After several big-budget attempts at rebooting the Predator films, Predator 5 will debut on Hulu instead of in theaters, showing the franchise has turned into a failure. Predator 5, which is titled Prey, is reportedly set in the time of the Comanche Nation 300 years ago. The film follows Naru (Amber Midthunder), a female warrior forced to do her best Arnold Schwarzenegger impression by protecting her tribe against an alien predator. Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane) directed the film, and Patrick Aison (Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan) wrote the script. 

Attempts at continuing the Predator franchise always come up short. The original film, 1987’s Predator, was an unambiguous hit, earning more than $98 million at the box office on a budget under $20 million. However, sequels haven’t been so lucky. Predator 2, a 1990 follow-up that’s sans Schwarzenegger, was a box office disappointment, earning under $60 million. And additional installments also haven’t gained much traction. Predators, a 2010 reboot, earned more than $127 million, but the Predator follow-up didn’t inspire a direct sequel. Another franchise installment came eight years later in director Shane Black’s The Predator; however, behind-the-scenes drama, reshoots, and poor CGI plagued the production. In the end, The Predator was significantly changed from the director’s version and became a critical and box office disappointment.

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With Predator 5 on its way to Hulu, it seems the franchise is finally accepting that it’s a failure. At 2021’s Disney+ Day, the studio announced that the upcoming Predator 5 film, previously known as Skulls, will be released in 2022 and stream on Hulu. Considering the previous installments in the franchise have all premiered in theaters, the announcement is surprising. While streaming could prove to be a big break for many films and TV shows, the established franchise getting relegated to Hulu is undoubtedly a sign of disaster.

Disney has been bullish on theatrical releases, which signals that it doesn’t have confidence in Predator 5. Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Disney announced in September that the rest of its 2021 releases would premiere exclusively in theaters. After all, theaters more accurately quantify a film’s success, and Disney’s box office totals have shown popular titles can weather the uncertainty of the pandemic. Releasing films in theaters also avoids messy financial situations, such as Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow lawsuit. But by relegating Predator 5 to a Hulu release, the studio is essentially brushing it under the rug. Ahead of the announcement, Predator was still a major franchise. However, relegating the film to streaming shows Disney doesn’t believe that’s the case.

Despite the Hulu release being an insult to the Predator franchise, major TV streaming services have advantages. The barrier of entry for streaming is much lower for viewers than going to theaters. This low barrier allows streamers to constantly produce surprise hits, such as Netflix’s record-breaking Squid Game. So it’s still possible that Predator 5 will become a success. If the film performs well on Hulu, it could reinvigorate the franchise, signaling that more movies are on the way. But Disney clearly isn’t betting on it.

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Bill Bradley
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Bill is an experienced reporter who’s covered entertainment and fandom since 2014. He’s done everything from unearthing the discarded Game of Thrones pilot script in a library in Texas to finding out why Steve left Blue’s Clues. He also enjoys eating Taco Bell and drinking chocolate milk.

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