Latest news with #Dek
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
‘She's broken in many ways': Elle Fanning teases her Predator: Badlands character
Elle Fanning has teased her character Thia will be the Predator Dek's 'little companion' in Predator: Badlands. The 27-year-old actress portrays the synthetic - a biomechanical humanoid - opposite Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi's Yautja hunter Dek in the upcoming action movie, and Fanning has now given fans some clues as to what to expect out of her character in Predator: Badlands. Speaking with Screen Rant, Fanning said of Dek: 'He's speaking another language, and Thia is there to guide him in a lot of ways, and to be his buddy. 'But I think she's also wanting respect, as well. I think Dek wants respect in the film from other things you'll figure out, and Thia also wants her respect also from Dek, in some ways. 'So, she is his little companion, his little buddy, and I love she has a different personality than any other synthetic we've seen before in any of the films.' The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping star added it was 'nice' to collaborate with director Dan Trachtenberg in fleshing out Thia, and teased the 'friendship' that develops between her character and Dek. She continued: 'It was nice to work with Dan to kind of mould that personality, and almost more of a positive attitude. 'But I love the friendship between the two, because as you see, Thia is broken in many ways, and Dek is kind of the runt of his clan. So, it's a little bit of these two misfits coming together.' Predator: Badlands follows the young hunter Dek (Schuster-Koloamatangi) after he has been outcast from his clan and sent to a remote planet where he forms an unlikely alliance with Thia (Fanning) as the pair search for the ultimate adversary. Trachtenberg previously said Dek - who will be the first Yautja protagonist in a Predator movie instead of the antagonist - was inspired by action icons like Mad Max and Conan the Barbarian. The filmmaker told Empire magazine: 'He's a thing of few words, pretty blunt. He cuts straight to the point. Literally and figuratively.' Trachtenberg added Dek was viewed as the 'runt of the litter' among his clan, and the director wanted audiences to root for the character. He explained: 'That feels like a big idea, not just within Predator, but in sci-fi generally. 'In most sci-fi universes, the 'creatures' are either bad guys or sidekicks. In [Predator: Badlands] it's, 'What if you were with the creature on this crazy mission to prove itself, seeing everything through its eyes?'' Trachtenberg had also teased he has taken a 'big, crazy swing' with Predator: Badlands - which will land in cinemas on November 7, 2025. The moviemaker told Bloody Disgusting: 'It's a big, crazy swing, and I think that's what drives butts into seats. 'If you want the same old Predator experience, you can hit play on Predator or Prey or any other, whichever one is your fit.'
Business Recorder
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Business Recorder
‘Predator: Badlands' propels predator perspective at Comic-Con
SAN DIEGO: The latest movie in the 'Predator' series flips the script to focus on the bad guys who always lose to the humans in the end, director Dan Trachtenberg said on Friday. 'The predator never wins,' Trachtenberg told an audience at San Diego Comic-Con after footage of 'Predator: Badlands' debuted at the convention's Disney panel. This, the 'Prey' director said, inspired him to tell the story from the predator species perspective in 'Badlands,' the seventh in the main movie series, dating back to the 1987 hit starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the ninth across the franchise. It was key, Trachtenberg said, for him to explore a different aspect of the 'Predator' world for this science fiction movie, developed by 20th Century Studios and landing in theaters on November 7. 'There are no humans in this film,' said cast member Elle Fanning, discussing the challenges of learning the logistics of a completely fictional realm. 'Project Hail Mary' sends Ryan Gosling, and Comic-Con, into outer space The biggest challenge was mastering the fictional Yautja language, said Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, who stars as Dek, a young predator on a solo mission in a treacherous land of even bigger predators. He bonds with an android named Thia, played by Fanning. Dek is 'ferocious and badass, very much an anti-hero,' Trachtenberg said. Before the panel discussion with the director and several cast members, the audience got a glimpse of a Yautja-speaking predator prowling the stage with the signature glowing weaponry as stirring music played.
Geek Tyrant
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
PREDATOR: BADLANDS Footage at Comic-Con Delivers a Brutal, Unexpected Opening — GeekTyrant
Fans packed into Hall H at Comic-Con got an absolute treat when 20th Century Studios shared a full 15 minutes of Predator: Badlands , and let me tell you, it was amazing, brutal, intense, and unlike anything we've seen in this franchise before. If you thought you knew what a Predator movie was, think again, director Dan Trachtenberg is throwing out the rulebook and doing something crazy cool! Spoilers ahead for the first part of the film This isn't your typical 'Predator comes to Earth and hunts humans' setup. Nope. Badlands flips the script by making the Predator itself, his name is Dek, the central character. This is his story, his hero's journey. The footage sets up an emotional and violent narrative that's personal, giving us an inside look at Yautja culture and savage family dynamics. Dek is considered the runt of his family. His father sees him as weak and dishonorable, believing it's better for him to die than live in shame. The opening scene wastes no time establishing that harsh reality. The first sequence is a vicious duel between Dek and his older brother. It's something we've seen glimpses of in the trailer, but in full context, it's awesome. The two clash with long, curved glowing red Predator blades in a fight that's savage. The choreography and visual effects, while still unfinished, already look impressive, and we know that Trachtenberg knows how to deliver visceral action. As the opening sequence unfolds, we learn that Dek once saved his brother's life. Unknowing to Dek, his older brother was tamed by their father to kill him. But, It's clear Dek's brother has no intention of doing that and is preparing to send him on his first hunt instead to prove his worth as a warrior. Dek shares with his brother that he wants to embark to one of the deadliest planets in the galaxy, home to a terrifying unkillable apex predator even their father fears. This isn't just a hunt, it's a suicide mission meant to redeem his honor. As his brother is trying to persuade him not to go to that planet, their father arrives,and all hell breaks loose. What follows is a wild jaw-dropping sequence where the father is furious that his older son hasn't killed Dek yet. Tensions erupt into violence, and the scene escalates into a brutal fight between father and son. It's savage:, the father hacks off his son's arm, stabs him, and ultimately kills him in cold blood. But before dying, the older brother manages one final act of defiance, he launches Dek's ship, sending him hurtling toward the hostile planet where his true test awaits. The last thing we see is Deck speeding off into the void, carrying the weight of his brother's sacrifice and the knowledge that his father wanted him dead. The scene cuts there, and the room absolutely exploded. If the first 15 minutes are any indication, Predator: Badlands is a bold reinvention of the franchise. Trachtenberg is giving us a Predator story that feels epic and mythic, all while keeping the raw, violent edge fans love. Everyone in that hall walked away thinking the same thing: this movie is going to be badass.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
'Predator: Badlands': First 15 minutes unveiled at Comic-Con; director says, 'I don't speak Yautja, but ...'
(Picture Courtesy: Facebook) The first fifteen minutes of the upcoming science fiction action film, 'Predator: Badlands', were unveiled at Comic-Con, reported Deadline. 'Predator: Badlands' is an upcoming science fiction action film in the Predator franchise. It is the seventh film in the mainline series and the ninth in the overall franchise. The film is directed by Dan Trachtenberg, co-written by Trachtenberg and Patrick Aison, and stars Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi. I don't speak [Predator] Yautja, but I'm pretty sure... Before the first 15 minutes of the Badlands panel, one of the Predator warriors appeared on stage and scanned the Hall H audience with his uber-multi-colour vision. Suddenly, he noticed the moderator, filmmaker Kevin Smith. The director said, "I don't speak [Predator] Yautja, but I'm pretty sure he said something about the Jeffrey Epstein files!" Smith also teased whether director Dan Trachtenberg will be the Alien vs. Predator guy, which drew great cheers from the crowd, reported Deadline. Trachtenberg, Elle Fanning, Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, and VFX maestro Alec Gillis all appeared on stage. In Badlands, a young Predator outcast from his clan finds an unlikely ally on his quest to find the ultimate adversary. This is the first time a Predator has been the franchise's protagonist. "It has so much heart and emotion. Prey definitely had that, but what made [Badlands] unique is that there are no humans in this film. I play a synthetic android. Dimitrius is a predator," Fanning said of the script. "There's an unlikely friendship among these two characters. I will say, I do play two parts in the film. There are two characters that I play." "We shot in New Zealand. There are practical effects. It's not like you're acting against a tennis ball," the actress added. She also told the crowd, to great cheers, that it was her first time in Hall H. In the opening 15 minutes of the film, we see the older Predator brother, Kwei, and his younger brother, Dek, fight. Dek is seen by his brother and father as the tribe's weakest link. After the brothers argue, it is decided that the younger must choose his prey. However, when their father arrives on the harsh desert canyon world, he questions Kwei as to why he has not disposed of his younger brother, Dek, who is useless to them as the runt. Dek is then trapped by his father in laser chains, but saved by his brother, who ultimately confronts their father in a fight in which Kwei is not the victor. Kwei had sealed his brother into a spaceship and launched him to the planet where he will attempt to kill an ultimate apex predator that even their father supposedly fears, according to Deadline. "On the Death Planet, Kalisk, Dek meets Fanning's Thia, or half of her at least. A synthetic android who has seen better days, Thia's face is stitched up, and the lower half of her body is missing. Thus, Dek straps her to his back and carries her on his quest to bring back the unkillable creature as a trophy for his father," as per the outlet. Predator: Badlands is scheduled for theatrical release on November 7, 2025, by 20th Century Studios. The entire Predator franchise started in 1987 with the John McTiernan-directed, Arnold Schwarzenegger-starring original. The star has never returned to the franchise. In the 38-year run of Predator, there were also two crossover films with Ridley Scott's Alien franchise, reported Deadline. According to Deadline, Predator: Badlands stars Elle Fanning as Thia, a human, and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi as a young Predator who has been rejected by his clan. Set in the future on a remote planet, the film follows their dangerous journey as they search for a powerful enemy. The movie is directed by Dan Trachtenberg, who earlier made Prey -- a successful entry in the franchise that was released on Hulu in 2022. Prey was praised by both fans and critics, even receiving six Emmy nominations. The new story promises a fresh take on the Predator universe, focusing on survival, trust, and unusual friendships in a dangerous world, according to Deadline.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
'Predator' director talks 'Badlands,' hints at Schwarzenegger's return
SAN DIEGO – Dan Trachtenberg's first 'Predator' movie experience was sitting in the back of a car in the 1980s, heading to a karate tournament and listening intently as other kids ran down the plot of that cool new Arnold Schwarzenegger sci-fi action movie. 'I grew up loving the idea of seeing an R-rated movie for the first time and 'Predator' was that,' the director said at a Comic-Con panel on Friday, July 25, for latest franchise effort 'Predator: Badlands' (in theaters Nov. 7). 'Badlands' marks the first time in the long-running series that a Predator is the actual protagonist rather than the villain – in this case, a young alien hunter named Dek (played by New Zealand actor Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi). And it's the latest movie where Trachtenberg, who also directed 'Prey' and the animated 'Killer of Killers,' is taking 'Predator' to new places. Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox That said, Trachtenberg revealed at the panel he recently had breakfast with Schwarzenegger and is looking to 'cook up stuff for that guy.' The first bit: His character Dutch in the original 1987 film has now been added to a key post-credits scene in 'Killer of Killers' (streaming on Hulu) that hints to where things could go in the future. 'Badlands' was inspired by Trachtenberg realizing that, in these movies, 'the Predator never wins. They're supposed to be the greatest hunters in the galaxy.' The director showed off the first 15 minutes of the movie, which introduces Dek as the runt of his clan and why he needs to travel to a 'death planet' called Genna to track down an 'unkillable' foe and prove himself. 'We really have never in movies seen the Predator hunting on a planet where everything, from grass to creatures, could kill you. He's essentially the Dutch of this movie,' Trachtenberg said. 'It was a really fun experiment, the whole process of bringing Dek to life,' Schuster-Koloamatang said. 'The suit is a little taxing. But it's really rewarding feeling when you get to hang up your boots – or your Yautja feet.' Dek gets help from Thia (Elle Fanning), an android with half a body that goes on the quest with him. Trachtenberg liked the concept of Thia 'being strapped to that guy for the gauntlet that he has to go through' a la Chewbacca carrying C-3PO parts in 'Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.' Also noteworthy: Thia is a Weylandi-Yutani android, meaning that "Badlands" takes place in the same universe as the 'Alien' movies. Does the 'Predator' guy want to be the 'Alien vs. Predator' guy? 'Wouldn't that be cool,' Trachtenberg said. One big change in 'Badlands' is in actually filming the Predator. Before, actors would in be suits and the actor would wear a giant mask so the Predator's mandibles and jaws were controlled by filmmakers. This time, Schuster-Koloamatangi wore the armor but the face was open so the Predator's facial expressions would match the actor's via motion-capture performance. 'We really wanted to make sure we could go to emotional places that have never happened in previous films,' Trachtenberg said. He described it as 'this beautiful moment' of old school meeting digital, 'all bring driven by Dimitrius' performance.'
