Prey, the prequel to the Predator films, has finally landed on Hulu. Many fans are heaping praise upon the film, calling it a true follow-up to the classic Arnold Schwarzenegger film from 1987. This includes fans who actually starred in the first movie, namely Jesse Ventura.
The former WWE superstar, Minnesota governor and eclectic political talking head took a moment from saying he might run for president under Andrew Yang’s new party to praise Prey, actress Amber Midthunder and director Dan Trachtenberg on social media for the film.
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“[Prey] Great, great, film. [Amber Midthunder] you definitely ain’t got time to bleed. Welcome to the Predator family,” Ventura wrote on social media. “[Dan Trachtenberg] Thank you for making a such a thoughtful, creative, and wonderful film.”
Trachtenberg, Midthunder and new Predator actor Dan DiLiegro both responded to Ventura’s message with their thanks. “Im on the floor. Thank you sir! Thanks for watching and so glad you appreciated what we did!!” the director wrote. DiLiegro only dropped a few graph emojis, but did earn a response from Ventura.
“It is not an easy task following the late great Kevin Peter Hall’s performance as the Predator,” Ventura wrote. “My hat off to you. Fantastic job.”
Short of Carl Weathers or Schwarzenegger, this is the highest praise you can get for a new Predator film. That said, many fans are wondering why the movie was only released directly to Hulu. Given the track record of the sequels since 1987, you can understand the hesitancy from fans. But given the positive response from audiences, it is surprising that the movie is relegated only to streaming.
One report making its way around online is that Hulu became the destination due to an existing deal where HBO Max would receive the streaming rights after the film left theaters. Disney, having bought Fox and its properties, wanted it to stay in their camp allegedly, so it went straight to Hulu.
While this is disappointing for fans who are dying for good reasons to go back to theaters, it is also bound to reach a larger audience on Hulu. Much like Predator 2, it is a movie that delivers on the possibilities laid out in the comics. It also pulls from the sequel’s conclusion to show the history of the alien hunters and their time on Earth.
