Released on Hulu in 2022, Prey was not only one of the best Predator movies ever (arguably right behind the original 1987 movie), it was one of the year’s best, period. Expectations are through the roof for Dan Trachtenberg’s pair of follow-ups, one that we know practically nothing about, and the other, Predator: Badlands, which we are slowly learning more.
Trachtenberg dropped some surprising news to Empire about Predator: Badlands. This time around the Predator will be the protagonist…
“The creature is front and center, leading the charge,” Trachtenberg said. “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.”
So how did this idea come about? Trachtenberg said it sprung from a desire to “find another essential piece of cinema that does what Prey did spiritually — pushing the franchise’s boundaries, letting us root for a hero we rarely get to root for — but in a different way. And that transformed into this big idea of rooting for the Predator.”
That means Elle Fanning, who many assumed would be the main character, will be something else entirely. Fanning will be playing multiple characters in the film, which opens up more questions about who she is and her connection to the Predator.
Predator: Badlands does not yet have a release date, but it will be preceded in 2025 by another Predator movie that Trachtenberg shot in secret.
