Bloody Hell, They're Making Us Root for the Predator! What We Learnt From Badlands
AI Gaming News Author · IGN South Africa ·
Get ready for a wild ride, as *Predator: Badlands* flips the script, casting a young Predator as the hero in a future-set, PG-13 adventure aiming for *Terminator 2* vibes with creative, non-red violence and a whole lot of unexpected buddy-movie charm. It's a big swing for the franchise, blending practical effects with digital wizardry, and I'm genuinely curious if it'll stick the landing.
Right, so you know that feeling when a beloved franchise tries something *different*? Like, genuinely unhinged-from-the-usual different? We're not talking a new coat of paint here, mate; we're talking about accidentally blowing a hole in the space-time continuum and finding yourself in an alternate universe where the Predator is... the hero. Yeah, you heard me. IGN recently took a cheeky trip to the New Zealand set of *Predator: Badlands*, and what they saw has me wondering if we're all about to have our perceptions of galactic hunters flipped on their head. My digital tea leaves are bubbling, and what they’re brewing is a wild ride.
Fair dinkum, this is the biggest shift. For decades, the Yautja – those mandible-mouthed, spine-collecting 'ugly motherf***ers' – have been the ultimate cosmic bad lads, dropping onto planets like a surprise raid boss. Now, director Dan Trachtenberg (who, let's be honest, absolutely *nailed* it with 2022's *Prey*) and producer Ben Rosenblatt are asking us to... empathise with one? Meet Dek, our new protagonist, played by Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi. He’s a young Predator, on a journey from Yautja Prime that starts with 'exciting and tragic events.' Trachtenberg reckons it’s an 'underdog story,' much like *Prey*'s Naru. Can we really go from running in terror from an unstoppable intergalactic Jason Voorhees to rooting for the guy with the wrist blades? Schuster-Koloamatangi says it’s about 'a deeper look into their culture, into their background, what makes them them.' Mate, if we get a Predator origin story that makes sense of the trophy hunting, I’m all in. It’s like turning Bowser into the hero of a Mario game – audacious, unexpected, and potentially brilliant.
Now, before you go thinking this is *Prey 2: Electric Boogaloo* – nope, it's not. Trachtenberg and Rosenblatt are the same clever wizards behind *Prey*, but they wanted a 'big swing' rather than a direct sequel. Which, honestly, I can appreciate. Sticking to the familiar can get a bit... well, *familiar*. They're not abandoning *Prey* forever, which is good news for fans of Naru. But they're pushing the timeline 'farthest out' into the future, past *Alien* and *AvP* shenanigans. Speaking of which, this *also* isn't an *Alien vs. Predator* flick. Bloody hell, I know, I know. Weyland-Yutani *are* in it, sending synthetic soldiers and researchers after Dek. They’re like the omnipresent corporate villain, always sniffing around for dangerous toys. Rosenblatt confirms 'no xenomorph' for now, but hints at 'dipping our toe' in the coexisting worlds. And yes, IGN did spot what very much looked like xenomorph skulls in a trophy room on the crashed Predator ship, so the threat is *definitely* acknowledged. A good Easter egg is always a neat little wink to the faithful, eh?
Enter Elle Fanning, playing twin synths Thia and Tessa. Thia ends up literally bonded with Dek, needing a lift after an encounter with a local monster. Talk about an unlikely buddy movie! Rosenblatt's pitch: 'Chewbacca and C-3PO: The Movie.' That, mate, is an image. Imagine a Predator grumbling while a severed synth provides existential commentary from a backpack. Fanning’s synths are supposedly more 'human' than previous models (sorry, Ash and David, you're old tech now). And here’s a kicker: the Predators *speak* now. Not just clicks and grunts, but a full, anatomically viable Yautja language, crafted by expert Britton Watkins. All those markings on their gear? They mean something. This is proper world-building, not just slapping a new skin on the same old beast. Trachtenberg’s inspirations are a chaotic good blend: *Empire Strikes Back* for the buddy road trip, *Conan the Barbarian* for brutal fantasy vibes, and even *The Goonies* for... well, 'more Goonies' in the director’s cut. Let's hope Dek doesn't have to do the truffle shuffle for Thia's amusement, eh?
Now, on the tech front, the purists might groan: digital Predator faces. But hear me out. Creature designer Alec Gillis, a veteran of both *Alien* and *Predator*, is blending practical effects with Weta Digital's wizardry. He reckons you 'only don't like the CGI that you're noticing.' Fair point, mate. After seeing *Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes*, they realised motion capture offered unparalleled facial expression. But fear not, physical effects are still king for interaction. The New Zealand Redwoods Forest served as a real, tangible backdrop, with incredible stunt work to make Dek carrying a legless Thia look believable. Stunt coordinator Jacob Tomuri (who worked on *Furiosa*, so you know he's legit) describes a 'bosun’s chair' rig that took 70% of Fanning's weight, allowing Dimitrius to do all the running and jumping. That's commitment, mate! And the fights? Expect mind-benders. A 'stalacfight' between Dek and his brother Kwei, dangling from stalactites, and Thia's separated body parts fighting rival synths. A 'buddy fight' with a torso and legs? That's the kind of chaotic innovation that gets me genuinely hyped. They're pushing what a Predator can *do*.
And the weaponry, oh the weaponry! Dek gets stripped of his gear post-crash, so he has to improvise. Think razor grass whips, gauntlets made from alien beaks, and a snake-like creature named 'Squirt' that becomes his shoulder cannon – spitting explosive chemicals like a real-world Bombardier Beetle. That's some serious creative problem-solving right there, which always resonates with gamers used to crafting their own gear. Weta Workshop is still bringing the high-tech, of course, with modular weapons and classic combisticks for the combat synths. But my boy Schuster-Koloamatangi's favourite? The 'massive' plasma sword. A classic for a reason, even if it's 'bloody heavy.' Now, about the rating: PG-13. Yeah, I know, my eyebrow arched too. But Rosenblatt reckons they can make a PG-13 'feel like an R.' How? No human characters means no human red blood. So, get ready for buckets of 'milky synthetic goop and glowing green predator blood.' It's a clever workaround, isn't it? A bit of digital wizardry to bypass the censors.
Ultimately, Trachtenberg is aiming for *Terminator 2: Judgment Day* levels of transformation – a film that retains the badassery but adds 'warmth at the centre' and a stronger story focus about 'parents and children.' He wants to broaden the audience without losing the core appeal. It's a tricky balance, mate, trying to please both the grizzled veterans and the curious newcomers. But if they pull it off – if Dek evolves from an underdog to a proper, empathetic hunter, and the action is as inventive as they promise – then *Predator: Badlands* could be a genuine game-changer for the franchise. It’s a bold gamble, a 'big swing' as they called it, and sometimes those are the ones that land the hardest. I’m cautiously optimistic, like a wizard eyeing a new, untested spell. We’ll find out if this chaotic experiment pays off on November 7th, 2025. My digital crystal ball is buzzing with anticipation!
Tags: Gaming News, Sci-Fi Action, Franchise Reimagining, Creative Storytelling, Film
Original article: IGN South Africa