Prey Budget

What is the budget of Prey?

"Prey," a thriller released in 2022, was directed by Dan Trachtenberg and stars Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers. The production budget was $65,000,000, placing it in the high-budget range for thriller productions of its era.

Key Budget Allocation Categories

While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a thriller production like this include:

• Talent & Director Compensation: Thrillers depend on compelling lead performances to sustain tension, making cast compensation a primary budget concern. Directors with proven thriller credentials command premium fees.
• Cinematography & Location Photography: Thriller aesthetics demand specific visual languages , surveillance-style photography, claustrophobic framing, or expansive location work across multiple cities or countries.
• Editorial & Sound Post-Production: Precision editing , controlling information flow, building suspense through pacing, and orchestrating reveals , requires extended post-production schedules.
• Filming & Locations: Filming began in June 2021 in Calgary, Alberta primarily in Stoney Nakoda First Nation land 45 minutes outside the city, with studio set pieces including the beaver dam where the protagonist Naru hides from a bear and the fur trapper camp where she baits the Predator.

What were the major cost factors in Prey?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Prey."

• Talent: Talent & Director Compensation is one of the primary cost drivers in thriller productions of this scale.
• Cinematography: Cinematography & Location Photography is one of the primary cost drivers in thriller productions of this scale.
• Editorial: Editorial & Sound Post-Production is one of the primary cost drivers in thriller productions of this scale.

How Does Prey's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $65,000,000, Prey sits in the high-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

• 300 (2007): Budget $65,000,000, Worldwide Gross $456,082,343
• A Knight's Tale (2001): Budget $65,000,000, Worldwide Gross $117,487,473
• Collateral (2004): Budget $65,000,000, Worldwide Gross $220,239,925
• Eyes Wide Shut (1999): Budget $65,000,000, Worldwide Gross $162,100,000
• Marty Supreme (2025): Budget $65,000,000, Worldwide Gross $274,459,312

The median budget for wide-release thriller films in the 2020s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.

Prey Production History

Filming began in June 2021 in Calgary, Alberta primarily in Stoney Nakoda First Nation land 45 minutes outside the city, with studio set pieces including the beaver dam where the protagonist Naru hides from a bear and the fur trapper camp where she baits the Predator. Additional locations include Moose Mountain and Elbow River. The cast preceded filming with four weeks of training camp, working with weapons and personal trainers, and while team-building they conceived a sign language for the characters to communicate non-verbally.

Sarah Schachner composed the musical score. Trachtenberg hired her after playing Assassin's Creed: Valhalla during pre-production and being impressed with her score for the game. Schachner said the music had to play a big role given the film's sparse dialogue, with the challenge of "feeling equally large and expansive as well as intimate and raw", as it featured both "fun gory action and suspense" and Naru's emotional character arc.

Awards and Recognition

Won 1 Primetime Emmy. 12 wins & 44 nominations total

Critical Reception

Metacritic gave the film a weighted average score of 71 out of 100, based on 43 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". It became the highest-rated Predator film on both websites with many critics calling it the best Predator installment since the first film. Two stars from the original Predator film commented positively. Jesse Ventura praised Amber Midthunder and the director: "Thank you for making such a thoughtful, creative, and wonderful film." Bill Duke was also enthusiastic about the film: "It's an amazing film and @AmberMidthunder is phenomenal."