When the trailer for Predator: Badlands dropped Monday morning, fans got their first glimpse at what’s easily the boldest chapter in the franchise yet. The footage opens with Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) crash-landing on what Thia (Elle Fanning) calls “one of the most dangerous planets in the universe.” It’s eerie, cinematic, and already teases the twist that will have fans talking because, for the first time ever, a Predator isn’t the villain; he’s the protagonist.
Last year, when Blavity’s Shadow and Act visited the set in New Zealand, director Dan Trachtenberg and his crew were deep in production amid the region’s towering redwoods and beautiful landscape. Trachtenberg, who previously helmed 10 Cloverfield Lane and Prey, said shooting in New Zealand changed everything about how Predator: Badlands looks and feels. He described Predator: Badlands as “a film that lives in the silence between heartbeats,” a story told as much through movement and environment as through dialogue. “New Zealand gave us everything,” he said. “Woodlands, jungle, red sand, mist, it’s Earth and alien all at once.”
That duality was intentional. Trachtenberg explained that what some might see as production limitations actually fueled creativity. “Being limited in language meant we had to communicate so much more visually,” he said. “It charged everything; the filmmaking had to rise to the occasion.”
But creating a grounded emotional core inside a monster movie wasn’t easy. For Trachtenberg, the real challenge wasn’t the language of the film, but the logistics of filming Thia’s half-bodied design. “What I didn’t anticipate was that the language would not be the real challenge,” he said. “It’s the physicality. The idea of his unlikely companion being half a person who was just a normal walk-and-talk, not a big stunt. However, just to reach that baseline was incredibly complicated. Elle was on wires for most of it. Over time, we found new rigs that made the movement smoother and more natural.”
Showing the Predator’s soul
That physical commitment carries over to Schuster-Koloamatangi, as Dek, himself, a Predator unlike any we’ve seen. He credited months of stunt prep for helping him embody the creature’s speed and precision. “We had a month of pre-production stunt training,” he said. “Since Dek’s smaller, he’s more agile. Instead of towering menace, Schuster-Koloamatangi’s character is agile, emotional, and deeply layered. “It’s cool that we finally get to follow one of the Predators, not just fear them,” he told me. “You understand their culture, their purpose, what makes them who they are. Playing Dek meant showing the Predator’s soul.”
He laughed, recalling how physically demanding the role became. “My shoulders were definitely stronger by the end,” he joked. “Carrying Elle, even with all the rigs, that was real work. But that pain came with a good story behind it.”
But what really sets Predator: Badlands apart is its perspective. This time, the Predator is the protagonist. Dek isn’t the hulking, wordless hunter we’ve known before.“You see the loyalty, the instinct, the pain behind the armor.”
Despite the scale, Trachtenberg insists Predator: Badlands isn’t about expanding lore for its own sake. “Sequels can get too obsessed with world-building,” he said. “This story stays focused on character, on survival, and on what it means when the ‘monster’ becomes the one you root for.”
The director’s passion for this franchise
Schuster-Koloamatangi smiled when describing Trachtenberg’s passion for the franchise:
“He loves the Predator and the film. You feel that energy on set. That’s what I look for in a director, just passion. All the other stuff comes later.”
From the trailer, it’s clear that Predator: Badlands presents new threats that will pose a significant challenge to Dek, putting his predator skills to the test. Behind the action, weapon designer Alec Gillis and his team built the film’s signature arsenal: sleek hybrid blades and modular plasma cannons that light up on camera. The team spent months creating what they call “beautiful killing machines.” Each prop blends old-school craftsmanship with futuristic detail. “They’re practical,” Gillis said. “You feel the heat, the glow, the weight. That authenticity makes every swing count.”
Still, Trachtenberg insists Predator: Badlands isn’t just about new toys or bigger explosions. “We wanted to give the audience a story that feels intimate inside the chaos,” he told me. “Dek and Thia’s connection is two beings who shouldn’t even understand each other, that’s the heart.”If the crew’s passion is any sign, Predator: Badlands isn’t just another hunt. It’s a reinvention.