Predator Franchise Reinvented with Yautja Protagonist in Badlands

In the lead-up to the November 7th theatrical release of Predator: Badlands, director Dan Trachtenberg is making bold moves to reinvent the long-running Predator franchise. Trachtenberg, known for his work on 10 Cloverfield Lane and Prey, has taken the unprecedented step of positioning a Yautja (the alien species commonly referred to as the Predator) as the protagonist of his latest installment.

Trachtenberg's decision to center the story around a discarded Yautja named Dek, who teams up with a Weyland-Yutani synthetic named Thia, has raised eyebrows among fans. However, the director believes this approach will allow him to delve deeper into the Yautja culture and code while still delivering the thrilling action audiences expect.

Trachtenberg's ambition received a major boost when he received an unexpected endorsement from none other than James Cameron, the director of Aliens, the second film in the Predator's sister franchise. After visiting Cameron's studio in New Zealand, where Trachtenberg was prepping Badlands, the acclaimed filmmaker expressed his confidence in the project, telling Trachtenberg, "I was just thinking about what you're doing, and I think it's going to work."

In the lead-up to Badlands, Trachtenberg also released the animated Predator: Killer of Killers, which explores historical Predator stories across different time periods. The film's ending even features cameos from iconic Predator franchise characters Dutch (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Harrigan (Danny Glover), further expanding the narrative possibilities.

As Trachtenberg navigates the challenges of reinventing the Predator franchise, his bold vision and the support of industry heavyweights like Cameron suggest that the future of this iconic sci-fi series is in capable hands.