Predator: Badlands Director Confirms 'Death Planet' Name, the New Predator’s Name, and Reveals Inspiration From Shadow of the Colossus

The debut trailer for Predator: Badlands has ignited a flurry of excitement and curiosity among fans, particularly regarding the new Predator's design.

In a revealing interview with Bloody Disgusting, director Dan Trachtenberg shared intriguing details about Predator: Badlands, including his innovative approach to the iconic sci-fi hunter. The new Predator, named Dek and portrayed by Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, breaks from tradition by taking on the role of an underdog Yautja "runt" as the protagonist. Typically, Yautja, the alien hunters of the Predator universe, are cast as antagonists.

Dek chooses a "Death Planet" called Kalisk as his hunting ground, where he battles to earn his father's approval and acceptance within his clan. Unlike previous Predators, Dek's design leans towards a more human-like appearance and is smaller in stature, fitting his "runt" role.

Predator: Badlands focuses on Dek's journey, but he is not alone on Kalisk. He collaborates with a character played by Elle Fanning, whose appearance has sparked discussions on IGN about potential connections to the Alien franchise, particularly due to the Weyland Yutani logo visible in her eyes.

That's the Weyland Yutani logo on Elle Fanning's eyes. Is she a synth?

Trachtenberg drew inspiration for the dynamic between Dek and Fanning's character from the 2005 PlayStation classic Shadow of the Colossus. He expressed his admiration for video games, noting, "As inspired as I am by movies, I’ve been very inspired by video games [like] Shadow of the Colossus, where you have a protagonist paired with someone else who provides color and connection."

He elaborated on this inspiration, saying, "There’s a thing with a horse in Shadow of the Colossus that’s devastating when you play the game. And so [Predator: Badlands] was a little bit inspired by that in terms of wanting to see the Predator with someone else, this character who’s the opposite of him. He’s very laconic, [Fanning] is not. She’s capable in ways that he is not. Physically, she’s got a real thing that I’m so excited for you guys to see. But I want to let eventually some of that speak for itself."

While Trachtenberg remained coy about the potential Alien connections and the true nature of Fanning's character, he hinted at a unique aspect to her role, saying, "There’s a unique hook to her character that is exciting in the pairing of [her and Dek]."

Predator: Badlands is set to launch on November 7, 2025. Prior to that, fans can look forward to Trachtenberg's animated anthology Predator: Killer of Killers, scheduled for release in June.