Concept The Prey was directed by Edwin Scott Brown, who also co-wrote the film with his wife Summer Brown, who served as the film's producer. The film was produced during the height of the slasher film boom, which had become popular after the wake of John Carpenter's immensely profitable 1978 film Halloween. The film was director-producer team's first non-pornographic feature, as they had previously worked making adult films. After serving as a producer on the softcore thriller film Human Experiments for Essex Productions, studio executive Joseph Steinman offered Edwin Brown a writing and directing job making "a horror film shot in the woods," a setting which at that time had not been greatly featured in horror films. Brown and his wife Summer wrote the screenplay, choosing the Colorado Rockies as the setting, and were inspired by Halloween, as well as Wes Craven's The Hills Have Eyes (1977). Brown stated that he devised most of the film's plot trajectory and characters, writing drafts of scenes which Summer subsequently edited and organized into a comprehensive screenplay. Casting The film was lead actress Debbie Thureson's first screen role; she had previously appeared in a Maxim coffee advertisement with Kirk Douglas that aired in Japan. Thureson recalled that the screenplay featured little written dialogue, and that much of the filming involved improvisation between the actors. The film also marked actress Lori Lethin's first major film role, appearing as Bobbie, Nancy's friend. Former child star Jackie Coogan was cast as forest ranger Lester Tile. Coogan had previously starred in Charlie Chaplin's 1921 film The Kid before later starring in the role of Uncle Fester in the 1964 television series The Addams Family. The Prey would be Coogan's final film role before his death from cardiac arrest on March 1, 1984 at the age of 69. Gayle Gannes, who portrayed Gail, was a UCLA student and friend of Edwin and Summer Brown who was encouraged by them to audition for the part. Gannes recalled that she was encouraged by Edwin Brown to play the role as "playful and ditzy." Carel Struycken, a Dutch actor, was cast in the role of the Monster due to his imposing figure, standing at in height. Filming Director Brown had wanted to shoot the film on location in Colorado, where it is set, but was unable to afford the production costs. The filmmakers initially scouted Big Bear, California, but decided to