Prey director Dan Trachtenberg will helm a new standalone movie in the Predator franchise, which will release before the expected Prey 2.
A new Predator movie is in the works from Prey director Dan Trachtenberg. After the success of the original 1987 movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, the decades-spanning Predator franchise has had its fair share of ups and downs. The most recent installment, Prey, was released on Hulu in 2022, with Trachtenberg's unique vision for the franchise earning great reviews from critics and audiences alike.
Now, THR reports that a new standalone Predator movie called Badlands is in development with Trachtenberg attached to direct. While plot details are being kept under wraps, the report states that it could be set in the future with a female lead. Badlands is expected to enter into production later this year, with Trachtenberg reportedly already meeting with talent for the lead role. The film will release before Prey 2, which is still in development.
After 2018's poorly-received The Predator, Prey breathed new life into the decades-old franchise. No sequel had really been able to recapture what had made John McTiernan's original so beloved while also pushing things in a new direction until Trachtenberg's prequel, which takes place in 1719 and follows a female Comanche warrior named Naru. The Prey critics' reviews are actually the franchise's best ever, as seen in the chart below:
Title
Rotten Tomatoes Score
Predator (1987)
80%
Predator 2 (1990)
30%
Predators (2010)
65%
The Predator (2018)
34%
Prey (2022)
94%
While details about Badlands are scarce, Trachtenberg proved with Prey that he can effectively balance honoring the franchise's roots while also introducing fresh new ingredients. Prey was a back-to-basics film in many ways, with only one Predator serving as the villain instead of the multiple that appeared in other installments. The character work, too, was a standout in Prey, with Amber Midthunder's protagonist given plenty of development, making her arc and final showdown with the Yautja particularly intense.
Prey is currently available to stream on Hulu.
In addition to his strong work on Prey, Trachtenberg has previously proven his ability to enliven existing franchises with 10 Cloverfield Lane. That film takes a completely new approach after the success of the original Cloverfield, and might even be the better movie. It remains to be seen how Badlands will come together, but Trachtenberg will evidently be a key part of the Predator franchise moving forward.
Source: THR
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