Trachtenberg talks Predator: Badlands – creating a Dek you can root for.

Predator: Badlands NewsBy Chris Sep 22, 2025Comments

The Predator in Predator: Badlands is no Luke Skywalker, he's still a Predator and as director Dan Trachtenberg puts it, he's still a dick, but a dick you can root for. Speaking to Empire Magazine for their latest issue, Trachtenberg discusses creating a protagonist Predator for Badlands, but assures fans the Yautja is no all-around good guy:

Image for Trachtenberg talks Predator: Badlands – creating a Dek you can root for.

This crazy adventure against monsters and the elements — only this time it’s a badass Predator against those things. We wanted Dek to be relatable, but without turning him into Luke Skywalker. He’s still a Predator — we had to allow him to be a dick. But a dick you can root for.

While Trachtenberg's first foray into Yautja territory with Prey was a solo survival tale, Badlands shifts gears and is more of a relationship story – sure to bring a balance of action and comedic relief.

Yautja fans can look forward to more about Badlands in the latest issue of Empire, available September 25th!

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Dan Trachtenberg's Predator: Badlands released in theaters on November 7th, 2025! See how well the film performed at the box office, here! Be sure to also browse 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!