The Real Reason Why Prey's Dakota Beavers Looks So Comfortable On Horseback - Exclusive
"Prey," the fifth film in the "Predator" franchise, follows a Comanche tribe beset by a Yautja predator hundreds of years in our past. Naru (Amber Midthunder) and her older brother Taabe (Dakota Beavers) lead a group of young warriors to combat the extraterrestrial hunter (and the occasional group of violent trappers). The pair have to use their diverse skillsets to combat this cloaked enemy from the stars in the best, most badass "Predator" outing since the original.
The talented cast members showcase a number of real skills that give a major dose of realism to the project: weapons proficiency, axe throwing, and more. One of Taabe's best scenes involves a memorable entrance, weapons drawn while riding a horse into battle. In an interview with co-star Dakota Beavers, we discuss the incredible and extensive training he underwent to become a natural rider. It involved a dedicated, hands-on but largely stress-free journey getting used to riding, but the outcome prepared him for one of the film's coolest moments.
Developing comfort on horseback
The performers who played the Comanche warriors all joined a boot camp to prepare them for the real-life warrior skills they needed to sell the film's realism. As co-star Dakota Beavers describes it in a new interview, "We did a four-week bootcamp with myself, Amber, and the boys — using the bows, learning how to roll if our character needed to roll correctly, [and] a lot of horse riding."
Taabe's proficiency comes at a key time in the film, which meant Beavers needed to fit in training with the horse whenever he could. The crew took advantage of shoot days that he wasn't in, giving him extensive time to dig in and become a proper equestrian.
"There was a point in the middle of the movie where I wasn't in a lot of the scenes, so I would go out with the horse wrangler, Mark Nugent, and I would ride," he said. "We would ride all over the wilderness of Alberta. Man, we'd find deer sheds. We'd ride up on wild horses, and it was easy going. He would never overly try and coach me, he would let me do my thing, so you develop a comfort and a peace. That was one of the best parts for me."
The extra dedication really shows, and the scene succeeds swimmingly — you'd really think he'd been riding a long time. The ease sells the badassery of the moment, creating a particularly memorable moment for Taabe, and one of the highlights of an already excellent movie.
"Prey" is now streaming on Hulu.