About 
The director of the new horror film Good Boy reveals that he has already considered opportunities for a sequel or something entirely new.
Posted in: 20th Century Studios, Movies | Tagged: 20th century studios, predator, Predator: Badlands, prey
Predator: Badlands Director Discusses the Film's Similarities to Prey
The filmmaker behind Predator: Badlands opens up about the biggest similarity between the new entry and the 2022 film Prey.
Article Summary
- Predator: Badlands director Dan Trachtenberg reveals the film's core connection to Prey.
- Both films focus intensely on underdog protagonists facing overwhelming odds.
- Predator: Badlands features high-stakes emotional and physical survival from the start.
- The movie charts bold new lore for the Predator franchise, premiering November 7, 2025.
In 2022, the Predator spin-off Prey jolted the series back to life after years on the sidelines, earning broad praise for its stripped-down survival focus and breakout performance from Amber Midthunder. Now, the film's director, Dan Trachtenberg, is back on the big screen with a new Predator-focused feature titled Predator: Badlands. And while Predator: Badlands tells a new story, Trachtenberg says there is a shared spine with Prey.
Speaking to Screen Rant during a set visit, he explained, "I've just always had a deep affection for underdog stories. Prey was certainly that," before noting, "[Our protagonist] also is involved in a very traumatic event in the beginning of the movie that he is sort of taking the whole adventure to deal with. So, from the jump, you are thrust into a really high intensity, emotionally, physically, situation with him that I think will really put you in his shoes, despite him being a character that, in another movie, would be the [villain]."
Everything We Know About Predator: Badlands
Predator: Badlands shifts the franchise far from the familiar jungle hunt. Set on a perilous world where even Predators can be outmatched, the film follows Dek, a young Yautja outcast, who crosses paths with Thia, a legless Weyland-Yutani synthetic. Their uneasy alliance pulls them into a trek across what's teased as being the most dangerous planet in the universe, with threats that challenge the Predators' assumed dominance and force Dek to grow beyond his clan's code. The cast is led by Elle Fanning in a dual role as Thia and Tessa, alongside Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi as Dek. Trachtenberg directs from a screenplay by Patrick Aison and Brian Duffield, reuniting the Prey creative DNA while pushing the lore into new terrain.
Predator: Badlands is also a standalone entry that does not require knowledge of earlier films, though given the success of Prey, it definitely wouldn't hurt to get familiar with the filmmaker's vision. Predator: Badlands is currently scheduled to open in theaters on November 7, 2025, with releases in RealD 3D and IMAX.
Are you excited about the Prey director's return for Predator: Badlands? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!
Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!
