Last Podcast On The Left – Interview Series: Predator Badlands

An Interview with Dan Trachtenberg

Date: November 25, 2025
Host: Ed Larson (Last Podcast Network)
Guest: Dan Trachtenberg (Director – "Prey," "Killer for Killers," and "Predator: Badlands")

Episode Overview

In this episode, Ed Larson interviews visionary filmmaker Dan Trachtenberg about his creative stewardship of the "Predator" film franchise, including the latest installment, "Predator: Badlands." The conversation delves into Trachtenberg's approach to the Predator mythology, the challenges and joys of building new lore, working with iconic elements, fan speculations, and his own journey as a genre storyteller. Expect a blend of fandom deep-dives, lore debates, creative process talk, and tangents into mash-ups and hypothetical crossovers—all in the irreverent, fun-loving tone characteristic of Last Podcast On The Left.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Dan Trachtenberg’s Approach to Predator and Underlying Themes

• Trachtenberg discusses how each of his three Predator films ("Prey," "Killer for Killers," "Badlands") explores unique territory but shares common themes of teamwork, found families, and underdog stories.
  • [03:15] Dan: “I love sports movies. I love underdog stories. ... The emotional fulcrum for the Predator series ... is characters trying to prove themselves as worthy to their clan, family, or even, you know, to themselves.”
• "Prey" centers on Naru subverting the Predator’s expectations and ultimately proving her worth (and threat) only at the film’s climax.
  • [04:43] Dan: “The entire time, she keeps saying, 'I’m a badass.' And he keeps saying, 'I don’t even see you as that.' And it’s not until the end that she becomes a threat, and then it’s too late.”

2. Predator Lore and World-Building

• Ed inquires if there’s an official Predator "bible" or master lore document.
  • [05:25] Dan: “There’s no Gene Roddenberry. There’s no George Lucas. ... The background of the Yautja species was really explored in comics and novels. ... When I signed on to do Prey, I was like: 'Give me the goods.' ... The studio did not have anything of that nature."
• Trachtenberg ended up referencing weapon and design lore from key SFX artists and mixed his own instincts with existing franchise canon:
  • [06:51] Dan: “I am using my own narrative instincts ... to create the canon that people—that all of us fans and the Internet—then devour.”
• Incorporating elements from all Predator films:
  • [08:04] Dan: “They do [exist in my world]. ... I’ve certainly taken elements. ... The aesthetic of our cloaking device came more from the 2018 Predator ... and the net ball from Predator 2.”
  • On canon: “As soon as a movie references narratively something from another film, it’s canonized—until someone changes it later.”

3. On the Name “Yautja” (Yakja)

• Originates from AVP novels and never appeared in the films.
  • [10:06] Dan: “Never been in the movies. ... The term 'yautja'—I think it’s meant to be pronounced 'yautja,' but 'yakja' just had a bit more of a ring to it.”
• On pitching “Yautja” as a film title and friends’ reactions:
  • [11:12] Dan: “I thought the movie would teach us ... but I didn’t get to stick with it.”

4. Predator Society, Culture, and Easter Eggs

• Yautja culture is nomadic and tribal, inspired by Dothraki/wildlings:
  • [13:41] Dan: “They’re nomadic... a bit more like the Dothraki in Game of Thrones. ... I don’t know that they’re voting with constitutions.”
• Advanced technology comes from overthrowing and enslaving another more intelligent race—the Amengi. Statues visible in "Badlands" reference this.
  • [14:08] Dan: “In Badlands ... in the first few shots ... it passes by some broken Amengi statues.”
• Do Yautja love?
  • [15:23] Dan: “Any creature that passionate, that angry, I think also loves as well.”

5. Easter Eggs, Franchise Connections & Fan Questions

• Confirmation of an "Independence Day" Hunter Harvester skull as an Easter egg—a nod rather than canon:
  • [16:21] Dan: “War of the Worlds is not owned by Disney ... Independence Day is.”
• Relationship and connections with Fede Alvarez (“Alien: Romulus”):
  • [17:10] Dan: “[We got lunch] before we even knew we’d ever make a Predator or Alien movie. ... Massive fan of his.”

6. Dan Trachtenberg’s Filmmaking Philosophy & Fan Interactions

• Trachtenberg excels at giving new angles to existing stories:
  • [18:09] Ed: “You love using ... other people’s stories to tell your stories ... and gave a badass angle to [them].”
• On John Goodman in “10 Cloverfield Lane,” directing with wildly different takes:
  • [18:38] Dan: “Yes. ... Pushing him in wildly different directions from take to take. ... Mess with people when we were cutting the movie together.”

7. Fan Pitches & “What Ifs” (Mash-ups & Absurd Scenarios)

A recurring bit—Ed pitches ridiculous (but hilarious) crossovers. Trachtenberg plays along, offering insight and boundaries for what’s possible:

• Predator vs. Lake Placid Crocodile / The Omen / Bone Tomahawk Monster / The Fly / Archie or X-Men (comics):
  • [19:55] Dan (on Lake Placid): “I think so ... but I want to see it.”
  • [20:17] Dan (on The Omen): “I don’t think they believe in earthly [gods/Satan].”
  • [22:01] Dan (on Predator’s timeline): “They’ve just been around for quite a bit ... It was 10 years, a decade [between Predator 1 and 2].”
  • [22:27] Dan (on Bone Tomahawk): “You’ve won. ... You win.”
  • [23:06] Dan (on comics crossovers): “They’ve done so many of those ... Disney hasn’t brought up any ... They’re looking to me for where it could go Predator-wise.”
• Suggestions like Predator as a celebrity/pastor, MK Ultra subject, second shooter on the grassy knoll, and more, which Trachtenberg gamely jokes about.
  • [25:31] Dan: “Thematically I like this ... I love a good thematic story.”
  • [27:03] Dan (on JFK): “I think we’d see the three dots though.”
  • [27:14] Ed: “Would you see the three dots on the Zapruder? I mean, that’s a shitty camera.”
  • [27:20] Dan: “It’s a shitty camera. It’s true.”

8. Future of Dan and Predator/Other Projects

• Not "Predator for life," still interested in telling original stories and spanning out beyond the franchise.
  • [27:39] Dan: “I don’t think so, but ... I’m telling wildly original stories I’d want to do anyway, and I can do them within this franchise.”
• Rumors dispelled: No current involvement with “Waterworld.”
  • [28:30] Dan: “No, no. ... That is not true.”
• On appreciating “Waterworld” post “Fury Road.”
  • [28:44] Dan: “I would argue not even a bad movie. ... We just were not ready to see Kevin Costner drink his own pee at the time.”

9. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Franchise Legacy

• Trachtenberg did communicate with Arnold for use of Dutch in “Killer Killers”—Schwarzenegger approves of the work.

  • [29:22] Dan: “We got his approval ... He’s been a big fan.”

• “Killer Killers” ending as a door for future stories, animated or otherwise.

  • [29:59] Dan: “...a door opening for more stories for all those characters ... more stories can be told about how they end up there, more stories can be told for the next second after that, and even far later. So it’s really an open door now.”

10. Ratings, Childhood, and Early Inspiration

• On sneaking around childhood movie restrictions and developing his imagination:
  • [31:24] Dan: “Not until I was like 12 ... As much as I hated my mom for not letting me watch all those movies when I was a kid, I have her to thank for nurturing my imagination ... to really grow.”
• Used to create imagined versions of Predator and Rambo, even entered magazine contests designing Predator video game levels.
• Nods and callbacks in films (like Billy’s scar transferred to Naru’s brother in "Prey"):
  • [34:18] Dan: “We were insistent on ... blocking [so] he would get that [scar].”

11. Predator Video Games

• On the state of Predator games:
  • [35:15] Dan: “There’s a very cool game now called Hunting Grounds ... There was a game that I missed—Concrete Jungle—that is the most similar to Badlands. ... A third-person action adventure open-world game would be really cool.”

12. Specifics on Yautja Characters

• On Dec, the protagonist of "Badlands": He’s a teenager, a runt, still trying to prove himself.
• All Yautja seen so far are male, but female Yautja exist, just not yet depicted.
  • [37:06] Dan: “The ones we’ve met are all dudes ... We just haven’t seen yet, you know?”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [05:25] Dan Trachtenberg: “There’s no Gene Roddenberry. There’s no George Lucas. ... The movies were all very episodic and lean and mean. So the background of the Yautja species ... was explored in comics and novels.”
• [11:12] Dan Trachtenberg: “I thought the movie would teach us, the movie would make it a cool thing. And it just didn’t ... didn’t get to stay around.”
• [14:08] Dan Trachtenberg: “The origin of the species is they were actually enslaved by a more intelligent race called the Amengi ... In Badlands ... when we’re following the hover bike, it passes by some broken Amengi statues.”
• [22:27] Dan Trachtenberg: “You’ve won. ... You win.” (after Ed successfully argues for a Bone Tomahawk crossover)
• [27:39] Dan Trachtenberg: “[Predator for life?] ... I don’t think so, but it’s been ... I’m telling wildly original stories ... within this franchise.”
• [28:44] Dan Trachtenberg: “We just were not ready to see Kevin Costner drink his own pee at the Time. But now we are.”
• [31:24] Dan Trachtenberg: “As much as I hated my mom for not letting me watch all those movies when I was a kid, I have her to thank for nurturing this, my imagination ...”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:09] – Dan on joining the Predator franchise
• [03:15] – Teamwork, found family, underdog themes
• [05:25] – Lack of franchise “bible”; how lore is built
• [08:04] – Canon, acknowledging all films
• [10:06] – Origin of “Yautja” name
• [13:41] – Yautja society/government and nomadic nature
• [14:08] – Amengi statues Easter egg
• [16:21] – ID4 skull reference debate
• [17:10] – Relationship with Fede Alvarez ("Alien: Romulus")
• [18:38] – John Goodman’s improvisational acting in "10 Cloverfield Lane"
• [19:55] to [27:14] – Crossover pitch lightning round: Predator vs. various properties
• [27:39] – On “Predator for life” and upcoming projects
• [29:22] – Working with Arnold Schwarzenegger’s legacy
• [31:24] – Childhood restrictions and creative imagination
• [35:15] – Predator video games
• [36:19] – Details on Badlands’ protagonist
• [37:06] – Gender dynamics of Yautja
• [37:57] – Fluffernutter–Nutty Fluffy anecdote
• [38:44] – Ed’s praise and closing remarks

Closing Thoughts

This episode provides rich insights into how contemporary science fiction and horror franchises are shaped by passionate creators who both honor and expand their mythologies. Dan Trachtenberg’s approach is inclusive, inventive, and playful—in perfect sync with the fan culture surrounding Predator. The conversation is peppered with deep lore, fan debate, offbeat humor, and new insider details (like the Amengi statues and unmade titles). If you love the Predator series, sci-fi world-building, or just want to hear two fans geek out creatively, this episode is essential listening.