The Filmcast After Dark Interview: How Dan Trachtenberg Made 'Predator: Badlands'
Feb 27, 2026
Dan Trachtenberg, director who revitalized the Predator franchise with Prey and Badlands. He talks directing choices and practical VFX. He shares production anecdotes like tweaking the studio logo, making Elle Fanning appear as a backpack, and designing the brothers’ fight. He also discusses rating decisions and small fixes that rescue scenes.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Inspiration From Games And TV For Title Beats
- Dan tracked title-card riffs and late-logo traditions from games and shows, citing The OA, Scott Pilgrim, and video games as inspirations.
- He used those references to shape Badlands' in-movie title placement like a 'tutorial complete' beat.
Handpicking Key Art Preferences
- Dan prefers poster art by Matt Ferguson and fought to feature that Drew-Struzan–style layout across key art packages.
- He gave input but intentionally stopped micromanaging home-video art toward the end.
Using A Late Title To Recenter The Story
- Late-title reveals can reposition the audience into the story and feel like an in-world milestone rather than an opening logo gimmick.
- Dan built Badlands' late title organically from a cut that put more sky in frame, echoing his Prey approach.