Amber Midthunder Auditioned for Prey in Both English and Comanche

Prey, the latest installment of the Predator franchise, takes place in the Comanche Nation of 1717 and has proved true to real-life history. At least with regard to its depiction of Indigenous people. As far as human records show, the giant, alien monster who hunts people for sport does not exist. The film stars Amber Midthunder, an enrolled tribal member of the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Indian Reservation, in the main role of Naru. Speaking with Variety, Midthunder said:

“It was very surreal. I get chills just thinking about it. The first day we got there, everybody was in their outfits, and I looked around and saw teepees and people in their buckskin. It just became so transcendent and kind of very real. At some point in history, this was how things really looked. This is how it really was for some of my ancestors. To see this and think about what we were accomplishing, it was just amazing.”

According to Screen Rant, Prey’s depiction of the Comanche people is as close a representation of their culture and history that any mainstream Hollywood movie has ever been released. The village setting dotted with tipis and the Comanche clothing are true to their real-life counterparts. Their hunting lifestyle is also accurate to them as a society.

In Comanche culture, the traditional gender roles were that men were the hunters, warriors, and other physical positions while the woman served as the caregivers, looking after homes and children. Of course, Prey plays with that element of history as the plot concerns a woman purposely going against the traditional way of things to become a hunter.

In her hunt against the Predator, Naru utilizes a tomahawk in addition to bows and arrows, which was also true to what was used by the Comanche. Besides that, Naru also utilizes her knowledge of herbs to aid in her battle against the Predator. More specifically, an “orange tutsia,” which, while never explicitly identified, is likely supposed to be a Calendula plant, which does exist and has been used as medication in the past.

Related: Jesse Ventura Praises Prey Star Amber Midthunder: ‘Welcome to the Predator Family’

The Language of the Film and Other Representation

According to Midthunder, when the movie was initially pitched, it was supposed to be shot entirely in the Comanche language. For the audition, the cast had to do all of their scenes in English and Comanche to ensure they could do both and how they might play it. While one version of the film is in English with snippets of Comanche, there’s also a complete Comanche dub done by the cast as an alternate language track offered on Hulu.

“We’re also making history. Never has a movie been released in a Native dub upon original release. I think it’s a huge victory and a huge thing that we can claim as a people. And just for me to get familiar with the Comanche language — it’s not at all like the language I grew up [with] — it felt to me like a personal gift to get so closely acquainted with the culture and the language as well.”

The Indigenous representation didn’t just end there onscreen. It took place offscreen as well. Midthunder has always had something Indigenous throughout the press tour for every look she’s had. For instance, she wore a dress from the Sky-Eagle Collection for the Los Angeles Prey premiere. According to Midthunder, it’s been very important to her to always incorporate an Indigenous designer, jewelry, or something.

“This was never a question for me. Indigenous artists and Indigenous creators have so much to offer and are truly an untapped resource — whether that’s fashion or filmmaking, or business. When you look at our art and our clothing, we have things that you don’t often see, whether that’s patterns or materials like shells and beadwork or earth paints. Being able to incorporate that into urban fashion is really fun.”