The Predator franchise has found new life thanks to director Dan Trachtenberg. Following his work on the absolutely excellent Prey, Trachtenberg has directed not one, but two Predator movies, and the next one promises to be as fresh as the last one as it will do something that no Predator movie has done before, focus on the Predator.
While the Predator movies are often seen as science fiction movies first, by virtue of the fact that the title character is a space alien, they are essentially slasher movies, with each film following human characters as they are chased by a near-unstoppable killing machine. Speaking with Empire, Dan Trachtenberg confirms that the new film Predator: Badlands (recently added to the 2025 movie schedule) will be different because the Predator will actually be the main character. He explained…
The creature is front and centre, leading the charge. He’s still badass, but there’s something there that touches you emotionally, too. Creating a character you connect with, but are also super-intimidated by, has been challenging. But exciting.
Trachtenberg says the idea came from a desire to find a fresh way to push the boundaries of the Predator franchise in the same way that Prey had done before. In this case, that apparently means a movie that will actually have fans rooting for the Predator.
How exactly that will work is anybody’s guess at this point. What we know about Predator: Badlands is fairly limited. The movie will be set on an alien world and will be set in the future, a first for the franchise. Elle Fanning is set to star in the film, and so we all thought she would be the film’s main character, but now it’s unclear who the star really is, if The Predator will be hunting her, or if perhaps they’ll end up working together.
I don’t really know what’s going on with Predator: Badlands, but I am absolutely interested in seeing how it all turns out. When I wrote our Prey review I had nothing bad to say about the film. I honestly think it’s the best movie in the Predator franchise, and Dan Trachtenberg has my confidence. The last time he tried something really new it was a home run.
Connecting emotionally with a Predator would seem like a tall order. The characters have previously only been monsters focused on hunting. They’ve never really shown emotions of their own beyond rage. Making a Predator character that evokes an emotional reaction from the audience without being a drastically different sort of character, would seem incredibly difficult if not impossible, but that’s what makes it so exciting.
And if this does work it’s only going to get more excited for the future of this franchise. Especially since Dan Trachtenberg has another Predator movie coming, one that he apparently filmed alongside Badlands in secret. While I would love to see a sequel to Prey, if there is yet another way to push the boundaries of Predator, I'm here for it.
