PREDATOR IS EVOLVING INTO SOMETHING NEW

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The individual is single-handedly ushering the franchise into a new era, having recently discussed the monumental task that began when brainstorming three separate concepts for upcoming installments in the nearly 40-year-old sci-fi action series. Many fans were skeptical that the 2022 film “Prey” could even compare to the original 1986 Arnold Schwarzenegger movie, let alone with a female lead. However, Trachtenberg’s taut and exhilarating movie surpassed audience and critic expectations alike.

Currently, he’s returning to the scene with a fresh live-action “Predator” film and an animated anthology movie titled yet, set to premiere on Hulu/Disney+ in June. In a recent press conference (as reported by ComicBook), Trachtenberg shared his journey with the Predator franchise. He mentioned that “Prey” wasn’t initially the film he was most eager to create as it wasn’t the project he originally had in mind. He stated:

Among the three captivating concepts I had, the one that initially ignited my enthusiasm was “Badlands.” However, another notion, “Prey,” also piqued my interest significantly. The allure of Prey lay in the opportunity to reimagine the Predator character across various time periods and weave a compelling narrative around it. What truly set Prey apart, though, wasn’t merely its temporal diversity; it was how seamlessly the Predator storyline enriched our own tale. I didn’t want to simply transplant them into different eras; instead, I aimed to craft a narrative where their presence significantly enhanced the overall story.

I was curious about this – if we were to repeat such an experience, how could we make it unique? And what sort of narrative could we create that would be both exciting and powerful, yet filled with emotion and theme development, focusing on character growth as well?

Dan Trachtenberg Is Taking Predators Through Time

Instead of sticking to a predictable formula, Trachtenberg saw an opportunity to innovate with the Predator franchise. A key part of his vision involved placing the Predator in diverse time periods and environments, which ultimately resulted in the creation of “Killer of Killers”. Remarkably, this film was produced alongside his work on “Badlands”, as he described it as being produced “foolishly” at that time.

Pondering various eras, I became intrigued by the concept: what if we created an animated film that allowed us to explore aspects of ourselves not typically portrayed? We’ve already made numerous Predator films, and this one is uniquely distinct. However, it still retains the essence… The aspect I enjoy in Predator films is their hard-R rating, filled with intense violence. Wouldn’t it be exciting to present that in a different format? So, during the same timeframe, we produced Killer of Killers, both recklessly and wonderfully.

Despite predictions that the Predator franchise would fade after Disney acquired Fox, it has unexpectedly flourished instead. As for whether Badlands and Killer of Killers will receive the same acclaim as Prey remains to be seen, but since Trachtenberg appears to have a firm vision for the series, it could significantly impact its future success.

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2025-04-09 03:39