The director of Predator: Badlands opens up about how he wanted to place the film at the furthest point of the Alien and Predator franchises. Predator: Badlands is turning out to be exactly the kind of win the franchise needed to prove itself with modern audiences. During its opening weekend, the new sci-fi action film opened at number one and pulled in about $80 million worldwide, including $40 million domestic, which happens to be a record opening for a Predator movie. And early legs look pretty reliable too, with a worldwide total around $82. 8 million so far on a 105 million budget, an A- on CinemaScore, and a fairly strong Rotten Tomatoes score that has critics calling it one of the freshest entries since the original. Part of the buzz comes from where it sits in the larger Alien and Predator universe. Director Dan Trachtenberg has been clear that Predator: Badlands pushes things further ahead than anything we have seen before. And, when speaking about the timeline, he explained that the movie is set at the furthest point in the future for both franchises and talked about navigating around other recent projects. Predator: Badlands Director on Timeline He tells Variety, “Very intentionally, it is the furthest into the future in both Predator and Alien. When we were making it, I wasn’t really sure what was going on with Alien: Romulus, and I don’t even know how aware I even was of Alien: Earth. So I just didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes. I wanted to make sure we were doing our own thing, and selfishly, I’d also done so much Predator in different time periods that I was excited for this to be in the future, even past Alien: Resurrection.” Story-wise, Predator: Badlands takes place centuries from now on the hostile planet Genna. It follows Dek, a young Yautja who is exiled from his clan as a runt and given one last chance to prove himself by hunting the legendary apex creature known as the Kalisk. After crash landing, he teams up with Thia, a damaged Weyland Yutani synthetic who is stranded after her own mission goes sideways, and a small native creature nicknamed Bud. Together they face Genna’s brutal wildlife, a rival Predator clan, and a Weyland Yutani team that wants to weaponize the Kalisk. Dimitrius Schuster Koloamatangi plays Dek and also voices some of the other Predators. Elle Fanning plays Thia along with her more ruthless synthetic sister Tessa. The supporting roles are mostly other creatures and androids, which reinforces the hook that there are no human characters this time. That choice also lets the film lean harder into Predator culture and Weyland Yutani lore, including nods that connect it spiritually to the Alien side without turning it into a full crossover. Predator: Badlands hit theaters in the United States on November 7, including IMAX and RealD 3D runs. And with the film positioned as the furthest step forward in both timelines (and already performing well), it feels like it’s only a matter of time before they cross paths yet again.
https://bleedingcool.com/movies/predator-badlands-director-on-navigating-two-franchise-timelines/
Tag: dimitrius schuster-koloamatangi
Predator: Badlands Has A Stranger Things Cameo Only Hardcore Fans Noticed
**Predator: Badlands – A Recap and a Surprising Cameo You Might Have Missed**
*Contains minor spoilers for “Predator: Badlands.”*
To fully appreciate *Predator: Badlands*, ideally you’d be familiar with both the *Predator* and *Alien* franchises. The story centers on Dek (played by Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), a Yautja warrior who ventures to a perilous world to prove himself to his father. Along this dangerous journey, Dek receives unexpected assistance from a Weyland-Yutani synthetic named Thia (portrayed by Elle Fanning).
From the first trailer, the connection to the *Alien* universe was clear, which led fans to hope for more *Alien* references—perhaps even the appearance of a Xenomorph. Unfortunately, a third *Alien vs. Predator* movie isn’t on the horizon just yet. However, there is an intriguing, subtle Easter egg: a brief voiceover cameo that many viewers likely missed.
### The Duffers’ Unexpected Cameo
Fans of *Stranger Things* might be surprised to learn that the creators of the show, Matt and Ross Duffer, lend their voices in *Predator: Badlands*. The cast list is quite small, and when the final credits roll, the Duffer brothers are credited as the voice of Kwei’s (Mike Homik) computer ship. Kwei is the character who sends Dek on his mission to the world of Genna to kill the Kalisk, a task meant to help Dek prove himself to their father—an endeavor that ultimately costs Kwei his life.
Since Matt and Ross Duffer are not actors by profession, their voices are not easily recognizable. Adding to this, they speak in Yautja, the language of the Predator species, which further disguises the cameo. Nonetheless, this fun Easter egg has a meaningful backstory that connects to the production.
### Behind the Scenes Connection
The involvement of the Duffer brothers in *Predator: Badlands* isn’t just a random choice. It stems from a longstanding relationship between director Dan Trachtenberg and the Duffers. Trachtenberg was originally slated to direct an episode of *Stranger Things* Season 5, titled “The Turnbow Trap.”
However, when *Predator: Badlands* was greenlit, Trachtenberg had to pivot immediately from directing *Predator: Killer of Killers* into *Badlands*, leaving no room in his schedule for *Stranger Things*. Speaking to Dexerto, Trachtenberg revealed that the overlap in post-production schedules made the cameo possible.
> “They were doing their mix of *Stranger Things*, as we were finishing our mix for *Badlands,*” Trachtenberg explained. “And I just thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be fun to have you guys cameo in the movie?’ And they were, like, super awesome about it.”
### A Missed Opportunity and a Worthy Role
With *Stranger Things* Season 5 marking the show’s final season, Trachtenberg’s chance to work on the hit Netflix series won’t come around again. It’s a shame, as his talent for crafting thrilling action sequences would have been a great fit for the world of Hawkins.
Still, serving as the overseer of the *Predator* franchise is no small feat and a remarkable opportunity in its own right. For fans curious about how Trachtenberg’s *Predator* films stack up in the overall franchise, [click here to find out more](#).
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Whether you’re a longtime fan of the *Predator* series or just diving into *Badlands*, be sure to keep an ear out for that subtle voice cameo—it’s a neat reminder of the connections behind the scenes and the collaborative spirit that helps bring these stories to life.
https://www.looper.com/2018967/stranger-things-creators-duffer-brothers-predator-badlands-cameo/