Following the success of Predator: Badlands on streaming platforms, Dan Trachtenberg spoke with MovieWeb about revitalizing the Predator franchise. Recent films like 2022’s Prey and the animated Predator: Killer of Killers have made this the most successful period for the series since the original 1987 movie. Predator: Badlands is currently streaming on Hulu in the US and Disney+ internationally. Trachtenberg shared with MovieWeb that the 2009 Star Trek film was a significant inspiration.
The beginning of the 2009 Star Trek movie is amazing – it always makes me tear up. I haven’t seen another film grab your emotions so quickly, and it’s always been a goal of mine to achieve that same impact. With this movie, it was especially important because we wanted the audience to connect with and feel sympathy for a Yautja, almost as if it were a person. The opening of Star Trek 09 was a huge inspiration – we really aimed for that same powerful emotional response right from the start.
How Director Dan Trachtenberg Brings Emotion to the Franchise
20th Century Studios
It appears Dan Trachtenberg won’t be directing or producing any more Predator movies for a while. He’s made a deal with Paramount Pictures that lasts three years, but the Predator franchise is owned by 20th Century Studios. While he hasn’t ruled out returning to the series eventually, this arrangement means other filmmakers could take over the franchise. Thankfully, Trachtenberg’s recent work has revitalized Predator, leaving it in good shape for a new director to continue the story.
Director Trachtenberg explained to MovieWeb that he cast Elle Fanning as the robot after listening to the Happy Sad Confused podcast with Josh Horowitz. The podcast highlighted how “thoughtful, sweet, and charming” Fanning is, qualities he felt were perfect for portraying a robot that appeared kind and well-meaning. He also hinted that deleted scenes included in the DVD release will further develop the more human side of her character, Tessa.
We hope to see Trachtenberg explore characters like Dek and Tessa further if he returns to the Predator series.
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2026-02-21 19:17