Dan Trachtenberg, the writer-director behind the 2022 Predator prequel Prey, is set to direct a new standalone film in the franchise, titled Badlands. The Hollywood Reporter was first to report.
Plot details for Badlands are currently under wraps, with production slated to begin later this year. Trachtenberg, who earned an Emmy nomination for his work on Prey, is expected to further expand the Predator universe with this latest installment. The success of Prey on Hulu, breaking records as the platform’s most-watched premiere, has spurred 20th Century Studios to explore the franchise further.
While release plans for Badlands are still pending, given the traction 20th Century got with Boogeyman in summer 2023, and the decision to release Alien: Romulus in theaters in August instead of solely on Hulu as initially intended, a theatrical premiere for Badlands seems plausible.
Trachtenberg is also set to serve as a director on the fifth and final season of Stranger Things and has previously directed projects including 10 Cloverfield Lane, the pilot for The Boys, and Black Mirror: Playtest.
The original Predator film, directed by John McTiernan, debuted in 1987, and starred Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers (who recently passed away), and Jesse Ventura as commandos pursued by an alien in the jungle. The film spawned three sequels: Predator 2 (1990), Predators (2010), and The Predator (2018).
In GameSpot’s Prey review, writer Mat Elfring says “if you’re a longtime fan of the Predator lore, digging into the movies, comics, and whatever else you can get your hands on, chances are you’ll like what’s presented.”
