Predator: Badlands director teases “fun” new Predator movie, as he likens its lead characters to Chewbacca and C-3PO: “There’s nothing like a laugh amidst all the violence”

Across the decades, devotees of the Predator series have learned to anticipate two constants from every fresh installment: viscera and havoc. Yet with the forthcoming follow-up Predator: Badlands, director Dan Trachtenberg is aiming to stir a hearty dose of “fun” and levity into the venerable sci-fi-horror brand.

“I’ve joked that it feels like Chewbacca and C-3PO: The Motion Picture—only here C-3PO is the jumpy worrywart, whereas the joy of Thia is how utterly unfazed she remains,” Trachtenberg tells the cover story of the newest SFX magazine, arriving at retailers September 10. “She stays upbeat no matter the chaos. You catch a glimpse of that spirit in the teaser when she leaps into view right after carving through a pack of monstrosities. Sticking such a buoyant soul beside a tight-lipped, no-nonsense Yautja—think Clint Eastwood, Mad Max, or even Conan—creates an odd-couple dynamic we’ve never witnessed in Predator, or even Alien for that matter.”

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Largely unfolding on Yautja Prime—the hunters’ home planet first shown in Trachtenberg’s lauded anthology entry Predator: Killer of Killers—Badlands follows exiled warrior Dek (Dimitrius Koloamatangi) as he teams up with Weyland-Yutani android Thia (Elle Fanning). The duo embark on a perilous quest to confront the deadliest foe imaginable and secure Dek’s status as the ultimate Predator.

“A figure like Thia injects the film with levity that neatly counterbalances the savagery,” explains Trachtenberg, who cites childhood favorites such as Police Academy, The Naked Gun, and True Lies as tonal influences. “A well-timed chuckle can be the perfect release valve when things get brutal. I adore that blend of humor and spectacle; straight comedies rarely click for me. So crafting a story where I could lean into those action-comedy beats was an absolute blast.”

Predator: Badlands stalks into UK and US cinemas on November 7. Dive deeper in the upcoming SFX issue, on sale Wednesday, September 10. Spot the Predator: Badlands cover below before it spots you…

I serve as an Entertainment Writer at GamesRadar+, tackling everything television and cinema for our Total Film and SFX desks. My bylines have also appeared at Digital Spy, SciFiNow, PinkNews, FANDOM, Radio Times, and Total Film magazine.