We got word earlier this year that 20th Century Studios and director Dan Trachtenberg had plans in place to expand the Predator franchise following the success of the most recent instalment, Prey, and the next project to feature the iconic extraterrestrial big game hunter has now been announced.
Deadline reports that Trachtenberg is set to helm a standalone Predator movie titled Badlands, with Elle Fanning (The Neon Demon, Super 8) on board to play the lead role. Plot details are still under wraps, but the story is believed to be set "sometime in the future."
Trachtenberg is said to have wanted to land an "established star" for this movie, began taking meetings with talent. Insiders close to the project say, "Fanning is a fan of the franchise and once execs got wind of her interest, moved to set a meeting with her and Trachtenberg."
As for Prey, a direct sequel to the 2022 film is also happening, though details are still few and far between. Deadline believes that the plan is to return to the movie's original setting, and star Amber Midthunder is expected to reprise her lead role as Naru.
"I think a lot of people thought our movie would be some super-woke, F-the-patriarchy kind of a story, and that's not what it's about at all," the Legion actress said during an interview with People when asked about the perception that Prey was too woke. "It's not a girl defying what men say she can and can't do. It's literally an individual who feels called to something and the people who know her don't think that is her calling. That is so much more personal and, I think, as the character, harder to deal with than anything."
"People don't know a lot about native history. Period. So they don't know what kind of warriors we were," Midthunder continued. "They were known for being some of the fiercest warriors of all. And they did have female-warrior society, so there were women that fought and hunted."
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"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.