Preview:
- Dan Trachtenberg is making a new ‘Predator’ movie.
- It won’t be a direct sequel to his hit ‘Prey’.
- Patrick Aison is writing the script.
Back in 2022, director Dan Trachtenberg brought the ‘Predator’ franchise roaring back to life with ‘Prey’, a bold, fresh take on the idea of the aliens visiting Earth to hunt.
‘Prey’, though it was originally targeted for a theatrical release, found itself moved to streaming once 20th Century Fox was bought by Disney and the company decided not to let it go to HBO (where there was a deal for Fox releases after their cinematic run).
The result was record viewing figures for streaming service Hulu and a renewed interest in all things ‘Predator’.
Now Trachtenberg is back and has a new movie in the works called ‘Badlands’.
What’s the story of the new ‘Predator’ movie?
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the plot for the new film is being kept hidden for now. We do know that it is not planned as a direct sequel to ‘Prey’, which you might recall was set in 1719 and saw a Comanche woman (Amber Midthunder) dealing with the dismissive attitudes of the men around her, encroaching human threats and, oh yes, a skilled extraterrestrial hunter on the planet for sport.
But given Trachtenberg’s return (and that of writer Patrick Aison, who has crafted the new script from a story he worked on with the director), there’s every chance it could have some link to the 2022 movie.
All that is concrete about the new movie is that it’s set at some point in the future and will once more focus on a female human lead character.
All being well, Trachtenberg is aiming to have the movie shooting in July.
Related Article: Dan Trachtenberg Talks ‘Prey’ Blu-ray and the ‘Predator’ Franchise
What else is happening with the ‘Predator’ franchise?
While ‘Badlands’ is the one confirmed project to move from development into pre-production, Trachtenberg is reportedly also overseeing other potential ‘Predator’ concepts that could be handed off to other creative teams. This is Disney, after all, which rarely likes to let a chance for a new (or in this case, renewed) franchise to slip through its fingers.
If ‘Badlands’ is a success, expect plenty more ‘Predator’ projects to switch off their cloak of invisibility and start stalking our screens.
When will ‘Badlands’ be released?
Disney and 20th Century Studios have yet to announce a release date, nor confirm if it’ll be in theaters (but we figure it’s a good bet). With shooting set for this year, a 2025 slot seems likely.
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Buy ‘Predator’ Movies on Amazon