Prey Easter Eggs And References

I​t seems like since the original Predator, fans haven’t been happy with the subsequent films. Some complained that Danny Glover was a poor substitute for Arnold in part 2. Same with Adrian Brody in Predators, even though he bulked up for the role to a crazy level. Then for The Predator, the studio didn’t seem like it could keep from meddling in that film. Then word came out that a new Predator movie was on the horizon that explored the idea of the famous hunters coming to Earth centuries before Arnold ever laid eyes on them.

Some fans complained that the idea of Native Americans fighting an advanced alien race with bows and arrows made no sense. They forgot how the original film ended. P​rey is now streaming on Hulu, and even though it takes place in 1719, there is still plenty that connects it to the Predator movies we know and love. Let’s look at all the easter eggs and references in Prey.

W​arning!!! There will be spoilers for Prey. You’ve been warned!!!!

F​eral Predator

T​he Predator in this film looks a lot different from the ones we have seen in previous films. Its body is slimmed down compared to previous versions that we’ve seen. Director Dan Trachtenberg said he wanted a creature with a slimmer frame. The earlier ones had bigger heads and bulkier bodies. He said that it created a bobblehead kind of effect. This was mainly due to the number of motors and electronics that had to be fit into the headpiece. With today’s technology, it requires fewer electronics in the suit. He compared the creature to having more of a swimmer’s body. Still really athletic, but less muscle mass is needed for this version. Also, it’s believed there’re different races and tribes of the Yautja (what the Predator species is called), which would lead to different-looking versions. This was touched on in various comics and even in Predators and The Predator.

F​ace Mask

O​ne of the significant changes to the Predator in this film is his armor. It’s more stripped down from what we’ve seen in the past. The biggest change has to be the face mask. In all previous films, we’re used to seeing the metal mask that hides the Predator’s face until something happens, causing them to take it off. The mask gives the creature a futuristic look and leans heavily on their use of tech to hunt. Here the usual mask has been replaced by a skull. We have seen the creatures take trophies from their kills before. In Predator 2, we saw a big wall display of all the creatures they had killed. This included a Xenomorph skull which set fans ablaze at the idea that we could see an Aliens vs. Predator movie. They would have to wait a while.

I​n Prey the filmmakers decided to switch it up and use their trophies as part of their armor. It uses the skull of an earlier kill as its face mask while adding in a few cybernetic enhancements. We still get to see that the Predator tracks by heat vision, and it still has laser-guided projectiles. Although they have gone from laser cannons to metal arrows. This trimmed-down tech helps it fit better in with the time and gives us something new to experience.

I​f It Bleeds, We Can Kill It

D​uring one scene in Prey, Naru and Taabe are tied to a tree by French fur traders as bait to lure the creature out. As they discuss the Predator, Naru says she doesn’t think it can be killed. Taabe responds with the same idea that Arnold Schwarzenegger would come to a couple of hundred years later. “If it bleeds, we can kill it.” This is a very quotable line from the first film and is reused here to tie it back to the original. A fun Prey easter egg that homages the original film.

C​omanche Nation

T​he characters in this film are from the Comanche tribe. In the original film, Billy was a Native American descended from the Comanche. This film now helps to retroactively show why he is apprehensive of the creature. Tales of his tribe’s interactions with the Yautja would be passed down from generation to generation. At the end of Prey, Naru defeats the Predator, but during the end credits, animated drawings show more Yautja ships approaching the tribe, meaning they would have dealt with them on a regular basis. Whether as honorable hunters who shared commendations with the tribe after one of their own bested one of their hunters, or as adversaries. They could have come to test their skills against this newly discovered competitor.

M​issing Battle

D​irector Dan Trachtenberg was recently on the podcast The Kingcast, where he talked about the Stephen King story The Raft, adapted in Creepshow 2. During the discussion of Prey, he explained where the idea for the film came from. When he was younger, he wasn’t allowed to watch the original movie as his parents thought it was too violent for him. When all the kids in his karate class talked about it, they explained the scene where Billy steps out to battle the Predator. They described this incredible scene where he cut his chest so the scent of blood would bring the creature. Then it was said they had this battle in front of a waterfall, and Dan was so excited to see this fight.

When he finally was able to see the film, he was sad to see that wasn’t how the scene plays out. Billy cuts his chest and is ready to battle the Predator, but in the end, it just cuts away, and we hear Billy’s scream. Wanting to see this battle is what gave Dan Trachtenberg the idea of setting the film in the past and having members of the Comanche Tribe face off against a Predator. What we get in the film is a bunch of brutal action scenes that live up to expectations.

P​redator 2 Flintlock

T​he biggest Prey easter egg that has a direct connection to the Predator films is the flintlock pistol that we see Danny Glover receive from the lead hunter in Predator 2. After the French fur traders capture Naru, they try to use her and her brother as bait for the creature. This doesn’t work, and they are able to escape from the burned-out forest and head back to the trader’s camp. Naru gets her dog back but ends up having to kill the rest of the Traders that are packing up at camp.

W​hen she turns to leave, she finds the translator has returned to camp severely injured. He agrees to show her how to use his pistol if she uses her medicine on his recently amputated leg. She agrees and ends up using the pistol in her showdown with the Predator. We get a closer look at the pistol at the end of the film. Sure enough, it’s the same pistol given to Danny Glover in Predator 2.

Engraved on the side is the same name Raphael Adolini with the year 1715. N​aru gives the pistol to the elder in her tribe. How the pistol is then given to the Yautja is yet to be seen. As mentioned before, the animated credits seemed to show that the Yautja returned to the area and interacted with the tribe once again at some point. Either way, it could set up a fun sequel.

N​otice any Prey Easter Eggs we missed? Let us know in the comments.