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Playing a Weyland-Yutani synth in the upcoming sci-fi sequel, Predator: Badlands star Elle Fanning had the unique task of having to brush up on all things Alien while her co-star Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi was deep-diving into Yautja lore.
In a new interview with GamesRadar+, the actor revealed that it wasn't Ridley Scott's 1979 original that had the most influence on her performance, though – but rather, the franchise's polarizing 2012 prequel and James Cameron's Aliens.
"I was familiar; I'd seen Arnold [Schwarzenegger]'s movie a while back. But for me, it was more about looking into the Alien Universe. [Director] Dan [Trachtenberg] and I talked a lot about Prometheus and [Lance Henriksen's] Bishop; we wanted to make sure Thia was distinct but also felt like she could come from that world. Though this film is set the furthest into the future we've seen before, so she's the most advanced android that's been put on screen before. Her emotions are a bit more human-like, more advanced. She has that empathy in her."
Set centuries after Trachtenberg's previous Predator offering Prey, Predator: Badlands follows Dek (Schuster-Koloamatangi), a disgraced Yautja "runt" who vows to take down a Kalisk, the galaxy's most formidable foe, in an attempt to win back the respect of his ruthless father. During his hunt, he encounters Thia, a legless android whose perky personality rubs him up the wrong way. Before long, though, the two of them become unlikely allies, throwing the Yautja Codex – which claims the eponymous species is "friend to none" – out the spaceship window, as they set out to complete Dek's mission together.
"I did a bit of diving," Schuster-Koloamatangi says when we remark on how unexpectedly self-contained the movie is, and ask whether he was compelled to do any homework. "I felt like I had to, to prepare for my character. So, yeah, went pretty deep, even to the point of understanding how their whole hunting ritual comes from them liberating themselves from the oppressors – that was the first trophy they ever took.
"That's so significant to them," he continues. "Hunting is a part of their heritage and a way to pay homage to their ancestors; it's a rite of passage. I could talk about this forever, but yeah, I think you have to deep-dive when you're riffing on iconic characters like this."
Predator: Badlands releases in UK and US cinemas on November 7. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2025 and beyond.
