Dan Trachtenberg on the set of 20th Century Studios’ PREDATOR: BADLANDS film. Photo by Nicola Dove. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Read more about Predator: Badlands
Do you remember the first time you saw a Predator movie?
The very first “Predator” movie came out when I was still in elementary school, and I was not allowed to
see it because it was rated R. But I have a very distinct memory of being on my way to a karate tournament, and all the sixth-grade boys had seen it. We were in the back of my mom’s minivan, and they
described the entire movie to me. So, I had imagined “Predator” well before I’d ever seen it. When I eventually did see the movie, the thing that really took me by surprise wasn’t just the crazy design of the creature—which was scary, but also super awesome—but the combination of genres. I enjoyed seeing Arnold Schwarzenegger in this military action movie, and then it became an entirely different thing. I think the mainstay, at least for my entries in the franchise, is that Predator movies are this wonderful concoction of multiple genres, of different kinds of set pieces and action. Sometimes you’re in a taut suspense scene, sometimes you’re in a moment that’s building toward a fright, and sometimes you’re in an awesome, traditional action scene with explosions and gunfire. You’re getting a whole variety; it’s not just one note.
Can you give us a brief overview of “Badlands” and what sets it apart from previous Predator films?
Including “Prey” and “Predator: Killer of Killers,” the two films you’ve previously directed?
“Predator: Badlands” is the first movie in the Predator Universe that focuses on the Predator species
known as the Yautja. We’re following the monster for the first me. Dek, the central character, is the
runt of the litter in a clan that culls any sign of weakness. The Yautja think one weak link breaks the
chain, so facing exile or worse, Dek finds himself on the deadliest planet in the galaxy, where he must
hunt down an unkillable creature known as the Kalisk to prove his worth to his clan. It was important for me to keep pushing the envelope and evolving the franchise in different ways. It just makes for an incredibly unique experience—like riding your favourite theme park ride and feeling that rush all over again. It’s why I think we all want to get off our couches and go see movies—to see things we haven’t seen before.
How did you approach expanding upon the lore of the Yautja?
To make a movie about one of horror/sci-fi’s most treasured villains was a delicate dance because on the
one hand, the thing that made the Predator so special, what makes all our legendary horror/sci-fi
creatures special—is a mystery. In the first “Predator” movie, when we finally saw the jungle hunter for
the first time and saw what it was wearing, it spoke to a culture and the fact that they’re not just a
mindless or supernatural force of evil. There’s clearly an intelligence. They can travel faster than light to
different planets and have a weaponry that’s almost like evil James Bond in terms of gadgetry. And that’s
the fun they bring. So, I certainly wanted to give people an experience that now focuses on the species
and their culture. I wanted people to be able to find a point of connection to the bad guys of the
universe. It’s a harsh, brutal, clan-based culture. For the first me, we go to their home planet and see a
bit more about how they exist, but there’s still a great deal of mystery there.
Could you tell us more about Dek? What makes him such a unique protagonist?
Dek is a unique protagonist in that he is, on the one hand, the underdog with something to prove—
which we can all relate to—but he’s also still a ferocious badass. We’re more used to watching characters
like him in hitman movies, where we know that those folks are bad guys, but we’re still rooting for them
to do a good thing just this once. So we can relate to Dek on the most universal emotional level, but
we’re also pulling for him to learn something, to figure stuff out in a way that we don’t normally see in
this genre.
What can you tell us about Thia?
When I was first thinking about the movie, I knew it would be a mistake to put any humans in it, because
as soon as we put a human in, we’re all going to be drawn to them more than the creature. And I wanted
to make sure that the audience sided with Dek. Of course, the next thought was…maybe this is a beautiful movie about a monster and a robot. And so Dek, who is very much a creature of few words, meets Thia, a robot who has been severed in half and clearly broken, yet is unflappable and effervescent and does not stop talking.
What made Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi the ideal actor to play Dek?
Dimitrius was one of the most remarkable finds of my career. He had a lovely audi on, but we wanted to
see what he was capable of physically, so we had a day where we brought in a bunch of stunt performers
and set up an obstacle course. The way Dimitrius navigated that course was insane. The swashbuckling he
brought to all the sliding, jumping, leaping, and weapon work was cooler than the stuntmen. Dimitrius had a special physicality. Then on set, Dimitrius showed up not just for the physical work, but for the
emotional work. It was unbelievable to see where he went. I wasn’t prepared for how he brought so
much to this creature who’s simultaneously vulnerable, but terrifying, ferocious and visceral.
What made Elle Fanning the perfect choice for Thia?
Elle is remarkable in that she’s both highly analytical but also deeply emotional and thoughtful. She
mines every scene for all its worth. She also brought a verbal dexterity to Thia, for sure. But what I didn’t
think of un l I lucked into it with Elle, was the peculiar physical demands of this role. You’d think that you
could just sit and talk, but no—there were so many different kinds of harnesses and tricks needed for
pulling off the magic that is Thia. We obviously use visual effects to see the more robotic side of Thia, but there’s a way that Elle holds her body so she can feel inert and dead and come alive in ways that I thought we’d need so many more special and visual effects to pull off. She just knows how to use all her tools as an actor to make us believe in this robot. Thia also has one of the most special, unique, coolest fight scenes in the movie, and Elle was tremendous in pulling that off.
What are your hopes for the film, and what audiences take away from it?
All I hope for the film, all I ever hope for with any film, is that the folks watching will form a connection
to these characters and feel something for them. With “Predator: Badlands”, this hope is especially
meaningful because the movie revolves around characters you would never ever expect to love.
