In the movie universe of the Predator franchise, an alien species comes to earth to hunt the strongest and most dangerous humans for sport. In the early 18th century, few groups of people were as fierce as the Comanche. Now, with the help of a Native American filmmaker and Santa Fe Indian Market alumni, the Predator and the Comanche will face off in a new film releasing August 5.
Harlan Kywayhat in a scene from Prey.
The film is Prey, and one of its producers is Jhane Myers (Comanche/Blackfeet), who has been steadily rising through the ranks of Hollywood, first with her consultation work related to projects with Native American characters (1883, The Magnificent Seven) and more recently as a producer in both film and television. She learned about a script involving the Predator and the Comanche during the pandemic, when many Hollywood productions were being shut down. “Filming had stopped on everything…and I was told
I should take a look at this [script] because it had Comanches in it. I put everything aside to look at it,” Myers says, adding that she was pleased that studio executives wanted a Native American producer on board, not just a consultant. “There was just so much Native content.”
After a tough interview with a studio president, Myers was hired on and began helping bring the Comanche characters to life in an authentic way. Production eventually began in Canada after the initial wave of the pandemic subsided and after a huge merger was completed between Disney and 20th Century Fox, which owned the rights to the Predator. The project, directed by 10 Cloverfield Lane director Dan Trachtenberg and written by Jack Ryan writer Patrick Aison, would be shrouded
in secrecy.
Prey, produced by longtime Santa Fe Indian Market artist Jhane Myers.
The best part for Myers was the Comanche aspect. “I’m an enrolled Comanche and Blackfeet, so the fact that the Predator will be fighting my tribe…oh my gosh,” she says. “…When you think of fierce warriors you think of Native warriors, and when you think of fierce Native warriors you think of the Comanche.” She adds that the creative team was very open to her guidance on historical aspects she had already researched years earlier for her artwork. Beadwork, for instance would have not been so prominent in the 1719 time period of the film, so she encouraged quillwork and other materials in the costumes.
Prey features a largely Native American cast, including Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Stormee Kipp, Michelle Thrush and Julian Black Antelope. It premieres August 5 on Hulu. As an added bonus, the entire film was also dubbed into the Comanche language. Viewers will have access to the Comanche version, both language and closed captions, on the day of release.
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