Director Dan Trachtenberg Discusses Predator: Badlands' Extraterrestrial Protagonist and Its Dystopian Setting
Check out the exciting peek we got of Predator: Badlands from 20th Century Studios! In this spin-off, the traditional Predator is front and center as he squares off against adversaries on an alien planet.
Director/co-writer Dan Trachtenberg shared some deets about the flick in an interview with BloodyDisgusting. The main character, a young Predator named Dek, portrayed by Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, is an outcast from his tribe and is on a quest to prove himself by finding a worthy enemy on the so-called "Dead Planet" of Kalisk.
Much like in Prey, Trachtenberg is striving to make Dek and his kin taken seriously. The Yautja dialect, for instance, was carefully crafted to be as authentic as Elvish from Lord of the Rings or Dothraki from Game of Thrones. This was done to prevent the film from spiraling into being overly lore-focused instead of story-driven. Trachtenberg describes Badlands as created with a specific purpose, unlike previous entries, and "extremely genre-specific." In his words, "Now, the Predator is on another planet, and he's the one being hunted, using his cunning to survive."
Dek's journey is aided by a key character, Thia, an android produced by Weyland-Yutani Corporation, portrayed by Elle Fanning. Thia's arc mirrors Dek's, but she ventures down a different path of proving herself. Trachtenberg mentions Frank Frazetta and Mad Max 2 as sources of inspiration, but it's Team Ico's Shadow of the Colossus that really influenced the dynamic between Dek and Thia. The films takes a "big, crazy swing," one Trachtenberg believes audiences could embrace. Predator: Badlands is set to hit theaters on November 7. For those yearning for classic Predator stories, the previous five movies will still be around for you. In the same interview, Trachtenberg discussed the movie's visuals, how Dex came to be, and you can read all about that here.
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- In an interview with BloodyDisgusting, director Dan Trachtenberg revealed details about the upcoming movie Predator: Badlands, where the traditional Predator is depicting a new frontier on the alien planet Kalisk.
- The main character, Dek, played by Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, is a young Predator who is an outsider in his tribe and is on a mission to prove his worth by finding a formidable opponent on the so-called Dead Planet of Kalisk.
- Trachtenberg has worked tirelessly to ensure that Dek and his kind are taken seriously, even going as far as meticulously crafting a unique Yautja dialect, akin to Elvish from Lord of the Rings or Dothraki from Game of Thrones.
- Predator: Badlands is scheduled to hit theaters on November 7 and is described by Trachtenberg as a story-driven exploration, unlike previous entries, and "extremely genre-specific."
- Elle Fanning plays Thia, an android developed by the Weyland-Yutani Corporation, who is also on a journey of proving herself but takes a different path from Dek. Trachtenberg drew inspiration from Frank Frazetta and Mad Max 2, but it was Team Ico's Shadow of the Colossus that significantly influenced the dynamic between Dek and Thia.
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