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

The best thing about PreyPredator: The Last Film in the Predator Franchise is the film that finally delivers one piece of information about the alien hunters. The film, coming straight to Hulu on Aug. 5, reveals that they’ve been stalking humans for centuries. This film is set in 1719. Prey shows what may be the first time a Predator came to Earth, and given the much earlier time frame, this Predator looks very different from any we’ve seen before.

In keeping with 1987’s Predator And its numerous sequels and spinoffs. PreyThe creature takes time to reveal itself. But when it does, the Predator’s new design is striking. Dane DiLiegro, an actor, gives the alien a sleek, unarmored appearance. A skull mask is a nod to the original faceplate. The Alien displays relentless physicality and skill. It’s thrilling to watch, and to watch out for.

“It was exciting to tell a story that’s set 300 years in the past, but it was challenging to develop a creature that would feel at once older, but also far more advanced,” director Dan Trachtenberg told Polygon. “I wanted it to feel much more like an alien creature than ever before, much more feral, ferocious, primal, and be less armored. So then all the technological advances needed to be through its arsenal, through its weaponry.”

Photograph by 20th Century Studios

As a result, Predator 2 features a large array of weaponry, including some that fans may be familiar with, as well as riffing on old gear from past films. There are some new twists and turns. Working with acclaimed visual effects house studioADI, Trachtenberg and the crew developed the new creature’s look and gear in the hopes of designing a Predator that was familiar, yet still “really scary.”

“We wanted to change it more than it’s ever been changed before so it could be a new sight, a new thrill, even for diehard fans of the franchise,” Trachtenberg said. “I think we struck the right balance. We had an amazing team of visual effects artists who helped to augment the suit so it felt like a living thing in critical moments. So that it never felt like it was limited by movie physics, you know that it can always feel the way it should feel like as an alien creature.”

PreyHulu streaming will begin Friday, August 5th.