The last couple of years has seen many of the major horror franchises return to the blood-soaked limelight in a big way. Halloween, Scream, Hellraiser, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre just to name a few. However, if there was a comeback player of the year award for the genre it would go to the Predator prequel Prey which released late last year on Hulu. The Amber Midthunder-led horror epic single-handedly rescued the Predator franchise. A franchise that was left for dead thanks to 20th Century’s forgettable first attempt at a series reboot in 2018. Now, the king of horror action figures NECA have unveiled their new Feral Predator figure based on the famous movie monster’s appearance in Prey.The 7-inch Ultimate Feral Predator beautifully shows off what makes this version of this unstoppable beast so unique when compared to the rest of the franchise. The skull mask is the biggest difference as this prequel was set 300 years prior to the events of the original 1987 film. The Yautja race was still leaps ahead of Earth's technology, but Prey gave the filmmakers a chance to show fans what the franchise’s classic weapon looked like in the 18th century. This includes the wrist blades, combistick, laser discs, and wire net. All these weapons minus the latter are included with the figure along with a shield, multiple daggers, and a spear gun. The figure will also feature a number of interchangeable hands and the skull mask is removable. This means we get to see the Predator’s ugly face in all its glory with the wonderful additions of interchangeable mouthpieces. The figure truly stuns and captures the menacing physicality that Dane DiLiegro amazingly brought to the role.
What’s Prey About?
After a slew of questionable sequels, Prey took the story back to the series’ basic “man vs nature” horror that made the original a genre classic. Again, fans were transported to 1719 America and followed Naru (Midthunder) who was an inspiring warrior that wanted more than her tribe would allow her to be. However, that all changed when a mysterious fire came crashing down to Earth, marking the Predators’ arrival, which forced Naru to prove her worth and survive.
To say Prey was one of the best horror films of 2022 would be a massive disservice to its brilliance. From Midthunder’s jaw dropping performance to Dan Trachtenberg stunning direction to Sarah Schachner emotionally rich musical score, this was the bloody return Predator fans have always dreamed of. Especially, after the box office flop of its 2018 predecessor. Even if you’re not a diehard Predator fan, the thrilling action and character driven story kept audiences on the edge of their seats' til the credits rolled. It was also just a great film for representation with Comanche history being at the heart of this meaty coming-of-age horror tale. The cast even redubbed the entire film in Comanche. That’s one of the many reasons why it's a shame Prey only got a streaming release. It deserved a theatrical release and physical media fans are still anxiously waiting for a Blu-ray release that will sadly probably never happen.
Prey is Streaming Now
Prey is streaming on Hulu. While Predator and horror fans wait for a Prey sequel, you can view NECA’s Feral Predator preview images, along with Prey’s trailer, down below. The figure will be shipping in September 2023. You can find more information about the Feral Predator on their website. Hopefully, this is just the beginning of NECA's Prey love, and we get Naru figure soon.