As 20th Century Studios and director Dan Trachtenberg continue to expand the Predator franchise following the success of the recent instalment, Prey, a new project featuring the iconic extraterrestrial hunter has been announced.
According to Deadline, Trachtenberg is set to helm a standalone Predator movie titled Badlands, with Elle Fanning (The Neon Demon, Super 8) in the lead role. Plot details remain under wraps, but the story is believed to be set “sometime in the future.”
Trachtenberg reportedly aimed to cast an “established star” for this movie and began meeting with potential talent. Insiders close to the project say, “Fanning is a fan of the franchise, and once execs got wind of her interest, they moved quickly to set a meeting with her and Trachtenberg.”
In addition to Badlands, a direct sequel to the 2022 film Prey is also in the works, though details are still scarce. Deadline reports that the plan is to return to the original setting, with Amber Midthunder expected to reprise her role as Naru.
Trachtenberg shared thoughts on a potential sequel during an interview last year.
“For everyone who’s been asking me about sequels, it’s like, that is the thing, is that often times someone does a cool thing and the sequel is just….and then the next part, and then it’s like, oh, well then that’s just following up the cool. That isn’t what that thing was. And so yes, in thinking about what sequels could be, the primary conversation was and always will be, what we can do that is also special, that hasn’t happened yet. Not just for the Predator franchise, but for this kind of genre in particular. Can we still be doing something cool?”
“Prey is the story of a young woman, Naru, a fierce and highly skilled warrior who has been raised in the shadow of some of the most legendary hunters who roam the Great Plains. So when danger threatens her camp, she sets out to protect her people. The prey she stalks, and ultimately confronts, turns out to be a highly evolved alien predator with a technically advanced arsenal, resulting in a vicious and terrifying showdown between the two adversaries.”
Prey stars Amber Midthunder, newcomer Dakota Beavers, Stormee Kipp, Michelle Thrush, Julian Black Antelope, and Dane DiLiegro as the Predator. The film is directed by Dan Trachtenberg, written by Patrick Aison, and produced by John Davis, Jhane Myers, and Marty Ewing, with Lawrence Gordon, Ben Rosenblatt, James E. Thomas, John C. Thomas, and Marc Toberoff serving as executive producers.
Streaming now on Hulu in the U.S., Star+ in Latin America, and Disney+ under the Star banner in all other territories.
YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@reviewflicks
Twitter (X)
Review Flicks (@review_flicks) / X (twitter.com)
Comic Flick News 
Leave a comment