This just in: All the streaming news that’s fit to (digitally) print for Wednesday, June 8th, 2022. Neve Campbell isn’t returning to Scream and more.
From the Mountains to the Material World
Star of Netflix’s crime drama Ozark and possible greatest actress of her generation Julia Garner has been offered the role of Madonna in a biopic about the iconic musician’s life. With the film being directed by Madge herself, Madonna offered the role to the Inventing Anna chameleon after some dance-intensive auditions. And Garner had some stiff competition during the rigorous audition process including Euphoria actress Alexa Demie, indie singer and David Lynch muse Sky Ferreira, and Florence Pugh (currently neck and neck with Garner for the “greatest actress of her generation” title).
While Sky Ferreira definitely has the look and the musical chops and Pugh is all-around amazing, Madonna and producers nonetheless tapped Garner for the coveted role. With a script co-written by Juno scribe Diablo Cody, it’s sure to be a challenging yet rewarding role for any actress to sink her teeth into. No word yet on if Garner has officially signed on or when production will begin.
Scream: Neve Campbell Knows Her Worth
After the success of the “requel” to Scream released earlier this year, it was inevitable that a requel sequel would get the green light. A sequel to Scream (2022) was all but guaranteed after the film brought back the main trio of legacy characters while introducing audiences to the new teens of Woodsboro, setting the stage for more Ghostface slashing to come.
At the heart of every Scream film has always been Sidney Prescott, the final girl to end all final girls, played by Neve Campbell. The way the last film ended, it was assumed that of course Sidney would be back for the sixth entry. But recently Campbell announced that she would not be returning to the franchise after and insultingly low compensation offer. In Campbell’s words:
“As a woman I have had to work extremely hard in my career to establish my value, especially when it comes to Scream. I felt the offer that was presented to me did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise.”
Indeed, the franchise would likely not have seen such sustained popularity over the past 25 years if not for Campbell’s performance as the vulnerable yet tough-as-nails Sidney. Here’s hoping that fan outcry motivates the studio to dig a little deeper into their pockets before all decisions are made on the Scream sequel.
BELIEVE Roy F*ckin Kent
With just the right mix of comedy, sports drama, and whimsical positivity, Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso is an internet favorite with a fan base just as devoted as that of the fictional football team that Lasso coaches. With only two seasons behind them and a third coming down the pike, fans are understandably upset by news from show creators that the third season is intended to be its last.
One of the creative forces behind the show is Brett Goldstein who pulls double duty as a show writer and portraying surly footballer Roy “F*ckin” Kent. In recent comments to The Sunday Times, Goldstein confirmed what series creator Jason Sudeikis has been saying for quite some time: The series was always intended to be three and done. Goldstein jokes, “We are writing it like that. It was planned as three. Spoiler alert — everyone dies.”
The show thus far has been a careful and thoughtful examination of mental health issues, analyzing how men in particular handle mental health struggles. Ted Lasso’s character journey sheds light on what it costs to repress negative emotions as his charming yet relentless positivity was slowly revealed to be masking deep pain and intense anxiety. Ideally, show runners will have enough time in the third season to further explore these issues in a way that brings closure (and a happy ending?) to Ted’s journey.
Bow Your Heads and ‘Prey’
Hulu has finally dropped an official trailer for the fifth installment in the Predator franchise, answering the prayers of many fans. In the absence of an official trailer, the teaser for Prey from a few weeks ago left many Predator fans to wonder if they were being nerfed by a toned-down Disney-fication of a belovedly gory franchise.
Prey takes viewers back to frontier America through the eyes of the Comanche nation. When the teaser first dropped back in May, it just didn’t seem plausible that anybody from this era stood a chance against the Predators.
But the new look offers more details on what can be expected from the jump back in time. The trailer shows a young Comanche woman, Naru, with some rock solid hunting skills of her own. She crosses paths with a fellow hunter, one of the Predators. While it’s unclear precisely what the nature of their relationship will be, what is clear is that both Naru (Amber Midthunder) and the Predators live to hunt. With something to prove to her community, Naru is about to get the opportunity to show everyone (including what appears to be a very unlucky group of pioneers) just how good of a hunter she really is.
Prey hits Hulu on August 5th.
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