Predator: Badlands hit theaters on its stated opening date, with the interview embedded in io9’s coverage and cross-promotion for related sci-fi franchises.

Director Dan Trachtenberg is highlighted for taking the franchise in a bold new direction, blending expansive world-building with character-driven emotion, and earning praise for his imagination and heart from Elle Fanning.

Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi discuss Predator: Badlands, which repositions the Predator as the hero and features no human on screen, with Fanning playing two Weyland-Yutani synthetics and Schuster-Koloamatangi portraying Dek, a Predator via CGI facial capture.

Schuster-Koloamatangi describes a unique audition process, including an obstacle course, and explains his approach to conveying the presence and aura of a Yautja while revealing Dek’s vulnerability.

The interview explores the balance between practical effects and CGI, noting how on-location shoots shaped performances and how the creatures are perceived by the actors.

The actors reflect on recontextualizing the franchise after Badlands, noting potential future interactions with characters from earlier films and expressing affection for Naru from Prey who might appear in Killer of Killers.

The production emphasizes practical, on-location shoots in New Zealand alongside CGI-creatures like Kalisk and Bud, with in-depth discussions on creature design and on-set experiences.