Prey is a prequel set in the Predator franchise, and it’s coming to Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia on 5 August 2022.

The synopsis reads:

Set in the Comanche Nation 300 years ago, Prey is the story of a young woman, Naru, a fierce and highly skilled warrior. She has been raised in the shadow of some of the most legendary hunters who roam the Great Plains, so when danger threatens her camp, she sets out to protect her people.

The prey she stalks, and ultimately confronts, turns out to be a highly evolved alien predator with a technically advanced arsenal, resulting in a vicious and terrifying showdown between the two adversaries.

With director Dan Trachtenberg at the helm, indigenous actor Amber Midthunder stars as the film’s hero, Naru, a warrior who protects her tribe from the otherworldly threat. The cast also includes Dakota Beavers, Stormee Kipp, Dane DiLiegro, and Stefany Mathias.

Courtesy of Disney+ Hotstar, we were given the opportunity to interview Prey actor Dakota Beavers, who plays the role of Taabe in the movie. Prey will be Dakota Beavers’ feature film debut and the Native American actor is also a musician in real life.

This interview has been edited for clarity. Stay tuned for the video version of this interview and the review of the movie. In the meantime, director Dan Trachtenberg recently revealed how he came up with the title of the movie during our coverage of the movie’s press conference.

Can you tell us more about how and when you got the role in Prey?

Dakota Beavers: It was kinda just by the stars aligning. I got an email from a casting agent who had my information that I had sent in for a different ‘small’ audition. She didn’t tell me what it was, so I did a few auditions and eventually flew out to LA and I was like, “wow, this is bigger than I thought it was, and then I found out what it was. So, it was all a big surprise to me.

Were you always a fan of the Predator movies or did you become a fan after getting cast in the movie?

Dakota Beavers: You know, I had experience with the first one, but I hadn’t really seen the rest of the franchise. I was excited just having seen the first one because it’s such a good movie that after I got the part and I went back and watched all the other movies and I was just very excited about it all.

How did it feel to face the Predator for the first time during filming?

Dakota Beavers: It was daunting but it was also exciting because he’s so big. The costume that he wears looks really, really good in person so he looks real. So, it’s scary but exciting.

What did it feel to be able to represent Native Americans in your feature film debut?

Dakota Beavers: It was an honour for me, especially considering that we have Jhane who is a Comanche herself as our producer. She was there to make sure everything was portrayed accurately and it was an honour for me just that they had such a priority, especially this being my first film. Very, very honoured to be a part of it.

What’s next for you and what are you looking for in your next potential role?

Dakota Beavers: I have couple potential irons in the fire but unfortunately nothing I can speak about just yet, but I reallly hope to be in more action movies, horror movies. It’s all fun for me, so I would love to be a part of any of it.

What were the biggest challenges you faced during filming?

Dakota Beavers: Physical challenges, you know. I got to do all my own horse riding and stunts, so just being physically ready for that, they put me on a diet so I’d be really thin so eating the food was not fun (laughs) but other that, it was fun.

What was it like working with Amber Midthunder and the rest of the cast?

Dakota Beavers: It was really good. Me and the boys, we would just hang out and be goofy and play music. Amber too, she would hang out with us and we would get to all kinds of fun, we’d all jam at the stairwell.

Amber was very helpful in helping me understand kind of how things worked, what job titles meant. She was very considerate with her information that she shared with me.