It’s been a long week, folks. Plenty of bad news. No shortage of reasons to feel hopeless about the state of the world. But y’know what? It’s Friday, and sometimes – when we’re very lucky, and when the planets align and the Dark Lord smiles upon us – we get a burst of good news on Friday, just to make up for the rough week we’ve all had. Today is such a day.
Why? Because as we’ve just learned via The Hollywood Reporter, Prey director Dan Trachtenberg has officially signed on to direct another Predator sidequel by the name of Badlands. As was the case with Prey, Badlands features a story crafted by Trachtenberg and Patrick Aison, who will write the script for their latest Predator-related collaboration.
Says THR:
“Titled Badlands, the new Predator feature is not a sequel to Prey, which was set in 1719 and centered on a young Comanche woman forced to fight for survival against the intergalactic hunters, but rather a brand new story. Plot details are being kept secret but this one is said to be set sometime in the future. Like Prey, however, it too will feature a female lead.”
Yes. Absolutely fuck yes, to all of this.
If I can editorialize for a moment, Prey is arguably the best Predator movie since the 1987 original, an absolute powerhouse of a movie featuring a unique setting (the Great Plains, circa the late 1700’s), a massively talented cast (including the incredible Amber Midthunder), and some of the best creature design we’ve seen in ages. To hear that Trachtenberg and Aison have crafted another, similar story that will serve as the basis for the next Predator movie is nothing less than a gift.
As of this writing, there’s no timeline on when we should expect Badlands to arrive, but we’re guessing that (unlike Prey), 20th Century Studios will see fit to drop this one in theaters. Will that prediction prove to be correct? We’ll have to wait and see, but rest assured we’ll be keeping you informed on any and all further Badlands updates as they roll in. Stay tuned.
