Although 2022’s prequelPreywas a standalone success, the same thing that made thePredatormovie work also ironically caused a big issue for the series going forward.ThePredatorfranchisehas never really known how to expand on the original 1987 movie’s story.Predatoris a perfect standalone story but, unlike 1979’sAlien, the original movie doesn’t establish much lore that could be expanded upon by subsequent sequels. 1990’sPredator 2transplanted the action to Los Angeles for a flawed but fun follow-up, while 2004’sAlien Vs Predatorwas a misfire for both franchises.
Why Alien Vs. Predator 3 Never Happened (Despite AVPR’s Success)
Even though Aliens Vs Predator: Requiem was a financial success, Alien Vs Predator 3’s ambitious Alien prequel plans eventually fell through.
While the original remains thebest movie in thePredatorfranchise, 2010’sPredatorsand 2018’sThe Predatortook opposing approaches to fixing the series. The former was set on an alien planet while the latter returned to Earth, this time landing the Predator in suburbia. While not outright terrible, neither movie could recapture the simple joys of the original. That task fell to 2022’sPrey, a prequel that was set in the Northern Great Plains in 1719. Directed by10 Cloverfield Lane’s Dan Trachtenberg,Preyfollowed Amber Midthunder’s Naru as she battled the franchise’s famous monster.
Prey’s Standalone Approach Made A Sequel Very Difficult
Prey’s Satisfying Ending Doesn’t Necessarily Invite A Sequel
Preywas by far the bestPredatorfollowup in the franchise’s history, as the prequel was the first movie to do something new with the series that still recaptured the original movie’s appeal.Predator 2’s urban setting gave it a much bigger cast, thus making the story far less tense and self-contained.Predatorschanging its setting to an alien planet expanded the franchise’s world, but this made it feel more like aRiddickmovie than a directPredatorsequel. Meanwhile,The Predator’s convoluted story owed little to the stripped-back simplicity of 1987’s original hit, unlike the intensePrey.
However, the same quality thatmadePrey’s ending perfectmade the movie a problem for the series as a whole.Preywas a simple, satisfying standalone adventure with a beginning, middle, and end, much like 1987’s original Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle.Prey’s end credits included a fun sequel tease, but nothing about the movie demanded a sequel. If anything, Naru’s story was so perfectly self-contained that a sequel seemed unnecessary. This means that, althoughPreyreignited interest in the series, the prequel ironically left thePredatormovies with no way to build on its success.
Predator Is Moving Forward With Another Standalone Film
Predator: Badlands Takes A Completely Different Approach
Preyintroduced the concept of placing the Predator in different settings in subsequent new movies, which was an exciting way to make the franchise feel vital once more.The upcoming sequelPredator: Badlands, starring Elle Fanning, seems to be following this approach. Not a lot is known about this mysterious follow-up, but one thing that does appear to be clear is its time period. UnlikePrey, this standalone franchise outing will seemingly be set in the future. This means thatBadlandscan bring back the technology and weaponry that madePredatorsexciting, but it also poses a problem.
ThePredatorseries can continue to make standalone outings set in various time periods.
IfPredator: Badlandsproves as successful asPreythen, like the 2022 prequel, the outing is likely to spawn demand for a follow-up. ThePredatorseries can continue to make standalone outings set in various time periods, but each of these is likely to leave viewers wanting more and, paradoxically, none of them are necessarily likely to facilitate sequels. It is understandable that viewers wanted aPreysequel after the prequel’s exciting action, and the same may prove true if Trachtenberg’s nextPredatorouting is equally enjoyable. The broader problem is that these standalone stories don’t set up sequels.
Why Prey 2 Should Happen (Regardless Of Predator Badlands)
Prey 2 Is Too Good An Opportunity To Waste
Prey 2should happen even thoughPreydidn’t set up a sequel, since the opportunity is too good to waste and this could set up a new norm for the franchise.Prey 2’s storycould bring back Naru as a supporting character, or it could pick up on her community’s story years later as the franchise’s monster returns to hunt once again. Either way, this would establish that the series can come back to time periods explored in earlier outings. This would bode well forBadlandsand subsequent movies, allowing the series to expand while still updating its best stories on occasion.
Preyfelt like a fresh start for the series, but it still wouldn’t exist without the originalPredator. Similarly,Prey 2could be an entirely original story that builds on the world of its predecessor while offering viewers something unique and new. This would mean that, as movies likePreyandBadlandstell new, standalone stories in the franchise’s fictional universe,Predatorfans could rest easy knowing that these movies were still able to receive potential follow-ups of their own.
