Vote up the best historical match-ups between real fighters and the extraterrestrial trophy hunters.
The latest installment in the Predator franchise, Prey goes in a radically new and frankly welcome direction from the other films. After the 2018 stinker The Predator flopped in theaters, Prey takes it all the way back to the 18th century and the untamed wilderness of colonial America's Great Plains. Seen through the eyes of a Comanche warrior, Prey offers a glimpse into a culture we've not seen enough of onscreen.
Since it's been established in the canon that Predators have been hunting on Earth for a long time, that got us thinking about some other awesome historical opponents for the predator to hunt. For the purposes of this collection, the choices should satisfy three criteria.
First, the location itself should be visually appealing. Second, it should involve the perspective of people we don't often see in film. Finally, the potential match-up should offer a good challenge for the predator. The location, era, and a brief synopsis of the plot will be offered for the best potential historical titles for the next movie to consider.Â
Elevator pitch: This one might actually be lore-friendly as in Predator Anna talks about a local legend, "El cazador trofeo de los hombres" ("the demon who makes trophies of man"). How far back have Predators been venturing to Earth and taking grisly trophies? This potential movie could answer that question.
The Jaguar Warriors were an elite caste of fighters in the Aztec Empire who fought in the army's vanguard and took captives for human sacrifices. The setting could allow for an exciting glimpse into life in medieval Tenochtitlan as we follow a party of Jaguars going out on a raid. Enter the Predator and the story basically tells itself. What makes this match-up especially interesting is the macuahuitl, a wooden club studded with obsidian, carried by the warriors.
How does a Predator hold up to blows from a blunt weapon like that? Well, there's only one way to find out.
Elevator pitch: Since Predator is a franchise where the hunted have to overcome the technological advantage of the hunter, the Zulu would actually be in their element. The bushveld and mountains would offer some interesting locations for the hunt to take place. A setting around the same time as the Anglo-Zulu conflict could also bring in the British as a narrative foil similar to the fur trappers in Prey.
Zulu warriors were noted for their courage, discipline, and stamina. They used superior tactics to overcome British firepower at the Battle of Isandlwana. Unencumbered by armor and with only an oxhide shield for protection, the Zulu's main threat came from their proficiency in close quarters combat.
The iklwa, a short stabbing spear, and the iwisa, a wooden club, would give even the toughest Predator a hard time if it chose to fight at least somewhat fairly.
Elevator pitch: We've seen the Predator stalk prey in jungles and forests, but how would it fare in the mountains? Well, that's an idea a Predator film set in the Andes could explore. The movie could be set around the time of the Aracuao War between the Mapuche and the Spanish.
The Mapuche resisted Spanish encroachment fiercely. Any warriors caught by the Spanish could expect brutal reprisals, as was the case for Galvarino (pictured). Even after having both of his hands cut off, he kept the fight going by having knives attached to the stumps.
Would he make a good leading man in a Predator film? It's not like we have to be that historically accurate after all.
Elevator pitch: Predators seem to prefer hunting in warmer climates, so what would happen if one braved the frozen north? That’s a question this movie could answer. The wintery forests of Lapland would offer spectacular scenery and ample cover for a Predator to hunt in. As we’ve seen from the other films, the hunter can be quite vulnerable to traps and with its vision compromised by the cold, the humans coming up against it should still have a fighting chance.
The Sámi are people indigenous to the northern reaches of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. They are primarily known for reindeer herding but others make a living through hunting, fishing, and trapping. Fans of the TV show Vikings might remember the Sámi’s penchant for stealth in Season 5, though that's a show that doesn't really concern itself with historical accuracy.
Still, a setting about hardy people with a vibrant culture living in a harsh climate sounds like just the sort of place a Predator seeking a good challenge might just pop up.
Elevator pitch: The Predator's cloaking ability and use of natural cover make it almost impossible to spot but what happens if there is next to no cover? The grass steppes of the Donbas Region of Ukraine have bred hardy horsemen for thousands of years. From the Huns to the Mongols, the steppes are not a place for the faint of heart.
The Zaporozhian Cossacks lived in an area known as the Wild Fields in eastern Ukraine. They battled against raiders to establish themselves as the dominant force in the region and were often caught up in wider conflicts between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Russia. They were famously contemptuous of outside forces, once famously responding to a letter from the Ottoman sultan with their own message replete with insults.
That contempt for outsiders would presumably extending to an extraterrestrial, and the uniquely unfamiliar setting would keep the creature on its toes.
Elevator pitch: In Predator 2, we learn the Predator doesn't just take human skulls for trophies. In Prey as well, if the target is fierce enough, our alien hunter will revel in the hunt. And what could be fiercer than a Bengal tiger?
Setting a film around the time of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 would offer some very interesting options for the story. One option is following a band of Indian troops once in the employ of the British East India Company who mutiny against the British. We could have them retreat into the jungle to shake off numerous pursuers, and that's where they run into an even greater threat: the Predator.
The Bengal Army was first formed from local recruits in service of the British East India Company in the 18th century, well-trained and disciplined, these troops known as sepoys proved their mettle in multiple skirmishes. However, a multitude of grievances against the Britsh escalated into a rebellion in 1857. A story set around this time would be a rare glimpse into an event seldom covered in film.
