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Posted in: 20th Century Studios, Movies | Tagged: 20th century studios, predator, Predator: Badlands
Predator: Badlands Director Says He Wanted to Explore New Terrain
Predator: Badlands director Dan Trachtenberg breaks down his approach to giving the film a distinct look with new environments.
Article Summary
- Director Dan Trachtenberg brings Predator: Badlands to bold new environments, breaking from classic jungle settings
- The film is set on the hostile planet Genna, offering sweeping landscapes that redefine the Predator universe
- New Zealand landscapes provide a unique mix of fantasy forests and dangerous sci-fi terrain for the story
- A young Predator allies with a synthetic and local creature, shaking up the franchise’s action-driven formula
Predator: Badlands pushes the long-running sci-fi series into new territory, both in terms of story and setting. Because this time around, instead of centering itself on soldiers on Earth and a very familiar jungle setting, this entry follows a young Predator on the hostile planet Genna, using sweeping landscapes and an unlikely buddy dynamic to shake up the formula. Now, while promoting the film's theatrical release, director Dan Trachtenberg (the filmmaker who's also responsible for the popular 2022 film Prey) told Screen Rant he was determined not to fall back on familiar Predator imagery.
Dan Trachtenberg on Filming Predator: Badlands in New Zealand
Trachtenberg tells the outlet, "I just wanted it to be as distinct as possible and give the movie scope and scale to really feel like we're traversing from one kind of planet to a completely different kind of planet. In fact, I was really hyper-focused on going to New Zealand that we don't find ourselves just in another jungle. I think sometimes we tend to associate forests with fantasy and jungle for sci-fi." He continues, "That was what was really unique about New Zealand is that it's an interesting combination of both. To set a sequence in the open field with those crazy spiked pods and the razor, all those things that just aesthetically were a little bit more distinct and interesting and dangerous feeling."
Within that stunning new landscape, the film's central character Dek begins as the runt of his Yautja clan, barely avoiding execution and kick-starting an adventure to prove he belongs. His hunt for the seemingly unkillable Kalisk forces him into an alliance with Thia, a damaged Weyland-Yutani synthetic (crossing over with Alien continuity), and a local creature nicknamed Bud. Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi plays Dek under a detailed creature suit, meticulously enhanced with motion capture (obviously), while Elle Fanning handles double duty as Thia and her more ruthless counterpart, Tessa. And if you've watched any of the trailers so far, you can tell that there's plenty of action and grand visuals to unpack.
Predator: Badlands officially arrives in theaters on November 7, 2025, from 20th Century Studios, offering fans a thoughtful new chapter to look forward to. Though, all things considered, what are you most excited to see in the new Predator film?
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