Badlands’ Director Signs New First-Look Deal With Paramount

Last year’s Predator: Badlands became the highest-grossing entry in the sci-fi series, an achievement made all the more impressive knowing how many attempts at resurrection the concept has earned over the decades. Director Dan Trachtenberg deserves significant praise, not only for Badlands, but for preceding that with 2022’s Prey and the animated Predator: Killer of Killers, which earned the franchise some of its best reviews to date. Despite having the magic touch with Predator, the filmmaker has recently signed a deal with Paramount Pictures that might impact future Predator films.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, Trachtenberg has signed a three-year first-look directing and producing deal, allowing him to develop and direct projects at the studio, alongside his producing partner, Ben Rosenblatt. The filmmaker shared in a statement:

“As a kid I remember seeing the Paramount logo and dreaming of the epic adventure that would follow … Now to have the opportunity to bring new huge and emotional stories to giant screens is literally a dream come true. Ben and I cannot wait to join Dana [Goldberg], Josh [Greenstein], Don, and the entire Paramount team in pursuing our shared vision of making Paramount once again the apex of cinema.”

A Return to His Roots

Trachtenberg’s last three films were all made for 20th Century Studios, and all three were major successes, even if Prey went straight to Hulu. Before he had these hits, though, Trachtenberg made his feature-film debut back in 2016 with 10 Cloverfield Lane. After 2008’s Cloverfield became a found-footage phenomenon, the concept lay dormant for years, and just two months before it was released, a single trailer for 10 Cloverfield Lane was released. Despite abandoning the found-footage format, the quasi-sequel secured a 91% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Greenstein and Goldberg shared of the new partnership, “Dan has an extraordinary ability to deliver films that are both daring and deeply entertaining. He has a rare instinct for tension, scale, and storytelling that connects with audiences worldwide. We’re excited to welcome him to the studio.”

What Does This Mean for ‘Predator’?

20th Century Studios

Thanks to Trachtenberg’s success with three Predator films, the filmmaker has been considered the “architect” of the franchise. Even with how well Badlands performed, there hasn’t been an official announcement about what will be the series’ next chapter. In 2018, The Predator landed in theaters, which marked the first big-screen adventure since 2010’s Predators, and that Shane Black-directed installment failed to revive the franchise.

First with the streaming-only live-action release Prey, then with the animated streaming release Predator: Killer of Killers, and then with Badlands, there’s more potential for the franchise in various mediums and platforms than ever. If Trachtenberg is set to invest his time and energy into this deal with Paramount, it could mean he has to hand the reins of Predator over to someone else. However, without an official title confirming his involvement with 20th Century Studios, it’s also possible that this deal will still allow him to oversee the future of that universe while still developing his own projects for Paramount.