There’s a surprising twist in store for the viewers of the upcoming Predator: Badlands! The teaser trailer reveals that Elle Fanning’s character, Thia, is a synthetic. But here’s the even bigger news: Empire Magazine has confirmed that Fanning will be playing not one, but two characters in Dan Trachtenberg’s live-action follow-up to his hit film Prey! While we now know a bit about Thia, we, however, know little about what/who Fanning’s other character will be.
An Unexpected Duo: Predator and Synthetic
Thia will be paired up with Badlands’ young hero Yautja (that’s the Predator). Trachtenberg recently chatted with Bloody Disgusting about their unique dynamic, drawing inspiration from video games.
“As inspired as I am by movies, I’ve been very inspired by video games [like] Shadow of the Colossus, where you have a protagonist paired with someone else who provides color and connection,” Trachtenberg explained. “There’s a thing with a horse in Shadow of the Colossus that’s devastating when you play the game.”
He continued, saying “And so [Predator: Badlands] was a little bit inspired by that in terms of wanting to see the Predator with someone else, this character who’s the opposite of him. He’s very laconic, [Fanning] is not. She’s capable in ways that he is not. Physically, she’s got a real thing that I’m so excited for you guys to see. But I want to let eventually some of that speak for itself.” This suggests a fascinating buddy-cop-meets-sci-fi-horror vibe!
More Than One Synthetic?
The teaser made it clear that Thia isn’t human, fueling speculation about Fanning’s second role. Trachtenberg’s comments to Empire pretty much confirm what many were already guessing about her second character.
“I always wanted no humans in this movie,” Trachtenberg tells Empire, “so I thought it might be fun to have the Predator with a robot. Then I thought, ‘I know a company that makes robots…” This heavily implies that both of Fanning’s characters will be synthetics, doubling down on the non-human element in the film.
The newest entry in the franchise is set on a remote planet where a young Predator, outcast from his clan, finds an unlikely ally in Thia (Fanning). Together, they embark on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary in a world far more dangerous than Earth.
Fanning stars alongside Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, who plays the protagonist Dek. Trachtenberg (Prey) directs from a script he co-wrote with Patrick Aison (Prey).
Get ready for this exciting new chapter in the Predator saga! Predator: Badlands is set to invade theaters on November 7, 2025.
