James Cameron reaction inspires Dan Trachtenberg during Predator Badlands production

Dan Trachtenberg reveals James Cameron initially doubted Predator Badlands

Dan Trachtenberg, the filmmaker behind 10 Cloverfield Lane and Prey, has shared how legendary director James Cameron responded to his ambitious sci-fi sequel Predator: Badlands. The film, now playing in theaters, has become a breakout hit with both critics and audiences, earning an A– CinemaScore and setting franchise records for its opening week.

Predator: Badlands takes a bold new approach to the long-running series by placing the alien Predator — or Yautja — at the center of the story. The film follows Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), a runt Yautja warrior on a perilous quest across the deadly planet Genna. Along the way, he teams up with Thia (Elle Fanning), a damaged Weyland-Yutani android, to hunt a monstrous creature known as the Kalisk.

Speaking to DiscussingFilm, Trachtenberg revealed that Cameron reached out during the early stages of production in New Zealand after seeing Prey and Predator: Killer of Killers, both of which he praised. Trachtenberg recalled visiting Cameron in his editing suite — where the Avatar: Fire and Ash sequel was being cut — and asking for advice on creating a believable alien protagonist without the traditional prosthetics.

“I told him what we were doing and that I was terrified,” Trachtenberg said. “Later that day, he told me, ‘I think it’s going to work.’ That gave us the confidence we needed to move forward.”

Cameron’s encouragement didn’t stop there. After viewing an early cut of Predator: Badlands, the Avatar and Terminator director sent Trachtenberg a message that profoundly motivated the team. “He said, ‘When I first heard about what you were doing, I didn’t think it would work. But now that I’ve seen it — you made it work.’”

Trachtenberg noted that Cameron’s belief in the project was instrumental in carrying the production through its most challenging stages. As a tribute, Cameron is the first person thanked in the film’s end credits.