Behind-the-scenes images from Prey show that the tense Predator vs. bear fight scene was actually a lot of fun to shoot on set. Directed by Dan Trachtenberg, who is also known for 10 Cloverfield Lane, Prey is the fifth Predator movie overall, not counting the divisive Alien vs. Predator films. The newest installment follows Naru (Amber Midthunder), a Comanche hunter who faces off against an alien Predator that arrives on Earth. Prey has been a hit with both audiences and critics, with many praising the film's authentic portrayal of Comanche culture and thrilling action.
Prey establishes early on that Naru is not content with living the life of a healer and wants to instead join her brother and the other male members of her tribe as a hunter. To prove herself, Naru must successfully complete a dangerous hunt, which soon brings her face-to-face with an angry grizzly bear. Naru is moments away from being killed when the Predator shows up and faces off against the bear in epic fashion. As was briefly shown in the trailer for Prey, the scene ends with the Predator killing the bear and hoisting the animal above his head as blood rains down and provides audiences with their first real look at the new Feral Predator design.
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In new images posted by Predator actor Dane DiLiegro on Twitter, fans can get a behind-the-scenes look at how the bloody river brawl was filmed. Despite the scene being one of the tensest in the film, it's clear that DiLiegro had a great time filming it, with the images showing the actor wearing a motion capture suit and goofing around with another actor wearing a hairy bear costume. The images also reveal how the sequence was filmed, with the beaver dam constructed in a water tank surrounded by blue screens. Check out DiLiegro's post below:
Although Prey features some impressive practical effects, including a practical Predator costume for DiLiegro, it's clear that this particular scene involved heavy use of CGI to pull off. Interestingly, the images also show that, despite the bear appearing to be 100% CGI during the actual film, there was a practical bear costume used during the filming of the scene. It's likely that the costume was never intended to appear in the actual film and that it was only there to serve as reference material for the VFX artists during post-production.
Prey maintains a fairly serious tone throughout and is filled with graphic violence and gore. Despite this, it's clear that the filming process wasn't without moments of levity. DiLiegro's take on the iconic alien Predator creature has proven to be a big hit with fans, with many enjoying the practical Predator suits he wore, and the actor evidently had a good time participating in the film. The reveal of how the Predator vs. bear fight in Prey was filmed is certainly surprising, and it begs the question of what other sequences in the movie have been filmed in an unexpected manner.
Source: Dane DiLiegro/Twitter