The Predator is the hero of Predator: Badlands, the next Predator movie from Dan Trachtenberg
By Daniel Roman
Pardon me while I pick my jaw up off the floor. We just got our biggest update yet about Predator: Badlands, the upcoming installment in the Predator franchise from Prey director Dan Trachtenberg, and it is a doozy. We've been reporting on the Elle Fanning-led film for a while now, but nothing could have predicted the bombshell that Trachtenberg revealed today in an exclusive interview with Empire.
It turns out, Elle Fanning isn't the hero of the next Predator movie at all. The Predator is.
“The creature is front and centre, leading the charge,” Trachtenberg explained. “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 explained that the idea to have the Predator serve as the lead of the new movie arose 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.”
This isn't the first time the Predator has been a more sympathetic character, but it's very likely it'll be the best. The first Alien vs Predator movie also had a Predator which ended up as a heroic character by the end of the film, but since that movie was a bit of a dud, we don't like to remember it.
Confirmed: Elle Fanning plays "multiple" characters in Predator: Badlands
Trachtenberg also confirms a few other details of the movie: It's set in the future, on an alien planet rather than Earth. And those rumblings we'd been hearing that Elle Fanning would star as multiple characters in Predator: Badlands are true. Those rumors teased two twin sisters, but the Empire article only teases "multiple Elle Fannings." Maybe we have a clone situation on our hands here? Who knows how many Elle Fannings will be around in this movie!
Considering that those rumblings also teased the different Fannings would have very different missions and worldviews, I'm now wondering if one might want to help the Predator while the other wants to hunt it down. “She faced intense challenges on this movie — dramatically, physically, logistically,” Trachtenberg teased.
Predator: Badlands is due out on November 7, 2025, but it won't be the only Predator film we get next year. Trachtenberg also secretly filmed another Predator movie, which is expected to release before Badlands. It's going to be a very, very good year for Predator fans.
What do you make of this news? Does it get you more hyped for Predator: Badlands? Hit us up in the comments with your thoughts!
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