Naman Shrestha
The fifth installment in the ‘Predator‘ franchise by Jim Thomas and John Thomas, Hulu’s ‘Prey’ is a sci-fi action movie helmed by Dan Trachtenberg that serves as a prequel to the first four movies in the popular franchise. Set 300 years ago in the Comanche Nation, the narrative follows a young, highly skilled female warrior named Naru. Since she has grown up in the shadows of some of the legendary hunters in the Great Plains, Naru uses all her skills and experience when danger knocks at her camp. To protect her people, she sets out on a mission and stalks the prey that threatens the safety of everyone in her camp.
Upon stalking and finally coming face to face with the prey, Naru discovers that it is one of the highly evolved predators with a technically advanced arsenal. This results in an epic battle and a climactic showdown between the two parties. The action-packed narrative is complemented by the brilliant performances from a talented ensemble cast, including Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Dane DiLiegro, and Stormee Kipp. Apart from the thrilling story, what might intrigue you is the setting of the narrative and the interesting use of backdrops throughout the movie. Well, if you wish to learn all about the actual filming sites that appear in the action movie, we’ve got you covered!
Prey Filming Locations
‘Prey’ was filmed entirely in Alberta, specifically in Calgary, Rafter Six Ranch, and Stoney Nakoda First Nation. The original plan was to begin shooting for the movie in May 2021 under the working title ‘Skulls.’ However, it got delayed, and the principal photography finally commenced in June 2021 and wrapped up in September of the same year. Bordered by British Columbia to the west, Alberta is a Western Canadian province known for its natural beauty, richness in fossils, and for housing several nature reserves. Thanks to all these features, it made for a perfect production location for a movie such as ‘Prey.’
In an August 2022 interview with Screen Rant, Jhane Myers, the movie’s producer, was asked about the most exciting thing about the setting of a ‘Predator’ movie in this time and age. She replied, “For me, it was really exciting because this is the first time that the Predator gets to fight the [fiercest] warriors in all of America before it was barely even America. It’s really exciting, just to see my culture – the Comanche culture and the Comanche warriors – fight the Predator.” Now, let’s traverse the thrilling places where Naru battles the dangerous predators!
Calgary, Alberta
Several sequences of ‘Prey’ were lensed in and around Calgary, a large city in the province of Alberta. It appears that the cast and crew of the science fiction movie traveled across the city and utilized its locales to tape different sequences against suitable backdrops. Apart from ‘Prey,’ Calgary has served as a pivotal shooting site for many other productions such as ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife,’ ‘Interstellar,’ ‘Joe Pickett,’ and ‘Under the Banner of Heaven.’
Other Locations in Alberta
Pivotal portions of ‘Prey’ were recorded in the Stoney Nakoda First Nation, located West of Calgary, right at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. In addition, some parts were shot in areas around Moose Mountain and Elbow River near Calgary. Lastly, Rafter Six Ranch also served as a prominent filming location for the action movie; it is a ranch in Exshaw, a hamlet in the province of Alberta.
