Elle Fanning in Talks for New ‘Predator’ Movie ‘Badlands’

Elle Fanning in ‘The Neon Demon’. Photo: Amazon Studios.

Preview:

Elle Fanning is in talks for the new ‘Predator’ Stand-Alone Movie ‘Badlands’.
Dan Trachtenberg is once more directing.
A ‘Prey’ sequel is also in development.

2022’s ‘Prey’, even though it debuted on streaming service Hulu, has been a huge success, breaking viewing records for the Disney-owned company and introducing new fans to the ‘Predator’ story.

We learned back in February that Dan Trachtenberg, who directed ‘Prey’, is headed back into ‘Predator’ territory with new stand-alone movie ‘Badlands’. And there has been an update –– Elle Fanning, most recently seen in Hulu series ‘The Great’, is now in negotiations to take a lead role. As to what role she’ll play, that has yet to be revealed.

Not Yet Rated

The eighth installment in the “Predator” franchise. Premise TBA. Said to feature a female lead and to be set sometime in the future. Read the Plot

What’s the story of the new ‘Predator’ movie?

Dane DiLiegro as the Predator in 20th Century Studios' 'Prey,' exclusively on Hulu.

The plot for the new film is being kept hidden for now. We do know that it is not planned as a direct sequel to ‘Prey’, which you might recall was set in 1719 and saw a Comanche woman (Amber Midthunder) dealing with the dismissive attitudes of the men around her, encroaching human threats and, oh yes, a skilled extraterrestrial hunter on the planet for sport.

But given Trachtenberg’s return (and that of writer Patrick Aison, who has crafted the new script from a story he worked on with the director), there’s every chance it could have some link to the 2022 movie.

All that is concrete about the new movie is that it’s set at some point in the future and will once more focus on a female human lead character.

All being well, Trachtenberg is aiming to have the movie shooting in July, and Fanning’s casting means that is looking more likely.

What else is happening with the ‘Predator’ franchise?

Dakota Beavers as Taabe, Director Dan Trachtenberg, and Amber Midthunder as Naru behind the scenes of 20th Century Studios' 'Prey,' exclusively on Hulu.

(L to R) Dakota Beavers as Taabe, Director Dan Trachtenberg, and Amber Midthunder as Naru behind the scenes of 20th Century Studios’ ‘Prey,’ exclusively on Hulu. Photo by John P. Johnson. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

While ‘Badlands’ is the one confirmed project to move from development into pre-production, Trachtenberg is reportedly also overseeing other potential ‘Predator’ concepts that could be handed off to different creative teams. This is Disney, after all, which rarely likes to let a chance for a new (or in this case, renewed) franchise to slip through its fingers.

Deadline’s story on Fanning entering negotiations also mentions that a ‘Prey’ sequel is in very early development, which would mean Midthunder’s Naru would be the first character to reoccur across more than one ‘Predator’ movie.

If ‘Badlands’ is a success, expect plenty more ‘Predator’ projects to switch off their cloak of invisibility and start stalking our screens.

When will ‘Badlands’ be released?

Disney and 20th Century Studios have yet to announce a release date, nor confirm if it’ll be in theaters (but we figure it’s a good bet given the companies’ refreshed commitment to theatrical releases). With shooting set for this year, a 2025 slot seems likely.