The Prey Creative Team Isn't Crying About Their Streaming-Only Release
The aliens known as Predators were messing with humans long before Arnold Schwarzenegger and company tangled with one in the original "Predator." As established in the aforementioned movie and its sequel, "Predator 2," the Predators come to Earth during the hottest summer months and engage in hunts that typically see the aliens kill humans in order to fill their respective trophy rooms. In the final moments of "Predator 2," a character is given an old flintlock pistol by a Predator as a sign of respect, which shows just how long the Predators have been going on their little excursions.
"Prey" is the latest entry in the "Predator" series and one that aims to return the franchise to its roots. Skipping right over a theatrical release, "Prey" will go straight to streaming on Hulu. The film is set in the early 18th century and follows Naru (Amber Midthunder), a member of the Comanche Nation who tries to warn her friends and family about a mysterious and deadly threat. Some may think that having a movie that goes straight to streaming is a travesty. For instance, director Christopher Nolan was extremely critical of the decision to move films that would have typically had a theatrical release to streaming during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, per The Hollywood Reporter.
Of course, that view doesn't reflect the opinions of all filmmakers, and for the creatives behind "Prey," there is a good reason why they are happy to have their movie launch on Hulu.
The Prey team likes the language options that are available on streaming
When "Prey" is released on Hulu on August 5, viewers will have the option to either watch the movie in English or Comanche. For Comanche and Blackfeet "Prey" producer Jhane Myers, that is a reason to celebrate. In a statement to Total Film she said, "It's a huge bonus because if you were going to see it in the cinema, you wouldn't have the option of watching it in Comanche. It's so important."
The option to watch the movie in the authentic language of its characters isn't just a cool feature. As Myers points out, "Prey" holds a unique position as the only film thus far to be presented entirely in Comanche. She continued on to explain, "It's also the first time that a brand new film is coming out in the Native language. So for authenticity, for representation, it sets that bar really high. I always tell people, 'Oh, you need to watch it in English and you need to watch it in Comanche just to see it.' Just for Native people, that's a huge thing. Huge."
Director Dan Trachtenberg further extrapolated on that idea in his own comments to Total Film. He pointed out, "Not a lot of people speak Comanche and this could almost be like a teaching tool, to encourage people to continue to learn that language and that it's captured. So much Native American history, so much Comanche history is oral."
You can see film history being made when "Prey" arrives on Hulu on August 5.