New Predator film Prey is quite unlike any previous entry in the action franchise.
Not only does the action take place more than 300 years in the past – in 1719, to be precise – but it also occurs in an entirely different setting: the Native American Comanche Nation.
Across all aspects of production, attempts were made to ensure the film was as detailed and accurate as possible, and this extended to choosing appropriate locations at which to film – read on for everything you need to know.
Prey locations
Prey was shot largely in the Stoney Nakoda Nation near Calgary in Alberta, Canada – with additional filming taking place at various locations in and around Calgary, including Moose Mountain and Elbow River.
According to the film’s production notes, permission was granted by Indigenous leaders to film on their ancestral lands during a private Pipe ceremony the day before filming began, with director Dan Trachtenberg, producer Jhane Myers, and cast members Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Stormee Kipp, and Stefany Mathias all participating.
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During the ceremony, Myers proclaimed, “The 20th Century Studios, the Production and our parent company Walt Disney Studios would like to acknowledge that we have gathered on the ancestral lands of the Stoney Nakoda Nation which are the Bands of the Bearspaw First Nation, the Chiniki First Nation and the Wesley First Nation.
“We acknowledge them as the First peoples of this land on which our production cast and crew community proudly works and creates.”
It’s worth noting that the entirety of the shoot was filmed in outdoor locations using only natural light, something which Trachtenberg felt was especially vital in creating the film’s unique mood.
“I think every place in the world has its own quality of light, and Calgary just looked phenomenal,” he says in the production notes. “There are not too many places in the world that have a special physical setting and a quality of light that is incredibly special, too.
“Shooting in Calgary not only gave us incredibly grand landscapes, but also a very special long-lasting golden hour. We could shoot a lot of the movie to feel like dawn or dusk; even its broad sunlight looks unlike any other place in the world.”
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Meanwhile, producer Jhane Myers exclusively told RadioTimes.com, “The locations were beautiful because even though this is a movie that was headed for streaming with Disney Plus and Hulu, it was still shot in the big cinematic style.
“And I think that’s really important, because we didn’t have a small budget, we didn’t scrimp on budget, we did shoot on these beautiful locations just to add the beauty to the film.
Myers’s own expertise – she is Comanche herself – also came in very handy in terms of making sure the locations used were accurate.
“The Comanches – we’re nomadic,” she explained. “So that’s why it takes place in the Great Plains, and we’re a horse culture, so you can see that and you can see that in the camps where we have horses.
“When I originally saw the first script, there were no horses in it. And I said, ‘You can’t have Comanches without horses!’ So that’s where that came in!”
Prey is available on Disney Plus from Friday 5th August 2022 – sign up to Disney Plus for £7.99 a month or £79.90 a year now. Check out more of our Movies coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.
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