Predator franchise return by Arnold Schwarzenegger more likely, says Dan Trachtenberg
Key Takeaways
- Franchise Success: The Predator franchise is experiencing a strong resurgence with the release of Predator: Badlands.
- Director's Vision: Director Daniel Trachtenberg envisions multiple directions for the franchise, including animated and live-action explorations.
- Character Returns: There is a strong desire to bring back iconic characters, particularly Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Dutch.
- Future Conversations: Producers are optimistic about future collaborations with Schwarzenegger following the film’s release.
Everything’s coming up Milhouse for the Predator franchise! After posting a record-opening $15.6 million Friday return, Predator: Badlands could be looking at a $37 million launch, much to the relief of theater owners. Those are impressive numbers and a sign of good things to come for the franchise overall. But what’s next for the Predator franchise? A reunion? Predator: Badlands director Daniel Trachtenberg thinks so. And you know what that means, right? Someone get Arnold Schwarzenegger on the horn, because it’s time to bring Dutch back into the fold!
Speaking with Collider, Trachtenberg told the outlet he sees so many ways the franchise could go, saying, “There are now so many ways in which we can explore it — in the animated setting, in the live-action setting,” he shared, teasing character returns and bold, new plans. “There are so many different characters that we can pursue in some ways, different times we could go to, but also different kinds of places we can go to that we’ve never seen. There are certain kinds of journeys that we’ve never seen a sci-fi franchise take on, and some of those are the most exciting for me.”
The official synopsis for Predator: Badlands tells us the film is set in the future on a remote planet, where a young Predator, outcast from his clan, finds an unlikely ally in Thia (Elle Fanning) and embarks on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary. The film is produced by John Davis, Dan Trachtenberg, Marc Toberoff, Ben Rosenblatt, and Brent O’Connor. Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi plays the lead Predator.
“Obviously, the holy grail of Predator movies would be getting Arnold back in there,” producer Ben Rosenblatt revealed to Deadline at the Predator: Badlands premiere. “And it’s always been something in the back of our minds that it would be really great to see him come back to this franchise that he’s made iconic, and that’s made him iconic.”
“Arnold and Dan have met a couple of times now. He’s been really interested in what we’re doing. He’s a real fan of what we’ve done so far, from what I understand,” he added. “And we’re really excited. After Predator: Badlands comes out, we’ll see and have more conversations. Hopefully, we’ll have a chance to do something with Arnold because that would be awesome.”
Would you like to see Arnold Schwarzenegger return to the Predator franchise? Do you think Badlands‘ success will help seal the deal? Let us know in the comments section below.
