WHEN DAN TRACHTENBERG was offered the chance to make another film set in the Predator universe — following his masterful 2022 prequel Prey — the obvious route didn’t interest him. “I wasn’t sure about just telling the next chapter in that story,” the director says, of continuing Prey’s saga about 18th-century Comanche warrior Naru (Amber Midthunder) and her travails against a certain dreadlocked alien. Instead, he wanted to “find another essential piece of cinema that does what Prey did spiritually — pushing the franchise’s boundaries, letting us root for a hero we rarely get to root for — but in a different way. And that transformed into this big idea of rooting for the Predator.” Yep, you read that right. This time, the extraterrestrial trophy-hunter with a penchant for skinning its victims is... the hero. “The creature is front and centre, leading the charge,” Trachtenberg grins. “He’s still badass, but there’s something there that touches you emotionally, too. Creating a character you connect with, but are also superintimidated by, has been challenging. But exciting.” Appearing alongside this unlikely protagonist is Elle Fanning, about whose role the director is keeping shtum — except to say that it’s actually roles, plural. “Elle plays more than one character,” Trachtenberg confirms. “She faced intense challenges on this movie — dramatically, physically, logistically.”
Shooting took place mostly in New Zealand, posing for an alien planet. “We had phenomenal locations,” says the director. “Prey tapped into the adventure-movie spirit, but this goes further. There’s more ‘fun’ and ‘funny’ in it, but it’s way darker than Prey, too.” And if Trachtenberg feels any pressure about following his critically lauded predecessor, he’s not showing it: “That’s one thing I’m not scared of, because I know audiences are driven by new experiences. And this [movie] is a brand-new experience.” Rooting for one of cinema’s most iconic villains — it doesn’t get much newer than that.