Summary
The newly announcedPredatormovieBadlandshas set its sights on its new star. Celebrated actressElle Fanning, best known for her Golden Globe-winning performanceas Catherine the Great in the Hulu seriesThe Great(2020–2023), is expected to take on the lead role in Dan Trachtenberg’s upcoming sci-fi movie. Trachtenberg directed 2022’sPreystarring Amber Midthunder, which was the fifth mainline installment ofthe celebratedPredatorseriesthat began with the original 1987 classic starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
WithPrey 2already confirmedunder Trachtenberg’s direction, the pivot to focusing onBadlandsis somewhat surprising but ultimately great for the franchise at large.Badlandswill be written by screenwriter Patrick Aison, who wrote the screenplay forPreyas well, indicating that the upcoming Predator film looks to capitalize on the winning formula of Prey, which received a Rotten Tomatoes score of 94%. While Fanning isn’t necessarily known for starring in many sci-fi horrors, her acting talent alone makesBadlandsincredibly promising.
Elle Fanning Is An Interesting (& Exciting) Casting Choice For Badlands' Lead
Fanning’s lack of action experience actually makes her casting choice more intriguing
Fanning is an outstanding actress but is also not typically seen as an action star.
Fanning is an outstanding actress but is also not typically seen as an action star, which suggests thatBadlandsmay pivot thePredatorfranchise away from the action genre. Fanning has starred in a number of dramas since she made her feature film debut as a child star inI Am Sam(2001). The closest thing to an action movie that she has starred in is Steven Spielberg’sSuper 8from 2011. It seems likely that Fanning will be making a return to the action genre unless Trachtenberg and Aison completely switch things up withBadlands.
What is certain aboutBadlandsis that it will be a true sci-fi film based on it being a part of thePredatorfranchise. The film could end up veering more into the psychological horror or thriller genres rather than a full-on action adventure like Prey was, which could justify the reason for creating a brand new installment rather than going straight into production onPrey 2.IfBadlandsproves to be a success, there is even crossover potential between it andPreyand could theoretically pair Midthunder and Fanning together onscreen.
Prey 2 Can Pay Off 1 Awesome Predator Scene The Original Movie Cut
With Prey 2, the Predator franchise can still pay off an exciting deleted scene that was cut from the prequel hit Hulu original movie, Prey.
Elle Fanning Can Help Justify Making Badlands Before Prey 2
Fanning could spawn her own Predator series withing the franchise
The casting of Fanning provides a major clue as to the direction and tone ofBadlandsgiven her track record in dramas and thrillers.
It’s a bit of a surprise thatDisney, Trachtenberg, and Aison opted to do something new beforePrey 2, which is why it’s more than likely that Badlands will be a unique and different entity from thePreymovies. The casting of Fanning provides a major clue as to the direction and tone ofBadlandsgiven her track record in dramas and thrillers.
Ultimately, this shift in focus fromPrey 2toBadlandscan only be a good thing for the franchise.Preyfelt very fresh and exciting, so hopefullyBadlandscan capture some of that energy while venturing to new areas, which is better than making safe sequels that try to repeat the same formula.
Why Disney Is Making A Brand New Predator Movie Before Prey 2
Dan Trachtenberg is writing and directing a standalone Predator movie for Disney, and that raises questions about why it’s coming out before Prey 2.
Predator: Badlands
Cast
Predator: Badlands is a science fiction film set for release in 2025, building on the longstanding Predator franchise.
