By Andrew Dalton
Updated: November 5, 2025
SAN DIEGO (AP) – The new movie “Predator: Badlands” uses a common story idea: two different people who must work together for a shared goal.
This film, the seventh in the series (not counting the “Alien vs. Predator” movies), has a light, funny feel because of this pairing. It’s like older movies where people are physically stuck together, such as one from 1958 where two men escape prison while chained to each other.
In “Predator: Badlands,” stars Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi faced a unique challenge. Their situation is similar to a scene in “The Empire Strikes Back,” where a tall creature carries a broken robot on its back while facing danger in space.
Director Dan Trachtenberg said the idea came from C-3PO being carried by Chewbacca. However, he pointed out that in this movie, the creature carrying the robot isn’t friendly but a Predator.
The movie’s original working title, which will be released this Friday, was “Backpack.”
During filming in New Zealand, Fanning and Schuster-Koloamatangi had to be very close, just like their characters in the movie. Fanning plays Thia, an artificial intelligence, whose top half is attached to the back of Schuster-Koloamatangi’s young Predator, Dek. Dek is trying to prove himself by hunting a very tough monster.
Fanning joked that the Predator’s braids kept hitting her face during the action scenes.
Trachtenberg and his team used different methods to make the backpack idea work.
Schuster-Koloamatangi said they tried every possible way to create the setup.
Fanning added that they went through mud, water, and rivers.
She mentioned that sometimes her co-star pulled her in a wheelbarrow, and other times they walked, with her pretending to be a backpack swinging around. They had to coordinate their steps, with her walking backward, saying things like, “Okay, left, right, left, right.”
When they weren’t back-to-back, Trachtenberg wanted them to be face-to-face.
The director explained that they used a special suit that allowed Schuster-Koloamatangi’s face to be visible. This way, he and Fanning could react to each other, even if only for a moment.
He said the goal of the movie was to create an emotional connection with this strange situation. This required a different approach, allowing them to do things that other movies in the series couldn’t do with its creature.
Trachtenberg, who is 44 years old, has taken over the series that started in 1987 with Arnold Schwarzenegger. He’s taking it to new times, places, and approaches.
He first directed “Prey” in 2022, which was set in 1719 on the Great Plains in the Comanche Nation. This shows a respect for American history and the stories of those who came before us.
His animated “Predator: Killer of Killers” includes stories set in 9th century Scandinavia, 17th century Japan, and World War II, highlighting the series’ ability to explore different cultures and time periods.
“Predator: Badlands,” which he co-wrote, is set in the future on a new planet, showing a move toward science fiction while still keeping the core themes of the series.
Trachtenberg mentioned at a Comic-Con event that he realized “The Predator never wins.” He wanted to explore this idea without making a typical horror movie.
Fanning and Schuster-Koloamatangi were two of only three actors listed in the credits.
Fanning has been acting since she was very young and is a seasoned professional at 27. While she’s been in movies before, this is her first time in a space-based science fiction film.
She joked that she’s usually on Earth or in a fantasy world. She added that her approach to the story, characters, and script is still the same.
She had more acting credits by age 5 than her 24-year-old co-star has in his career so far.
Schuster-Koloamatangi, who is over 7 feet tall, was hired locally in New Zealand. He appreciated being on familiar ground, even though most of the filming wasn’t comfortable.
He said with a laugh, “Home turf, baby.”
