Predator: Killer of Killers is taking one of the best elements of Prey and enhancing it threefold. Ever since Predator hit the big screen in 1987, the franchise has had a consistent presence in Hollywood. However, many entries in the series blend together over time, with the typical focus on soldiers, cops, and criminals being outgunned by the alien becoming repetitive after a while. That's partly what made the phenomenal Prey such a revelation for the series, as it proved the series could take on entirely different kinds of settings, characters, and stories.

By taking the Predator to the 16th century, Prey proved the series could be flexible in focus. Killer of Killers is taking that lesson to heart. an ideal direction to take the Predator series.

Killer Of Killers Takes Place Across Three Time Periods

Killer Of Killers Pits Vikings, Ninja, And Pilots Against Predators

Predator: Killer of Killers takes a similar approach to the Predator franchise as Prey by focusing on people in the past encountering the alien hunter on their own . In Prey, the fun conceptual tweak on the premise was to have the alien face off with a Camache woman in the 16th century, introducing new challenges that didn't exist for the more modern protagonists of the franchise. Killer of Killers does something similar but amplifies the effect by having three settings to explore through the shared core story of a predator encountering a human warrior.

It's an exciting concept, especially following the success of Prey. The Predator franchise can be adaptable for different settings and time-periods. The fact that it's an anthology helps cement the idea that the franchise can be more adaptable, pulling from specific historical periods for different visual esthetics and styles of action. It's also a handy little way to be showcase unique periods in human history and visualize them through slick and grisly animation. Killer of Killers sets up a lot of potential directions and story beats by being a historical anthology, and it's an exciting challenge the filmmakers took on.

Prey Proved Predator Could Work In Multiple Settings

Killer Of Killers Takes The Predator Around The World And Through History

Before Prey, every cinematic entry in the Predator franchise took place in the present day. While this was a big part of the appeal of Predator's storyline about modern weaponry faced with a challenge it can't overcome, the series had trouble escaping those boundaries for decades. Prey was a game-changer for the series, using limitations of the era to great effect. The inherently consistent element of the Predator as an antagonist is the lethal nature of the hunter. It's always going to go for the kill, but typically follows a specific sense of honor in combat.

Killer of Killers tackling three settings instead of just one reinforces this point, highlighting just how mutable the franchise can be.

So long as that element is present, the prey can be anyone in any setting, regardless of their technology, defenses, and weaponry. Prey made great use of its setting to showcase this, with the unique elements of the 16th-century setting fitting neatly into the typical Predator framework of someone encountering and eventually overcoming a Predator. Killer of Killers tackling three settings instead of just one reinforces this point, highlighting just how mutable the franchise can be. So long as someone is working to overcome a predator, they can be a commando, a samurai, a biking, a pilot, or anything else.

How Killer Of Killers Is Taking Advantage Of Being An Anthology

Killer Of Killers Proves How Adaptable The Predator Franchise Can Really Be

Killer of Killers being an anthology means that the filmmakers have plenty of opportunities to experiment with their central concept and push the Predator (and the audience) into massive action set-pieces. Prey was a lot of fun , but it also largely depended on intensity to enhance its combat. The animated nature of Killer of Killers benefits from a more visceral and dynamic approach, with lots of violence that just wouldn't work as well in live-action. The anthology approach ensures that animated violence doesn't risk becoming repetitive by ensuring viewers get different approaches to the battle.

At its core, Killer of Killers realizes the potential that Prey established. The Predator can be an eternal concept, capable of taking the plot to any time and any place. This means there can be limitless approaches to fighting the creature, far beyond the typical guns and grenades that have dominated most approaches to the franchise. By its very nature, Predator invites invention, requiring filmmakers to find new ways to take the established elements of the narrative into fresh directions. It's what makes Predator: Killer of Killers so exciting and the potential realization of the franchise's true potential.