Dan Trachtenberg Teases Predator's Next Chapter After New Paramount Deal
Fresh off a first-look deal with Paramount, Dan Trachtenberg lays out what it means for his Predator future—silencing speculation and explaining how the new partnership meshes with upcoming entries in the sci-fi saga.
Dan Trachtenberg just signed a first-look deal with Paramount, and no, that does not mean he is bailing on Predator. He says he is still cooking up more hunts while lining up original films at his new studio home. Translation: the calendar is about to do a lot of heavy lifting.
He is not leaving Predator
Trachtenberg says he is still actively developing ideas for future Predator installments, even as the Paramount deal kicks in. He called the two tracks 'simultaneous' and made it clear the order of operations depends on scheduling.
"Well, Predator, I'm in this zone of dreaming up more, like I said, as I had been previously."
"Timing will be a bit of a thing."
Why he is sticking around
He directed the last three Predator entries: Prey (2022), Killer of Killers (2025), and Badlands (2025). All three pulled strong reviews, and Badlands cleared $184 million worldwide, the biggest haul in franchise history. When your latest chapter is the top-grosser, you do not walk away from the board.
What the Paramount deal actually means
The new pact gives Trachtenberg room to mount original theatrical projects and also poke around in other studio IP. That is the creative split: keep building Predator while launching new stuff under the Paramount banner.
"Paramount is this incredible opportunity to make original things that have been in my heart and mind for a long time. They also have some very cool IP that I could now get to think about."
The next moves he wants to make
He has specific Predator threads he wants to pull, some of them delightfully nerdy in the best way:
- Push forward from Badlands' cliffhanger.
- Dig deeper into Dek and his mother.
- Follow up on Killer of Killers' reveal about cryogenically frozen Yautja hunt survivors on Yautja Prime.
Meanwhile, the wider franchise keeps humming
Conversations continue around a long-discussed Prey 2, the once-again-whispered Alien vs. Predator crossover, and even the possibility of Arnold Schwarzenegger returning. None of that is locked, but the interest is very alive.
Release check
Predator: Badlands lands on Hulu February 12 and arrives on physical media February 17.
So yes, Trachtenberg is juggling two lanes at once: new originals at Paramount and more Predator hunts. Which one hits first comes down to timing, not interest.