Director of Predator: Badlands Discusses Creating a Lovable Predator and Hints at Alien Connection

Director of Predator: Badlands Discusses Creating a Lovable Predator and Hints at Alien Connection

In Predator: Badlands, director Dan Trachtenberg is hoping audiences will not only fear but also connect with his version of the iconic predator.

Meet Dek, the protagonist of this new Predator film, portrayed by Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi. Unlike the usual villains in the franchise, which began with 1987’s Predator, Dek is a Yautja warrior at the center of the story. However, this isn’t just a simple tale of proving himself. As Trachtenberg explains to Entertainment Weekly, Dek undergoes some traumatic and violent experiences, ultimately finding himself on a hostile planet where everything seems out to get him.

The unique aspect of Badlands is that, unlike previous Predator films, the story is set in the predator’s home universe rather than Earth. According to Trachtenberg, the concept was driven by a central idea: the predator never wins. He points out, “That hasn’t happened in a Predator movie before,” and goes on to explain, “The predator never wins, but how can that still be a beautiful movie, not just from the bad guy’s perspective? How can it still be a full-meal experience?” This idea ultimately gave birth to Badlands.

To create a character audiences could emotionally engage with, Trachtenberg had to strike a balance. “We wanted to make Dek someone the audience could root for,” says the director. “But at the same time, we couldn’t ignore that he’s a creature—ferocious, and frankly, a badass.” Drawing inspiration from classic characters like Clint Eastwood, Mad Max, and Conan the Barbarian, Trachtenberg wanted Dek to exude an intimidating presence while also embodying a morally complex anti-hero.

One surprising decision was to reduce Dek’s most famous feature—the mask. While the team designed a “very cool” mask, it was ultimately decided that Dek wouldn’t wear it as much as previous predators. Trachtenberg compares this to how Shrek doesn’t wear a knight’s helmet throughout his story. “The idea is he’s a creature, and we want you to fall in love with him as he is,” he says.

Dek doesn’t embark on his journey alone. He finds an unexpected companion in Thia (played by Elle Fanning), a synthetic being created by Weyland-Yutani—the same company from the Alien franchise. However, don’t expect a full Predator vs. Alien showdown. Trachtenberg teases, “This movie is more of a subtle connection between the two franchises. It’s exciting, but I didn’t want to forcefully combine them. I wanted to tell a unique story.”

The decision to make Thia a robot rather than a human came from the need to keep the focus on Dek’s journey. “If she were human, people would start getting distracted by her story,” he explains. By making her a synthetic, Trachtenberg was able to avoid that and keep the focus on the chemistry between the characters, which he describes as “pretty interesting and bizarre.”

As Predator: Badlands prepares to debut at Comic-Con, Trachtenberg is reflecting on his journey. Having spent years attending the event as a fan, he’s overwhelmed by the opportunity to share his film in Hall H. “It’s beyond words for me,” he admits, recognizing how emotional the moment will be when the crowd gathers.

Predator: Badlands hits theaters on November 7th.

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