After four installments and two crossovers of wildly varying quality, it wouldn’t be unfair to suggest that there weren’t many people out there crying for Predator to be rebooted yet again, especially with Disney at the helm. Fortunately, Dan Trachtenberg has experience in being offered stagnant IP, and he proved himself up to the challenge and then some with Prey.
Speaking to Variety in celebration of the R-rated masterclass landing six nominations at the Primetime Emmys, the filmmaker explained that he’s used to unloved and underutilized franchises coming his way, ensuring that Prey was right up his street.
“I tend to get pulled toward properties with an established IP that isn’t already firing on all cylinders. That’s exciting to me because it’s like an underdog. I love underdog stories. I always felt like I was less equipped than those around me. I imagine many of us think that way. I consider movie IP the same way. What is the thing that no one else believes is being taken seriously? Part of the inception, unlike Prey, is what if we did this crazy thing? Then, I get sucked into that vortex.”
A brutal and blood-soaked hybrid of sci-fi horror doesn’t sound like an awards season darling, either, with Trachtenberg revealing that he wanted to change that perception by creating franchise fare that both paid tribute to its past while bringing something completely brand new to the table.
“My biggest takeaway from the nomination is how awesome it is for voters to nominate what is ostensibly Predator Part 5. Something that I always wondered growing up while idolizing John Woo, Jackie Chan, and James Cameron — Why aren’t those movies nominated for awards? Certainly, movies have broken through over the years, but it’s cool that now the movie that Jhane [Myers] and I made is one of those things.”
Audiences proved to be the real winners at the end of the day, and it surely can’t be too long before that Prey sequel we’re all waiting on finally gets officially confirmed.