Dan Trachtenberg, who revitalized the ‘Predator’ franchise with 2022’s “Prey,” is back behind the camera for “Predator: Badlands,” and the first trailer has officially dropped.
The visuals are striking: lush foreign terrain, inventive weaponry like laser bows, and unusual creature design, backed by practical suit work and CGI enhancements. This could work. It may alienate purists yearning for jungle horror, but for viewers open to reimagining Predator, and avoiding same-old same-old, it’s somewhat refreshing. Regardless, it’ll all come down to execution.
“Prey” was a rare straight-to-streaming success story, generating strong word-of-mouth and pulling in record-breaking numbers for Hulu. The film had many scratching their heads over why it wasn’t given a proper theatrical release. Now, 20th Century has apparently learned its lesson, and ‘Badlands’ is heading to theaters this fall, with a November 7 release date locked in.
This new chapter stars Elle Fanning and takes the franchise in a bold, unexpected direction. For the first time in the series, the Predator — this time named Dek — is positioned not as the antagonist, but as a protagonist. The story sees Dek forming an uneasy alliance with Thia (Fanning), a brilliant but inexperienced scientist. Together, they navigate a hostile alien wasteland on a distant, tech-ravaged planet. The trailer promises a mix of high-concept sci-fi and stripped-down survivalism.
This is the kind of weird swing a franchise like Predator desperately needed. Trachtenberg, whose 2016 debut “10 Cloverfield” Lane still stands as a masterclass in tension and pacing (and includes one of John Goodman’s finest performances), clearly understands how to make genre storytelling feel fresh and cinematic.
There’s a confidence to Trachtenberg’s direction; you can just tell when someone knows how to structure a scene with purpose. Of course, I’d rather he concentrate on non-IP, but this is clearly what he wants to do, and there’s no stopping him.
In addition to ‘Badlands,’ Trachtenberg released another Predator project this year. The animated anthology “Predator: Killer of Killers,” a three-parter which premiered on Hulu June in. And yes, “Prey 2” is still in development.
Of course, we all know the rule: take these reactions with a grain of salt rather than treating them as gospel. Still, I will say that the film tested like gangbusters earlier this year, and Lionsgate clearly has confidence.