WhilePrey 2might not be high on thePredatorfranchise’s priority list, it is hard to complain whenPredator: BadlandsandPredator: Killer of Killersboth come from the acclaimed prequel’s director, Dan Trachtenberg. Sometimes, going back to basics is the best way to do something new.ThePredatorfranchise’s timelineis dotted with countless attempts to reinvent the series, fromPredatorsuprooting its action to an alien planet to theAlien Vs Predatormovies pitting the titular killer against another famous sci-fi villain.
As such, it was somewhat surprising when 2022’sPredatorprequelPreyopted to go back to the past for its inspiration. Set on the Great Plains in 1719,Preyfollowed Amber Midthunder’s Comanche warrior Naru as she avoided the Predator’s lethal hunt and proved herself to her tribe in the process. Coming from10 Cloverfield Lanedirector Dan Trachtenberg and arriving on Hulu without much fanfare,Preywas the bestPredatormoviesince 1987’s original Arnold Schwarzenegger movie.
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The prequel swiftly won over critics and fans alike, making the future of the series exciting for the first time in years. Understandably, viewers wanted to knowwhenPrey 2would arrive, so the continuing silence on this topic hasn’t been too reassuring. That said,I’m convinced thePredatorfranchise is in good hands thanks to 2025’s two Dan Trachtenberg movies,Predator: BadlandsandPredator: Killer of Killers. The former is a live-actionPredatormovie set in the future that will star Elle Fanning.
AfterPrey’s success, viewers were inevitably left wondering how different human warriors from different historical eras would have handled the Predator’s attacks.
The latter is an animated anthology that takes the ingenious premise ofPreyeven further. AfterPrey’s success, viewers were inevitably left wondering how different human warriors from different historical eras would have handled the Predator’s attacks.Predator: Killer of Killersincludes three stories wherein a Viking, a ninja in feudal Japan, and a World War II fighter pilot each duke it out against the franchise’s memorable monster.Predator: Killer of Killersis the movie fanshave wanted for years, offering insight into how various types of human soldiers would take on the Predator over centuries.
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In an interview withThe Hollywood Reporter, 20th Century Studios boss Steve Asbell mentioned that Trachtenberg was working on not one, but twoPredatormovies for the studio. Although Asbell did directly referencePredator: Badlands, he remained tight-lipped on the second project. Fans now know that it is the anthology moviePredator: Killer of Killers, another exciting, fresh spin on the franchise’s premise. However, not everything from this interview is unambiguously good news.
Asbell began by saying “After Prey became a success, Dan [Trachtenberg] came back and said he didn’t want to do Prey 2.” This is understandable considering how radical a departurePreywas from thePredatortemplate. Trachtenberg won over viewers not by offering more of the same but by doing something genuinely new and risky, so it would be ironic and pointless for him to follow this up with a sequel that simply rehashed the thrills ofPrey’s story. However, while thePredatorfranchise’s future is exciting,it is hard to see when, if ever,Prey 2is likely to happen.
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As noted above, Trachtenberg’s disinterest inPrey 2makes sense. The director wants to do something new and revolutionary with thePredatorfranchise just as he did withPrey, so he is working on two follow-ups that are very different from the 2022 prequel. However, plenty of viewers still want to see Midthunder’s heroine return in a futurePreysequel, and even the actor herself said that she would love to see a follow-up to the prequel while promoting her 2025 movieNovocaine.
1987
80%
1990
29%
2004
21%
2007
12%
2010
65%
2018
34%
2022
94%
For Trachtenberg,Predator: BadlandsandPredator: Killer of Killersare perfectPreyfollow-ups. One is an animated anthology exploring different eras while the other is a standalone live-action film, so both offer very different viewing experiences and fresh takes on the series. However, ofall thePredatormovies,Preyis the only one that warrants a sequel thanks to its rapturous reception.
Although Trachtenberg might not be interested in revisitingPrey’s story, there is no reason another director couldn’t be entrusted withPrey 2.
It is safe to say neither of these projects would have happened hadPreynot been so well-received, so it would be a shame for the franchise to forget its prequel while exploring new avenues. Although Trachtenberg might not be interested in revisitingPrey’s story, there is no reason another director couldn’t be entrusted withPrey 2. After all, oncePredator: BadlandsandPredator: Killer of Killersarrive, there would be no better time for thePredatorseries to revisit Naru’s story withPrey 2.
