchise.

    Too long?  ;D
  8. ace3g
    https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/318000051_2002086899983058_1273935793102260823_n.jpg?_nc_cat=1&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=5UDoaKzESBEAX-Ss_qE&tn=2SlQGFP24tYEvNDZ&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfC0605GLlcok_nxnrebYqy4MZXwgKtcxaHu8oXrjOK3BA&oe=63959D67

    https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/318505664_2002095223315559_5181299058141910735_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=gMiOEPKfscAAX-nn1fL&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCzLeic8goEcc3BaAyq2NWD0uxa6xeuigV4yF5Y0MKhqw&oe=63959ED2
  9. Kradan
    My father who was HUGE into all things Indians in his youth (so you can imagine that his opinion holds some real weight for me) finally watched Prey.

    Spoiler
    He liked it, here's his mini-review: "Indians are brilliant, Predator is scary". For me, that's the best review that movie could've got
    [close]
  10. SuperiorIronman
    The only thing that reads as dumb to me with Feral was and still is the bolt gun given it only ever worked once and only did because the guy was stationary. It's tracking feature otherwise never works as intended and I have no idea why he continued to use it other than being the only other ranged weapon he brought. It's just this oddly designed weapon that's a massive liability to use. Like nothing about this weapon is ever depicted as useful and I have no idea why he has it.

    That being said if there was ever a sequel that'd be good setup for the plasma pistol. Maybe Greyback has a similar pistol to the bolt gun, Naru thinks the same trick will work twice and it turns out the plasma pistol is literally just a space gun. No bullshit tracking feature, it just fires. Come to think of it that'd probably be the explanation for where his mask went. Naru thinks she can reflect the bolt and it blows up his mask while knocking her on her ass. Could be a funny scene. So on some level I'd accept it if it played into Greyback down the line.
  11. Engineer
    QuoteThe original rebuttal was that he wasn't dumb.
    No no, the original rebuttal was that the specific moment of when he fought the bear wasn't any dumber than a ton of other moments we've seen. But, I'll agree with this conclusion too; no, feral wasn't dumb even though a lot of people seem to think he was... (i.e., he didn't forget how his weapons worked).
    Unless you're talking about a much earlier rebuttal. But just to clarify, I was only responding to the remarks about that specific moment at this time.

    QuoteIf his particular brand of dumbness bothers people more than other comparable brands of dumbness, though, it usually means that other things aren't working for them about the film.
    This right here is EXACTLY where I was trying to get you to. I don't think feral is dumb; not at all, but he has moments that may appear so. All of the predators do, and I mean, realistically, even the most intelligent/experienced fighters/warriors/etc make mistakes in the heat of battle and that doesn't just automatically make them dumb all around. So, feral having a moment that ultimately didn't work for you... Is it really that you think he's dumber than other predators we've seen? Or is there really some other reason it's just not working for you? (Sounds to me like you don't like his characterization, which is fine; I love his characterization... just difference in tastes I suppose...)
  12. SiL
    Quote from: Mr.Turok on Oct 28, 2022, 04:20:28 PMAm I the only one who understands with the name Feral has, he's just the type of Predator that is willing to go in, balls out, in combat compared to the stealthier tactics some of his counterparts had used? Things that we seen in regular human characters in other media, either hero or villainous characters. Keeping on the theme of brute force vs calculating intelligence, what is true strength?
    I'm pretty sure everyone in the conversation understands that.
  13. Mr.Turok
    Am I the only one who understands with the name Feral has, he's just the type of Predator that is willing to go in, balls out, in combat compared to the stealthier tactics some of his counterparts had used? Things that we seen in regular human characters in other media, either hero or villainous characters. Keeping on the theme of brute force vs calculating intelligence, what is true strength?
  14. SiL
    The original rebuttal was that he wasn't dumb.

    He was. And that's fine. Characters can be dumb. Villains can be dumb.

    If his particular brand of dumbness bothers people more than other comparable brands of dumbness, though, it usually means that other things aren't working for them about the film.

    We're all willing to overlook "problems" if other things appeal to us and make what we don't like seem minor in comparison. The number of people who think Wolf is the ultimate badass is testament to that.

    It's when we don't accept those problems that we need to step back and look at the broader picture to ask why.
  15. Engineer
    Quote from: SiL on Oct 28, 2022, 07:28:01 AM
    Quote from: Engineer on Oct 28, 2022, 07:25:46 AMWell, for someone stressing that it's "everything together" now, ya sure did seem to zero in on the bear fight pretty specifically lol
    Because that was a specific point for a specific conversation; I never said that was the entirety of what I thought of the movie.
    Fair, and the rebuttal still being that, that specific moment wasn't any dumber or smarter than a dozen other moments we've seen with a dozen other predators.
  16. Engineer
    Quote from: SiL on Oct 28, 2022, 07:14:18 AM
    Quote from: Engineer on Oct 28, 2022, 06:18:43 AMSo, because you didn't like the characterization of feral you think he's got no personality?
    I said "more" personality. Jason has a bit of personality depending on the film -- not a whole lot, but some. More importantly, though, I also mentioned more things than just "personality".

    I really really must stress; it's everything together. If we look at any single thing in isolation, there's nothing Feral does that other Predators don't. I know that very well. There's no argument there.

    But that's missing the forest for the trees.

    City Hunter is very different to Jungle Hunter. Totally different attack styles. New gadgets. Different vibe. Different face, different colouration, even a different voice.

    But he still feels like a Predator. There's enough other returning elements -- thanks to returning writers, lead actors, and creature team -- to anchor him as that character. The netting is there, the aesthetic is there, the facial structure is there, etc. etc.

    Even Wolf, for all of his many, many shortcomings, feels very much like a Predator. An inept, incompetent one, but still.

    I've said it before; there's a lot of leeway with Predators. They're all individuals. But I feel Trachtenberg tweaked too many things at the one time when creating his. It's a death of a thousand cuts; no single thing really ruins it, but the whole doesn't mesh together like it should for me.

    Well, for someone stressing that it's "everything together" now, ya sure did seem to zero in on the bear fight pretty specifically lol

    And sure, feral is different from the other preds in a lot of ways, which is exactly why he has more personality (and individuality) than most of the rest. Or, at the very least, his personality and other characteristics were unique enough to make him stand out from the crowd, so to speak. But he was still recognizable as a predator.
    (And sorry, but agree to disagree on wolf lol I probably feel the same way about wolf and the other AVP preds as you do about feral).
  17. SiL
    Quote from: Engineer on Oct 28, 2022, 06:18:43 AMSo, because you didn't like the characterization of feral you think he's got no personality?
    I said "more" personality. Jason has a bit of personality depending on the film -- not a whole lot, but some. More importantly, though, I also mentioned more things than just "personality".

    I really really must stress; it's everything together. If we look at any single thing in isolation, there's nothing Feral does that other Predators don't. I know that very well. There's no argument there.

    But that's missing the forest for the trees.

    City Hunter is very different to Jungle Hunter. Totally different attack styles. New gadgets. Different vibe. Different face, different colouration, even a different voice.

    But he still feels like a Predator. There's enough other returning elements -- thanks to returning writers, lead actors, and creature team -- to anchor him as that character. The netting is there, the aesthetic is there, the facial structure is there, etc. etc.

    Even Wolf, for all of his many, many shortcomings, feels very much like a Predator. An inept, incompetent one, but still.

    I've said it before; there's a lot of leeway with Predators. They're all individuals. But I feel Trachtenberg tweaked too many things at the one time when creating his. It's a death of a thousand cuts; no single thing really ruins it, but the whole doesn't mesh together like it should for me.
  18. Engineer
    Quote from: SiL on Oct 28, 2022, 06:07:41 AM
    Quote from: Engineer on Oct 28, 2022, 06:00:04 AMKnowing jerry and Leona are on the train? Yes. But he's still going in blind and has no idea what else is there lol
    Except all those civilians and gangbangers who probably got on at the same time.

    QuoteThe predators, all of them, were basically Jason voorhees with a cloaking device.
    Not in the least. Some of them from Predators, maybe. Chopper, sure. Jungle Hunter, City Hunter, Scar -- shit, even Wolf, all showed more personality, emotion, vulnerability and brains than Jason. Even before he died Jason was a lumbering zombie of violent rage with not much else behind the mask (well, after the second movie).

    Yea he knew about everyone else getting on the train at the same time but still clueless about who or what was already on the train. Still blind; still dumb and not tactical at all. Just running in to slaughter a bunch of unsuspecting people, very Jason-like imo

    So, because you didn't like the characterization of feral you think he's got no personality? Weird. I thought he had more personality than we've seen in a predator since P2, because he did spend more time hunting... well, those super preds did a fair amount of hunting too, but feral still sticks out to me over them...
  19. SiL
    Quote from: Engineer on Oct 28, 2022, 06:00:04 AMKnowing jerry and Leona are on the train? Yes. But he's still going in blind and has no idea what else is there lol
    Except all those civilians and gangbangers who probably got on at the same time.

    QuoteThe predators, all of them, were basically Jason voorhees with a cloaking device.
    Not in the least. Some of them from Predators, maybe. Chopper, sure. Jungle Hunter, City Hunter, Scar -- shit, even Wolf, all showed more personality, emotion, vulnerability and brains than Jason. Even before he died Jason was a lumbering zombie of violent rage with not much else behind the mask (well, after the second movie).
  20. Engineer
    Quote from: SiL on Oct 28, 2022, 05:43:28 AM
    Quote from: Engineer on Oct 28, 2022, 05:40:15 AMBut that seems to be your biggest gripe with this particular movie... that feral was dumb.
    No, my problem is that he comes across as Jason Voorhees with a cloaking device because of the totality of his characterisation, not any single thing.

    QuoteBut, his actions aren't any dumber than literally any other predator at some point in their respective films; do you have the same gripes about those films?
    Ever heard me talk about AvPR?

    QuoteSo if you're ok with something like city hunter going into a room full of armed people blind, why is that ok but feral fighting a bear is not?
    City Hunter jumping into rooms and hacking people to pieces is actually something I never particularly liked about the sequel. I prefer the original movie and the whole, y'know, hunting thing. The mass slaughter approach never really appealed.


    Quote from: Engineer on Oct 28, 2022, 05:40:15 AMBut he can't see what's inside before he drops in lol that's not tactical or smart at all no matter how much experience you have with humans lol
    He's actively hunting Harrigan's crew. If he knows they're in the subway he probably saw them -- and the other passengers -- get on board.

    Knowing jerry and Leona are on the train? Yes. But he's still going in blind and has no idea what else is there lol

    Nope. Never seen you talk about avpr but meh that's a shit movie all around and one I typically ignore anyway.

    I prefer the original predator too. But JH still did some dumb things too. And mass slaughter, you just don't see it on screen (Jim hopper's entire team was strung up right there together after a nearby firefight shooting in all directions; sounds like JH just went in and mass slaughtered a bunch of people to me).

    The predators, all of them, were basically Jason voorhees with a cloaking device. JH was personally my favorite... but feral did more, y' know, hunting, than CH and several of the others... the amount of hunting he did seemed pretty on par with JH to me in fact... definitely wasn't any dumber than the others either.
  21. SiL
    Quote from: Engineer on Oct 28, 2022, 05:40:15 AMBut that seems to be your biggest gripe with this particular movie... that feral was dumb.
    No, my problem is that he comes across as Jason Voorhees with a cloaking device because of the totality of his characterisation, not any single thing.

    QuoteBut, his actions aren't any dumber than literally any other predator at some point in their respective films; do you have the same gripes about those films?
    Ever heard me talk about AvPR?

    QuoteSo if you're ok with something like city hunter going into a room full of armed people blind, why is that ok but feral fighting a bear is not?
    City Hunter jumping into rooms and hacking people to pieces is actually something I never particularly liked about the sequel. I prefer the original movie and the whole, y'know, hunting thing. The mass slaughter approach never really appealed.


    Quote from: Engineer on Oct 28, 2022, 05:40:15 AMBut he can't see what's inside before he drops in lol that's not tactical or smart at all no matter how much experience you have with humans lol
    He's actively hunting Harrigan's crew. If he knows they're in the subway he probably saw them -- and the other passengers -- get on board.
  22. Engineer
    Quote from: SiL on Oct 28, 2022, 05:25:06 AM
    Quote from: Engineer on Oct 28, 2022, 05:19:04 AMWhy is it dumb that feral decided to fight a bear in CQC, but it's not dumb when any of the other predators in the past movies made equivalent decisions?
    When did I say no other Predator did anything stupid ever?

    Wolf does nothing but stupid shit.

    (I did have an earlier version of this post I revised because I remembered all of the dumb stuff that other Predators did -- but I don't see why that's relevant?)
    I'm not saying you ever said other predators never did anything dumb. But that seems to be your biggest gripe with this particular movie... that feral was dumb. But, his actions aren't any dumber than literally any other predator at some point in their respective films; do you have the same gripes about those films? If not, why?
    And it's relevant because again, feral is no dumber than any of the others. So if you're ok with something like city hunter going into a room full of armed people blind, why is that ok but feral fighting a bear is not?


    Quote from: SiL on Oct 28, 2022, 05:37:16 AMThat was my old reply but hey:

    Quote from: Engineer on Oct 28, 2022, 05:34:25 AMI really don't see any difference. I'll go back to city hunter again. He dropped into a train having no idea who or what was inside.
    I'd say he knew there were humans inside because he's been on Earth before and knows that dropping down on people makes them confused and ineffective. As he had demonstrated in the movie already and would do again.

    If the characterisation of City Hunter was "He's never been to Earth before" then I would say he was as dumb as Feral, yes.
    But he can't see what's inside before he drops in lol that's not tactical or smart at all no matter how much experience you have with humans lol
  23. SiL
    That was my old reply but hey:

    Quote from: Engineer on Oct 28, 2022, 05:34:25 AMI really don't see any difference. I'll go back to city hunter again. He dropped into a train having no idea who or what was inside.
    I'd say he knew there were humans inside because he's been on Earth before and knows that dropping down on people makes them confused and ineffective. As he had demonstrated in the movie already and would do again.

    If the characterisation of City Hunter was "He's never been to Earth before" then I would say he was as dumb as Feral, yes.
  24. Engineer
    Quote from: SiL on Oct 28, 2022, 05:23:14 AMThe Predators in past movies had hunted on Earth before and knew what they were dealing with. We can consider their risks calculated.

    This is supposed to be Feral's first time on Earth and he throws hands with something almost twice his size he's never seen before.

    There is a very clear difference.

    First time on earth doesn't mean he's completely ignorant about the creatures here. You want a reasonable head-canon explanation? He had a mentor who came to earth before him and told him all about the bears lol

    I really don't see any difference. I'll go back to city hunter again. He dropped into a train having no idea who or what was inside. Feral at least could see what he was about to go toe-to-toe with, But somehow he's still dumber than city hunter? Or dropping in on the Colombians, several of them, armed to the teeth with military grade weapons; clearly a more dangerous situation to just drop in on than facing off with a bear... doesn't matter how many times city hunter had been to earth, he still went into those situations haphazardly, and completely blind in the case of the train.  Yet none of that was dumb? Why was city hunter so confident he'd win those fights?
  25. SiL
    Quote from: Engineer on Oct 28, 2022, 05:19:04 AMWhy is it dumb that feral decided to fight a bear in CQC, but it's not dumb when any of the other predators in the past movies made equivalent decisions?
    When did I say no other Predator did anything stupid ever?

    Wolf does nothing but stupid shit.

    (I did have an earlier version of this post I revised because I remembered all of the dumb stuff that other Predators did -- but I don't see why that's relevant?)
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