Dan Trachtenberg’s 2022 film Prey successfully revitalized the Predator franchise by shifting the setting to the early 1700s. Following the critical failure of 2018's The Predator, the prequel achieved a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and paved the way for new theatrical releases.
From Robert Rodriguez’s 1994 pitch to the 2009 revival
The journey to the modern success of the Predator brand was marked by decades of development hell. As the report notes, screenwriters John and Jim Thomas originally envisioned the 1987 original as a project titled Hunter, which eventually evolved into the iconic showdown between Arnold Schwarzenegger's character, Dutch, and the alien played by Kevin Peter Hall.
Following the success of the original and Predator 2, the franchise struggled to find its footing. Robert Rodriguez had conceived a story treatment as early as 1994, but budget concerns prevented production for years. While Nimród Antal eventually directed the 2009 film Predators, the series once again fell into a period of dormancy, leaving the IP in a state of uncertainty for nearly a decade.
The $51 million domestic failure of Shane Black’s 'The Predator'
Before the franchise found its footing on streaming, it suffered a significant blow in traditional theaters. The 2018 release of The Predator, written by Fred Dekker and directed by Shane Black, failed to capture the magic of the original series. According to the source, the film earned only $51 million domestically and languished with a disappointing 34% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
This era of the franchise was defined by a lack of critical and commercial momentum. The failure of Black's entry suggested that the Predator brand might have reached its expiration date, especially after the series had already seen several iterations that failed to resonate with a modern audience.
Dan Trachtenberg’s 94% Rotten Tomatoes pivot to the 1700s
The revitalization of the series came from an unexpected direction: a streaming-first prequel. Although 20th Century Fox originally intended for Prey to have a major theatrical release, the Disney acquisition shifted the film to Hulu. Director Dan Trachtenberg took a creative risk by setting the story 300 years before the first film, utilizing a primitive 1700s landscape to strip away the advanced technology that had cluttered previous sequels.
This stylistic shift proved to be a masterstroke. By focusing on a raw, organic survival story, Trachtenberg achieved a 94% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This success not only restored the franchise's cultural relevance but also acted as a springboard for Predator: Badlands, which became the biggest film premiere for Hulu in four years.
The legacy of the November 2025 double feature
The renewed interest in the franchise culminated in a unique theatrical event in November 2025, where Prey was screened alongside Predator: Badlands. This double feature highlighted a franchise that has successfully transitioned from a struggling IP to a multi-format powerhouse, including the unexpected animated entry Predator: Killer of Killers.
However, several questions remain regarding the long-term direction of the series. It is still unclear if the franchise will continue to explore diverse historical eras or if it will return to the futuristic settings seen in earlier installments. Additionally,the source does not specify how the balance between live-action theatrical releases and animated projects will be maintained in future production cycles.
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