Dan Trachtenberg isn’t yet leaving behind the world of the Yautja just yet.
Trachtenberg has been at the helm of the Predator franchise for its three most recent installments, 2022’s Prey and both 2025’s Killer of Killers and Badlands, all of which proved to be critical hits. The latter, in particular, set a new high for the series at the box office, grossing over $184 million worldwide, making it believed that he would return for another film, particularly the previously planned Prey 2. However, the industry was taken aback when it was revealed he signed a first-look producing and directing deal at Paramount.
Now, in an interview with ScreenRant‘s Ash Crossan for Badlands‘ home media release, Trachtenberg was asked about his Predator future in the wake of said Paramount deal. The director confirmed he’s currently still in the planning process of what he wants to do next with the sci-fi action franchise, explaining that his new deal will be a “simultaneous thing” with creating more Predator, and that “timing [will be] a bit of a thing” when deciding his projects going forward:
Dan Tratchtenberg: Well, Predator, I’m in this zone of dreaming up more, like I said, as I had been previously. And then Paramount is this incredible opportunity to make original things that have been in my heart and mind for a long time. I’m thrilled to have a place to make them theatrically. And they also have some very cool IP that I could now get to think about, like, “Oh, what might I do with that?” So, it’s a simultaneous thing, but Paramount now is definitely really exciting, and I’ve been writing stuff to hopefully make there.
When asked more specifically about his plans for the future, particularly the previously announced Prey 2, Trachtenberg described he’s working to “think of what would be special” for the franchise’s next chapter. Comparing it to his time after his 2022 franchise debut, when he “had the notion of what Badlands is” and “what Killer of Killers is,” with the pair having “just so happened [to be] made at the same time,” he’s now in a “multipronged [state of] thinking” about where to take “this cool story” next:
Dan Tratchtenberg: “Okay, we now have this cool story, we now have these other characters that would be cool to make more with, but is there anything else that we haven’t seen in the franchise, or anything else in sci-fi that would be so cool to do as another entry point?” It’s like all three of [my movies] — Prey, Killers of Killers and Badlands — are entry points of the franchise. So, I’m thinking along those lines, as well.
Trachtenberg’s deal at Paramount marked one of multiple that the studio, in the wake of its Skydance merger, has made with filmmakers. Others have included Stranger Things duo the Duffer Brothers, Wicked‘s Jon M. Chu and A Complete Unknown‘s James Mangold, among others. Unlike some of these filmmakers, however, Trachtenberg doesn’t currently have any confirmed projects at Paramount, leaving his schedule open to simultaneously pitch ideas to the studio, as well as plot out Predator.
Though it’s unclear where in the potential development stage his Paramount deal was around the time of the most recent movie’s release, Trachtenberg has often been clear he remains invested in developing another Predator film. The director previously confirmed his intent to build on Badlands‘ cliffhanger ending and explore Dek’s relationship with his mother, while also teasing thoughts on exploring Killer of Killers‘ reveal that Naru and other survivors of Yautja hunts have been cryogenically frozen and taken to Yautja Prime.
The other most probable return for Trachtenberg to the Predator franchise is the long-awaited Prey 2 with Amber Midthunder returning as Naru. The star has remained keen to reprise her role in the three years since the first film became a streaming sensation, while the filmmaker has also frequently affirmed interest in a sequel, while never explicitly stating what his plan is for such a follow-up.
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With Badlands also closer setting up the possibility of a new Alien vs. Predator crossover, and his producing partner Ben Rosenblatt having confirmed talks with Arnold Schwarzenegger to return, there are a number of ways for Trachtenberg to keep his Predator tenure alive. And with the filmmaker now confirming he has no intention of leaving the series behind, even as he branches out to plans at Paramount, fans of his three films can take comfort knowing the franchise’s creative streak should stay alive and well.
Trachtenberg Was Thrilled He Didn’t Cut The Predator: Badlands Scene That Became A Fan-Favorite
ScreenRant: I think there’s a lot of credit to you about what you’ve done with the Predator franchise, making it super interesting, intriguing, and maybe people would say reviving it in a way. Is there anything that you are seeing maybe at Paramount where you’re like, “There’s something I want to do with this that just hasn’t been done yet” that’s an existing property?
Dan Tratchtenberg: There’s stuff there that I have had those thoughts. Funny enough, there’s things there that, long time ago, I had pitched a take for that didn’t happen. And then that became, “Oh wait, I could use that here instead.” I always have this story, that apocryphal story, stuck in my head of Spielberg wanting to do — he was in Hawaii with George Lucas, and he was upset that he couldn’t do James Bond, because they wouldn’t hire an American filmmaker. And George was like, “Don’t worry, kid, I got something for you. I got the thing. Let’s make our own James Bond, so to speak.” So, I’ve always carried that with me of like, “Okay, don’t worry. They didn’t say yes to this, but let’s do it on your own terms.” And lots of Predator ideas came from that historically for me. And there’s stuff at Paramount that unfortunately, now I’ve done in different ways, but also things that I have had that we’ve never seen X done in this way, but the truly exciting thing really was the opportunity to make things that aren’t even an IP yet, that might be one day.
ScreenRant: Whenever I picture George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, I always picture that they’re building a sandcastle while they’re having this conversation.
Dan Tratchtenberg: You could definitely ask AI to make that picture for you. I can see the AI weird version of that. I see two lounge chairs and drinks with umbrellas in them and Hawaiian shirts. They’re both wearing Hawaiian shirts. [Laughs]
ScreenRant: I have time for one more question. I just want to highlight just how much I love Bud, and I don’t think I realized it as much until recently that he’s just my favorite. What has been your favorite reaction to Bud?
Dan Tratchtenberg: I think people really do go on the ride with Bud and are like, “Oh, what are the … ” And then start to warm up to him. I hate to say it, but the heartbreak of what he goes through. Inside a movie, nothing is surprising to you, and you forget that the movie does have surprises. Here’s what I’ll say, I’ll give you a better answer, is the scene by the campfire where he mimics Dek, which was a direct Jaws homage, or rip off. I was certain it was going to be cut from the movie, because it’s not narratively essential, and it’s a long scene and it’s a long sidebar scene. Me and the editors, we kept on trying to find a way to make it feel more essential. I thought it was going to be dead the first time we showed the studio. It was not. I thought it was going to be dead the first time we showed an audience. It was people’s favorite scene, and it gets very audible reactions. And that was so heartening, because I was mentally preparing before anyone had seen it, “I get why this could go. I get why people — and it’s all visual effects and it’s expensive.” But people really did take to that scene, and I love that it exists in a Predator movie. And yeah, that was a great reaction.
Predator: Badlands is now available on Hulu, 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD.
- Created by
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Jim Thomas, John Thomas
- First Film
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Predator
- Cast
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Carl Weathers, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kevin Peter Hall, Peter Cullen, Derek Mears, Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Adrien Brody, Topher Grace, Walton Goggins, Françoise Yip, Boyd Holbrook, Olivia Munn, Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers
- Movie(s)
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Predator, Predator 2, Predators, Predator, Prey
Predator is an action sci-fi franchise created by Jim and John Thomas, beginning with the original film released in 1987. The franchise follows a warrior alien race known as the Yautja who travel the far reaches of space looking for worthy prey to hunt, constantly bringing them to Earth due to the sheer amount of conflict harbored on it. The series has spun off into comic books and animated features and has even enjoyed several crossover events via film and video games with the Aliens franchise.
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