Why you have to watch 'Prey'

And SNL star to host the Emmys

What to know

• Why Bridgerton fans turned on the Bridgerton musical creators… Last we heard about this, Netflix was suing Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, the creators of The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical, for illegally mounting a for-profit stage version at D.C.’s Kennedy Center. You’d think the Bridgerton fandom would support fan-creators against the giant corporation, but instead a backlash has brewed against Barlow and Bear. Slate argues it’s because Barlow and Bear crossed the line by trying to monetize someone else’s work. Many say that Shonda Rhimes and author Julia Quinn’s creations deserve to be protected. Even more troubling, Barlow and Bear might have put all fan art in jeopardy should this case set a new legal precedent. The plot thickens. 👀

• Prey becomes No. 1 Hulu premiere ever… That includes all shows and movies! Disney got what they wanted here: a big, buzzy, straight-to-streaming hit. THR is reporting that Disney is calling this release plan a “smart choice” and one veteran box office analyst quoted in the story agrees, claiming Prey wouldn’t have done well in theaters because The Predator (2018) flopped. I’m glad people are watching this movie, as hopefully its success will allow filmmakers to take risks with big IP. It’s just a shame that such a visually compelling and well-made movie skipped theaters! 📈

• Tom Cruise and Chris McQuarrie want to make an original musical and are fixated on Les Grossman… It feels like Tom Cruise has more cultural cachet than ever, and what would he like to do with it all? Another musical and maybe something with his Tropic Thunder character Les Grossman. After years doing almost nothing but action, I can’t blame the guy for seeking something lighter. With the right collaborators either of those projects could be winners. 🎶

• The South Park guys were one day away from making a Trump deepfake movie, and then the pandemic happened… The world might have been deprived of something truly bonkers and hilarious, but we’ll never know. I hope Stone and Parker pick up this project or something like it in the future. South Park is getting long in the tooth and I’d love to see the duo make more movies and musicals. 🎬

• Lionsgate used AI dubbing tech to bring Fall down from R to PG-13… Speaking of deepfakes, the tech was just used to scrub 30 F-bombs from upcoming thriller Fall in order to make it more box-office friendly. This makes me long for the days of bad cable dubs. “Yippee-ki-yay, Mr. Falcon!” 🤬

• Texas church illegally performs Hamilton with altered scenes, anti-gay messaging… Speaking of cease and desists! I believe this was one of the million things Alexander Hamilton hadn’t done. 🤦‍♀️

• Kenan Thompson to host the Emmys live on NBC and Peacock… Great choice! And great news that it will be on streaming as well! 🦚

• “Incendiary device” thrown onto Justified set in Chicago, no injuries reported… Man, this production cannot catch a break. 😮

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What’s new

• I Am Groot — Aug 10 | Disney+ animated shorts | 🍅

• 13: The Musical — Aug 12 | Netflix musical movie | 🍅

• A League of Their Own — Aug 12 | Amazon drama series | 🍅

• Bodies Bodies Bodies — Aug 12 | Indie horror in theaters | 🍅 91%

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What to watch

I had no interest in watching Prey 24 hours ago. I don’t have much nostalgia for the Predator franchise and didn’t they just do a reboot in 2018? Why would I need to watch the seventh installment of this series especially when it was going straight to Hulu? Then I heard it had 92% on RottenTomatoes, that it took place among the Comanche Nation 300 years in the past, and its hero was a young Native American woman. I accepted the fact that my preconceived notions on this particular title might be wrong — and was delightfully surprised to learn that yes, they were.

Prey is top-notch blockbuster filmmaking. It’s the reason reboots, remakes, and legacy sequels should exist, proving that out of established sandboxes, real creativity can exist. Writer-director Dan Trachtenberg makes smart decision after smart decision. From the setting, to the heroine (played with full-bodied bravado by Legion’s Amber Midthunder), to letting the action tell the story, it’s clear he had a vision and 20th Century let him execute it.

Prey pulls off a rare feat in modern moviemaking. Much of its 100-minute run is dialogue-free—driven by action and physicality—and yet it never skimps on character development and humanity. Trachtenberg was inspired by Mad Max: Fury Road and completely lives up to that ambition. Did I mention that the movie is visually beautiful as well? Prey takes full advantage of its Great Plains location, providing us with sweeping vistas worthy of Chloe Zhao or Jane Campion. In fact, Eternals wishes it looked as good as Prey. Which is why it’s such a bummer that it’s not playing on big screens across the country right now.

And oh yeah, the Predator is there. As I alluded to before, I don’t have much vested interested in the Predator, but I appreciated how Trachtenberg uses the intergalactic monster as metaphor. The character’s singular nature allows the filmmaker to zero in on themes of dominance and dominion, which are in overt conversation with the Native American tribe at the film’s center. We as the viewer bring our awareness of the real atrocities yet to come and all of a sudden, Prey becomes deeply relevant social commentary. As the best science fiction pieces are wont to do.

Prey is just remarkable. And to think I almost wrote it off completely.

For all past ‘what to watch’ recommendations, see the full list here!