Predator: Badlands’ debut trailer has certainly sparked a number of questions among fans, not least about the design of the new Predator himself.
In an interview with Bloody disgusting, director Dan Trachtenberg revealed a number of new details about Predator: Badlands, including his fresh take on the famous sci-fi hunter.
The new Predator is called Dek and is played by Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi. Dek is described as an underdog Yautja “runt” in the protagonist role. Predator movies typically feature Yautja (the name given to the race of alien hunters) in antagonist roles.
Dek selects his hunting ground, a “Death Planet” called Kalisk, and it’s here he fights to prove his worth to his father and for acceptance within his own clan.
Dek, clearly, has a different design to the Predators that have come before him, with some saying he looks a lot more human-like than expected. Dek is also not as big or tall as some of the Predator villains we’ve seen in previous films, which fits with his “runt” protagonist role.
Predator: Badlands is Dek’s story, but he’s not alone on Kalisk. He also works with a character played by Elle Fanning, who as IGN has discussed, very much looks like a synth from the Alien franchise.
Trachtenberg said the on-screen relationship between Dek and Fanning’s character was inspired by 2005 PlayStation masterpiece Shadow of the Colossus.
“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,” Trachtenberg explained.
“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.”
Trachtenberg was, as you’d expect, tight-lipped on those Alien connections and Fanning’s character’s nature. “There’s a unique hook to her character that is exciting in the pairing of [her and Dek],” Trachtenberg teased.
Predator: Badlands launches on November 7, 2025. Before that, Trachtenberg’s animated anthology Predator: Killer of Killers comes out in June.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
