Prey director Dan Trachtenberg recently defended Star Wars: The Force Awakens against persistent complaints that it's too similar to Star Wars: A New Hope.
Trachtenberg referenced the two movies while discussing the challenges of adding new entries to established franchises in an episode of the Screen Time podcast. "I think some movies get maligned for being too fan-servicey… and it's like, it's by a fraction, sometimes just one [reference] too many… I always think about JJ Abrams and lens flares," he said. "And, boy, we have had movies with tons of lens flares in them for years! Michael Bay, who’s a filmmaker people love to criticize for his -- him being overly aggressive visuals, those Transformers movies are filled with lens flares, never have we been, like, 'the Michael Bay lens flare.'"
"[People only notice it in Abrams' movies] because it's like, there's one more, one in a spot where it jumped out," Trachtenberg continued. "And even Force Awakens, I think -- people are like, 'Oh it's too much of a retread,' not everyone but like, there was a voice on the internet saying that. I think it's just as similar to A New Hope as our movie is [to Predator], structurally, we're very similar, as Rian [Johnson's The Last Jedi] was to Empire Strikes Back, but perhaps there was one thing too many. There was one extra thing, you know? So it's all just -- all that's to say, it's very delicate."
Prey Star Amber Midthunder Hits Back at 'Woke' Criticism
While Trachtenberg appears to have been focused on making sure Prey played well with the existing Predator fanbase, star Amber Midthunder recently confirmed she worried about a different audience. The star said that her biggest concern throughout the production was how Prey would be received by the Native American community. Midthunder added that she was relieved when the Predator prequel was ultimately embraced by Native people, including members of the Comanche Nation.
The actor, who is Assiniboine Native American, also pushed back against criticism that Prey is 'woke,' a complaint she chalks up to ignorance. "People don't know a lot about native history. Period," Midthunder said. "So they don't know what kind of warriors we were. They were known for being some of the fiercest warriors of all. And they did have female-warrior society, so there were women that fought and hunted."
Emulating these harsh living conditions was a grueling experience, according to Midthunder. The star previously recalled that there were moments during principal photography on Prey where the physical demands of the Naru role meant she wasn't sure she'd make it to the end of the shoot.
Prey is now streaming on Hulu.
Source: Screen Time, via Screen Rant