Elle Fanning's Thia looking seriously off to the right while seated in a ship in Predator: Badlands
By
Jennifer Chu
Published Feb 5, 2026, 7:05 PM EST
Jennifer is a TV News Editor at ScreenRant. She started her journey in entertainment media in 2022 when she first joined Valnet at CBR before coming to ScreenRant.
Jennifer loves TV, especially science fiction. She also loves late-night talk shows, due to her insomnia. Alien: Earth is definitely one of her favorite shows, and she jumps on any chance she gets to write about it. Even on her days off, she will claim an Alien Earth article if one is available.
Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon are two of her favorite late-night hosts, and Conan O'Brien before he left his show.
Her Alien: Earth coverage for Screen Rant is by far the work that she is most proud of so far.
She began her career as an editor in 2014. She was initially a finance editor, but her passion for pop culture convinced her to transition into entertainment journalism.
During her off time, she loves to binge-watch cooking shows such as Kitchen Nightmares. Jennifer also loves spending time with her daughter and cherishes every moment of it.
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The director behind Predator: Badlands and the filmmaker who helped reshape the franchise, Dan Trachtenberg, just scored a major deal with Paramount.
Trachtenberg has entered into a three-year first-look agreement with the studio. Under the deal, he will direct, produce, and develop projects for Paramount Pictures alongside his longtime colleague, Ben Rosenblatt. This isn't the first time that the director has worked with Paramount. In 2016, Trachtenberg launched his career with the hit film 10 Cloverfield Lane, which was distributed by the company.
Trachtenberg expressed his excitement to collaborate with Paramount in a statement. He revealed that as a kid, he loved the films that the studio created and was always excited to see what followed the logo. He said that he is incredibly happy that he has the opportunity to be a part of the production company's legacy. The director called the deal "a dream come true." He added that he is looking forward to working with the Paramount team.
As a kid I remember seeing the Paramount logo and dreaming of the epic adventure that would follow. Now to have the opportunity to bring new huge and emotional stories to giant screens is a literally a dream come true. Ben and I cannot wait to join Dana, Josh, Don, and the entire Paramount team in pursuing our shared vision of making Paramount once again the apex of cinema.
Paramount's co-chairs Josh Greenstein and Dana Goldberg praised Trachtenberg and said in a joint statement that they were looking forward to collaborating with him. They described him as bold, creative, ambitious, and a creator who has a clear vision. The pair added that his work resonates with a large audience, which is invaluable.
Dan has an extraordinary ability to deliver films that are both daring and deeply entertaining. He has a rare instinct for tension, scale, and storytelling that connects with audiences worldwide. We’re excited to welcome him to the studio.
This deal comes after Trachtenberg's massive success with Predator: Badlands. The film premiered in November 2025 and set a new box office record for the Predator universe, a franchise that spans over three decades. Grossing $184.5 million worldwide, it surpassed 2004’s Alien vs. Predator, which earned $177.4 million.
The hit movie followed the release of his animated feature Predator: Killer of Killers on Hulu. Trachtenberg first made his mark on the franchise with 2022’s Prey. It was considered a breath of fresh air by many fans. The film earned him two Emmy nominations for directing and writing.
Subscribe to our newsletter for Paramount & Trachtenberg news
Get more context by subscribing to the newsletter: access concise analysis and curated coverage of Dan Trachtenberg’s Paramount deal, Predator franchise milestones, and what these moves mean for studio strategy and filmmakers. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.Predator: Badlands will be available to stream on February 12, 2026.
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Predator: Badlands
10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed PG-13 Action Science Fiction Adventure Thriller Release Date November 5, 2025 Runtime 107 minutes Director Dan Trachtenberg Writers Dan Trachtenberg, Patrick Aison, John Thomas, Jim Thomas Producers Brent O'Connor, John Davis, Marc Toberoff, Dan Trachtenberg, Ben RosenblattCast
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Elle Fanning
Thia / Tessa
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Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi
Dek / Father
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Predator: Badlands
Subscribe to our newsletter for Paramount & Trachtenberg news
Get more context by subscribing to the newsletter: access concise analysis and curated coverage of Dan Trachtenberg’s Paramount deal, Predator franchise milestones, and what these moves mean for studio strategy and filmmakers. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. Trending Now
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