MOVIE NEWS – Dan Trachtenberg has named a very telling cinematic reference point for Predator: Badlands, saying J.J. Abrams’ 2009 Star Trek served as an “emotional north star” for the film. That suggests the new Predator entry is aiming for more than scale and spectacle – it also wants stronger character chemistry and emotional momentum.

Trachtenberg has already proven he is not interested in repeating himself inside this franchise. After Prey, then Predator: Killer of Killers, and now Predator: Badlands, his approach has consistently pushed the series toward different tones and formats instead of recycling the same hunter-versus-humans blueprint every time.

That is what makes the Star Trek comparison so interesting. He is not pointing to an earlier Predator movie as the template, but to a mainstream sci-fi blockbuster that blended propulsion, scale, and emotional accessibility. In practice, that points to a movie that still delivers the franchise goods while putting more weight on the relationships driving the story forward.

This sounds less like nostalgia and more like a deliberate tonal pivot

The key phrase here is “emotional north star”. It implies a guiding principle for how the film should feel, not just how it should look. Abrams’ Star Trek worked because it balanced kinetic action with clear character dynamics, and if Trachtenberg is drawing from that model, Predator: Badlands may be aiming for a broader emotional range than many fans expect from the series.

That does not automatically mean the film is going soft, and it does not mean the Predator identity is being stripped away. It more likely means the movie is being designed to hit on two fronts at once: visceral sci-fi action and character-driven investment, with one reinforcing the other instead of competing for space.

It could be the smartest way to expand the franchise

The Predator brand has always had a built-in danger: if every sequel follows the same rhythm too closely, the concept starts to shrink instead of grow. Trachtenberg’s recent run suggests he understands that problem, and this latest reference point reinforces the idea that he is trying to make each project feel distinct without breaking the core appeal.

If Predator: Badlands lands the balance he is describing, it could do more than give the franchise another solid installment. It could prove that Predator can function as a flexible sci-fi universe with room for different emotional registers, different structures, and different kinds of storytelling – not just a familiar setup repeated with new faces.

Source: MovieWeb