Dan Trachtenberg Returns With Predator: Badlands Teaser

If you weren9t expecting a new live-action Predator movie any time soon (live-action, at that), your expectations have now been massively upended. As its title promises, 20th Century Studios has just dropped the first teaser trailer for a new live-action installment in the Predator franchise, which has the audacity to not only star the sci-fi franchise9s eponymous iconic killer alien, but also to make it the central hero.

In Predator: Badlands, viewers will follow the story of Dek, a young Predator cast out from his society and played by Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi. While the character is described as the titular Predator, the Predator in question is most definitely not the stoic, Terminator-esque killers audiences are used to. Not only is he the main character, but he9s not alone in his struggles, as he will be aided by a female android with whom he will form an unlikely friendship. The android, called Thia and played by Elle Fanning, will join Dek as the main protagonists fight ldquo;the ultimate enemyrdquo; in the upcoming feature: a massive beast that can9t be killed.rdquo;

However, the beast isn9t the only new element viewers can expect, as the single clip that makes up the teaser already hints at a potential broader scope in the mythology. To start with, rumors that the story will at least in part take place on the Predator home world are strongly confirmed by the glimpse we got of the shot of the alien planets and the Predator city in the teaser trailer. More generally, it appears that the franchise9s worldbuilding is finally coming into the spotlight, with multiple Predator killers shown in the alien city as they either face off against one another or enter brutal combat.

Predator culture in particular is already the subject of speculation, as director Dan Trachtenberg and co-writer Patrick Aison have promised that the focus will be on diving into the Yautja9s language, society, and rituals. That9s a marked shift from Trachtenberg9s previous entry into the Predator series, 20229s Prey, which was hailed as one of the franchise9s best by stripping it to its core to focus on the survivalist duel between its main characters in the 18th-century American Great Plains. Expect a richer insight into the Yautja lifestyle (as well as a return of the franchise9s high-tech killing machines) as Badlands premieres in theaters on November 7.

The rest of the action-packed teaser is equally up for speculation, as Elle Fanning9s character seems poised to be the focal point as much as Dek, trading glares of an icy intellect as the actor violently wields sci-fi weaponry and agilely takes action around their small Predalien squad. One notable new wrinkle is the crossover with the Alien franchise as the android is, of course, a Weyland-Yutani creation; trivia buffs and Alien fans, at the ready!

A Veteran Director at the Helm

Speaking of Dan Trachtenberg, it9s always a delight to see a talented and popular director get a second project after a highly acclaimed film, and he is no exception. After doing such a wonderful job reviving and rejuvenating the franchise as a whole with Prey and managing to find a much larger audience than its predecessors on Hulu, the filmmaker was an easy choice as the director to helm the next big step in the series.

On top of Predator: Badlands, Trachtenberg is also hard at work developing Predator: Killer of Killers for Hulu, his upcoming animated anthology series in which he will serve as showrunner. The series, due on Hulu June 6, will, as one may have guessed by the name, look at multiple Predator hunts in different periods and settings, effectively widening the narrative possibilities even further.

Teaser Details

Short though the first teaser trailer is, it still has plenty to work with. If you had any lingering doubts, the character of Dek and the Predator culture he is (mis)treated in will be at the heart of the movie. Plenty of clips show Predators, many of them wearing what looks like ceremonial armor and custom weaponry, engaged in all-out conflict with one another, as well as Dek stealthily making his way through hostile terrain.

There are, naturally, many more shots of the Terminator-like killer android (played by Fanning) as she commands high-tech weaponry, makes decisions with what can only be described as an eerie calm, and looks stunning doing so. Then there are shots of the mystery ldquo;unkillablerdquo; creature, who could be taken as either a Predator or an Alien at the moment, but who is an impressive-looking beast no matter what it is. Finally, the foreign, alien terrain where much of the action takes place is also glimpsed at length, showing its varied, expansive, and lush look.

All of this together points to the central twist of the movie9s apparent protagonist change; it9s not a hard left in characterization or premise by any means. If Dek is anything like some of the aliens we saw in Prey, it might not be a hero you can fully root for.

As a result, it has a very similar effect of making an audience see familiar genre tropes with a fresh eye. In other words, with Predator: Badlands, it9s not just its original title character audiences are reintroducing themselves to. The December 7 release date is now only four months away, which means further trailers (probably with more detailed lore, larger set-pieces, and possible explanations of what exactly their ldquo;ultimate enemyrdquo; is) are sure to hit in the coming months as well.

If this teaser is any indication, though, fans both of this central Predator9s arc and the franchise as a whole can already feel confident in this being the shake-up it9s needed for some time.