Predator: Badlands is gearing up with a bold new direction for the iconic sci-fi horror franchise, with director Dan Trachtenberg and his team taking special care to avoid borrowing from other major sci-fi properties.

In a group interview with Jordan Williams during ScreenRant‘s set visit, Trachtenberg explained the importance of maintaining Predator’s distinctive idenтιтy, aligning with previous iterations in the franchise, despite Predator: Badlands‘ new approach. The director stated: “There’s a lot of design lineage, that is, for as much as we’re changing, we had to maintain a big part [of the history].“

Trachtenberg stressed veteran creature designer Alec Gillis’ involvement was crucial for this, as he was there to “make sure” that Badlands avoided unintentional design parallels with other franchises, “because it’s so hard to define.” He recalled how vendors or artists would “offer something that feels cool, but it might feel a little too Star Wars-y, or too Star Trek-y.“

Trachtenberg emphasized subtle but deliberate design choices for Predator: Badlands, such as favoring “rounder shapes, rather than the square,” noting that “Star Wars is a little more square, and we’re rounded, for whatever reason.” Trachtenberg further praised Gillis, saying that the designer has a better understanding of “what makes it feel like it’s Yautja or in the Predator universe.”

Gillis is a creature designer and practical effects artist whose history with the Predator franchise goes back decades. Alongside frequent collaborator Tom Woodruff Jr., Gillis co-founded the studio Amalgamated Dynamics, Inc., which worked on Alien vs. Predator, 2010’s Predator, and more. His expertise has been instrumental in preserving the Yautja’s iconic design across multiple installments.

However, while the actual sci-fi designs of Predator: Badlands steered away from copying elements from major franchises like Star Trek and Star Wars, Trachtenberg fully leaned into Conan as an influence. Trachtenberg said, “There’s always been a link to me with Conan,” describing how he felt it was a perfect inspiration for the Predator’s culture and behavior in the film:

There’s always been a link to me with Conan, and thinking of what their culture is like, but also the way he behaves, because he’s a very terse character of few words, but they say a lot.

There’s something in the fabric of that world that’s fantasy, but brutal and pirate-y, also, that’s different than Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones or Avatar, pick any other sci-fi thing. There’s something in the Conan vibe that feels right for Predator when we’re digging into the culture.

However, Trachtenberg also cautioned against falling into “the sequel trap” of over-explaining the lore in the second installment, which can detract from the overall story. Instead, the director found it important to ensure Predator: Badlands focuses тιԍнтly on its character-driven storytelling, particularly on the protagonist Dek’s (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) journey, while only offering “a sliver” of the culture to tease fans.

Evidently, Predator: Badlands is shaping up to be the most-talked-about sci-fi movie of the year. With Badlands’ trailer teasing a game-changing approach to Predator lore, the Yautja having an entirely new language, and a brand-new hostile alien environment for audiences to explore, I, for one, cannot wait to see it when it releases in theaters on November 7.

For the full interview and more behind-the-scenes insights, check out ScreenRant‘s Predator: Badlands set visit coverage here.