We know Elle Fanning plays a Weyland-Yutani Robot Synthetic named Thia in Predator: Badlands already, but during an interview with Empire Magazine, director Dan Trachtenberg reveals she actually plays 2 characters in the movie! The second character currently remains tightly under wraps...
Alongside Dek on his blood-spaked voyage is Elle Fanning playing two characters – one Trachtenberg is keeping schtum about, the other is Thia, a lifelike robot 'synth' manufactured by Weyland-Yutani, the tech conglomerate featured in the Alien movies.
... However, since we've been obsessively tracking all news on Predator: Badlands since its inception, we know the second character Elle Fanning plays goes by the name of Tessa! Tessa is Thia's twin sister – and given Thia is a Weyland-Yutani Synthetic, we can deduce that Tessa is also, a Weyland-Yutani Synthetic.
Early casting calls for Predator: Badlands revealed information about the Thia / Tessa character:
...The other sister, Tessa, has a militant intensity when it comes to achieving her family’s goals and mission objectives. She will not let anything get in her way, not even her twin sister.
So, while Thia will be more comedic and lighthearted, expect Tessa to be more serious and militant – much like the personality shifts witnessed by Andy in Fede Alvarez's Alien: Romulus pre and post software update.
For all information regarding Predator: Badlands, we've got your covered!
Dan Trachtenberg's Predator: Badlands hits theaters November 7th, 2025! You can subscribe to the Predator Movie news blog to get notified when new updates get posted!
We've hunted down some Yautja swag we think you might like, check out this Prey inspired shirt!
Be sure to bookmark the Predator: Badlands movie information page for up-to-date info on the upcoming Predator movie - from the film's official plot synopsis and release date, to where in the Predator movie timeline the film takes place! New information is constantly being added, so check back often!