Prey director Dan Trachtenberg’s next installment in the Predator universe is circling around its lead.
Today, Deadline broke the news that Elle Fanning is in talks to star in Badlands, which Trachtenberg is on board to direct. Fanning is apparently a big fan of the franchise and had a meeting with Trachtenberg about the project. The actor, according to Deadline, is on board to star and the contract details are being finalized.
Fanning comes to the Predator franchise after playing Aurora in the Maleficent films and Catherine the Great in The Great (pictured above). She also was in 2011’s Super 8 and played Mary Shelley in the eponymous biopic.
Badlands was written by Trachtenberg and Patrick Aison. We don’t know much about the plot other than, presumably, everyone’s favorite space hunter will make an appearance, and that it’s set to take place in the future rather than in the past. The movie is likely to be only one of many additional installments in the franchise, given 20th Century Studios has anointed Trachtenberg the ringleader over a slew of Predator projects. One of those projects is expected to be a sequel to Prey that potentially sees the return of that movie’s star, Amber Midthunder.
As for Badlands, the movie is set to begin production later this year. No news yet, however, on whether it will go directly to streaming or have a theatrical release once it’s ready for our eyeballs.
