The Predator Prequel Just Hit A Huge Production Milestone

Beginning in 1987 with the first movie, "Predator," directed by John McTiernan and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as Major Alan "Dutch" Schaefer, the "Predator" franchise is still going strong over three decades later. After "Predator," a sequel called "Predator 2" was released in 1990, followed by a 20-year break before a return to the franchise in 2010 with "Predators." 

In 2018, the famous violent alien returned to the screen once again in "The Predator," with a story starring Boyd Holbrook and Trevante Rhodes, and the creature will be back soon with another film. The new movie, initially known only as "Predator 5" then reported by publications like Collider to be called "Skull," was first announced to be in development in late 2020, with the director of sci-fi drama "10 Cloverfield Lane," Dan Trachtenberg, directing (Deadline). Since these reports, Trachtenberg has hinted that "Skull," or "Skulls," as the movie's also been called, may not be the movie's actual title, so don't get attached to either of those names (Movieweb). Over time, more details about the upcoming action movie have been revealed, including the exciting fact that it will be a prequel period film, but fans are still very eager to know more about the fifth "Predator" movie.

Thankfully, there's been a recent update that proves that the film is on the fast track to theaters, with the movie's cinematographer confirming the end of production and the main casting for the upcoming action prequel.

Cinematographer Jeff Cutter shared a photo on his Instagram from the set of the new "Predator" movie, which shows a camera slate labeled with the working title of "Skulls" and the director's name. In the background, you can also see a sneak peek of the set and what might be a creature from the film. While the photo is certainly interesting, the most exciting part of the post comes from the caption, which reads, "And that's a wrap on Skulls!", confirming to fans that filming for the new movie is officially over. 

Cutter then goes on to thank both Trachtenberg and the cast, confirming that actress Amber Midthunder, who you might recognize from "Legion" and "Roswell, New Mexico," is playing the lead role. Alongside Midthunder, Cutter also mentioned Dakota Beavers and Dane Diliegro as cast members, with the latter likely playing the Predator alien, as the actor has previously played creatures in shows like "Sweet Home" and "American Horror Stories." Along with that, Diliegro commented on Cutter's image saying that it "was a pleasure being your sasquatch," pretty much confirming what sort of role he's playing. 

While there still isn't an official release date yet for the fifth "Predator" movie, the news of production ending indicates that there will likely be an official announcement on when to expect the prequel movie soon, along with news of other cast members and plot details. Fans of the science-fiction franchise should keep a close eye out for future updates.