Dan Trachtenberg
The first major details about the upcoming Predator: Badlands film have been indirectly leaked! A casting call page has published details regarding the story about a mystery film, codenamed Backpack, currently filming in New Zealand.
The page mentions the studio is 20th Century Studios, the director is Dan Trachtenberg and Badlands is also listed on there. It’s a pretty solid confirmation that this is indeed the new Predator film Predator: Badlands.
We have the first synopsis of the film as well as details about the two lead characters. The story in Predator: Badlands features two storylines that deal with the bond between two sisters whose relationship is put to the test as they go on different paths.
Synopsis: A groundbreaking film in which one of the two main storylines delves into the intricate bond of two very different sisters, their familial ties are put to the ultimate test as they pursue divergent paths and missions.
The page mentions a casting call for the lead actress to play two sisters called Thia and Tessa. The actress would be in her mid 20s to mid 40s. Thia has spent most of her life in a laboratory and “is going on her first big adventure in the world”. Her sister is called Tessa and “has a militant intensity” when it comes to completing her goals and objectives.
[THIA/TESSA] – This casting is for a dual character, and describes both characters. Character identifies as female or non-binary, open ethnicity, mid 20s – mid 40s. Thia has spent most of her life in a laboratory and is now embarking on her first big adventure in the world. She is incredibly smart, witty, enthusiastic, and unflappable. She has an innate disregard for danger, not because she’s fearless, but simply because she’s naive. Strong comedy chops required. // The other sister, Tessa, has a militant intensity when it comes to achieving her family’s goals and mission objectives. She will not let anything get in her way, not even her twin sister.
The casting call also mentions they are in New Zealand between June and September 2024. It says the lead actress must be 5’8″ or shorter, must be comfortable training for heavy action as well as wearing prosthetics/heavy makeup.
After doing some digging, an article on the NZHerald mentioned in July that an American movie was being filmed in Rotorua. Production then moved onto filming in Te Kuiti. Production was then said to be heading to South Head next, the peninsula just north of Helensville.
Another article on NZHerald also posted three set pictures of a big Hollywood movie filming in Hamurana Springs in Rotorua. Chances are this was also Predator: Badlands.
Predator: Badlands was announced along with Prey 2 back in February with Dan Trachtenberg returning to direct. He would be developing the story with Patrick Aison who was also writing the screenplay. The only thing we knew back then was the film would be set in the future. Then back in June, it was reported that Elle Fanning was in talks for the lead role. Things have definitely progressed since then with filming already underway in New Zealand.
Thanks to Johnny Handsome for the news.
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A human predator hybrid like in Concrete Jungle has high chances of looking goofy as f**k. It needs to be thoroughly thought through if it's ever gonna be on screen.
Eh, I don't know that "cool" is the word i'd use. It's a potentially cool concept, but in that game the half-human guy was kinda goofy. If I remember right he roars at one point and I distrinctly remember laughing out loud and saying "Oh, no!"
All this talk about equally built men with similar cuts gave me Soldier vibes.
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agreed - absolutely not.
Well that's what happened in Predator Concrete Jungle, and it was kinda cool.
I can think of only one guy who is this....
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNGFmNzk4OTItNDA4Yi00Y2MwLTg3YWQtNzAxOWExM2U1MDI2XkEyXkFqcGdeQVRoaXJkUGFydHlJbmdlc3Rpb25Xb3JrZmxvdw@@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg
Seriously, this storyline should be touched in future media, as Illfonic just left that dangling.
If I were to write this, his enhanced abilities would be enough to overpower a regular even top tier human, but wouldn't be on par with a Predator, however be enough to not get beaten bad like in the first film. Like how in Terminator Salvation when Marcus was strong enough to get some decent hits in on the T-800, but the T-800 was still significantly superior to him.
Shouldn't matter who the protagonist is so long as their struggle against stronger enemies are done right. Arnie got his ass kicked, and so should anyone else who would try to engage a predator in physical combat.
Don't mind the idea of there being other dangerous fauna either so long as its not the dopey looking predator dogs from The Predator.
We could be furthering some major The Predator elements 💔
And for that, female and male are equally capable of doing it.
Would be very, very open to this.
Lil bro said Prey and Romulus are getting destroyed because female leads despite being top tier films getting great reviews and making bank lol. All I'm saying is prep for that banhammer, ya'll been warned twice crying about women now
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Some people say multiple Predators due to having monsters in there, but perhaps it could be either the local dangerous fauna OR just wording to keep things vague. Gotta keep everything on the down low until trailer release and all that I bet.
They have 'shook' things up enough, so much in fact that they are destroying these great franchises. It's okay for men to be the strong ones too... And a little more believable.
And having a male lead take on a bigger monster hasn't been done before? That'd be so new and inventive and really shake things up and break the mold?
Every monster movie is playing by the same script.
Yep. This all combined definitely makes me think there's more at play here than just a standard human army.
Possible; my first thought goes to clones of some kind. Kind of odd that they specify all the extras have to be the same ethnicity. Like, not just around the same height and build, but ethnicity also? Sus.
Yeah but if they were just military men, would they have to be that heavily standardized in body structure? Perhaps, but...
Honestly, the broad shoulders + skinny waist combo (plus a very military sounding haircut) makes me think of The Way of Water's Recoms.
Plus Trachtenberg already done that so he possibly wants a story where he can play with more than one this time.
Also "monsters," plural. More than one Predator?
Hmmm. They're looking for some very specific, standardized requirements in the build of these extras. Makes me think more about the possibility of non-human (or human adjacent, via experimentation) characters in this...
https://i.imgur.com/VdqSV9O.jpeg
I liked Chappie quite a bit. It wasn't amazing. I just thought it was fun and a little warm.
"You mean Gran Torino?"
I found Elysium bland, and I hypothetically ought to love everything about Chappie but it just does not come together, and starring two child abusers does not help.
I do hate Demonic and don't much care for Gran Turismo. The Oats stuff was kind of all over the map. Don't like the sound of his "Alien 5" project.
I'd like to see him succeed and do something cool again, though.
Not sure about this
I do like his vision of the future, its what I hoped for in a future story for any of the three series. This has always been my favorite piece done, as it captures what I'm looking for:
https://www.avpgalaxy.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/city-1.jpg
I just don't much like the guy.
Is it that bad?