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.
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Dan Trachtenberg's Predator: Badlands released in theaters on November 7th, 2025! Visit the Predator Lore database - for information on the film's different Yautja and characters, the planet Genna, how it connects to Alien, where in the Predator movie timeline the film takes place and more!
Dane Hallett shares official Tessa concept art from Predator: Badlands!
A variety of damaged Weyland-Yutani synthetic Tessa designs for Predator: Badlands provided by Dane Hallett have been unveiled!
Yautja Prime concept art from Predator: Badlands by Alex Nice!
Concept artist Alex Nice has shared a number of submissions he made for Dan Trachtenberg's Predator: Badlands detailing the Predator home world, Yautja Prime!
Check out this crazy early Badlands Predator helmet design by Sean Hargreaves!
Official concept art by Sean Hargreaves for Dan Trachtenberg's Predator: Badlands reveals unconventional helmet design for the Yautja!
