The next Predator movie already sounds like a great direction for the franchise

According to a piece in The Hollywood Reporter On Friday, director Dan Trachtenberg got the green light for a second Predator film, following his straight-to-Hulu horror thriller Prey. But while Prey‘S critical success and streaming success as Hulu’s most-watched premiere ever fans had expected one Prey 2 would eventually be made, the report says Trachtenberg’s new Predator film will be called Badlandsand will be set “sometime in the future.”

As vague as that sounds – and as exciting as it may be to return to Amber Midthunder’s Great Plains Comanche warrior Naru in a direct sequel to Prey – the news is an early hint that Trachtenberg will be given the freedom to make the Predator movie he wants to make. And that’s inherently good news for fans of the franchise.

“While making (Prey) we really enjoyed thinking of all the special, unique things we could do, not only in this franchise but in this genre, that would be unexpected,” Trachtenberg told Polygon in late 2023.. “Some things happened that were very much expected, but some things weren’t at all. And so all that stuff was and remains a lot of fun to think about and explore.

The idea of ​​doing Prey as a period piece set in the 18th century, rather than a modern thriller like the original film, or the 2018 Shane Black installment The predator, was seen as a risk. It was an unexpected turn for the franchise, one that was guaranteed Prey could not rely on big guns or high-tech weapons for its action. But that also turned out to be the film’s strength, both because the setting resets the stakes for anyone fighting a Predator, and because it allowed Trachtenberg to explore the visual design of the opponent and the combat methods needed to deal with them. to rethink.

“We wanted to change it more than ever before, so that it could be a new sight and a new sensation, even for diehard fans of the franchise,” Trachtenberg told Polygon at the time.

It’s clearly too early to know how Badlands follows Trachtenberg’s drive for innovation and the unexpected in the Predator franchise. But considering he’s not returning to the same designs, setting and characters for this next crack at the series, it’s a safe bet he wants to do something specific with it – and that the producers at 20th Century Studios have faith in his vision rather than insisting that he copies himself by reproducing all the elements that made him Prey a hit.

THR reports that the studio is planning “a host of Predator projects, with Trachtenberg at the center” – another vague promise, but one that sounds a bit like he’s become the James Gunn of the Predator franchise. Having one person to help shape the series, especially one who has already expressed interest in breaking the series out of its repetitive mold, seems like a push in the right direction.

No release date has been set yet Badlandsbut THR says production will take place in summer 2024, likely pointing to a 2025 release.