Movies
Elle Fanning Will Play Two Characters in ‘Predator: Badlands’
The Predator: Badlands teaser trailer revealed that Elle Fanning’s character, Thia, is a Weyland-Yutani synthetic. But Thia won’t be the only character Fanning will play in the upcoming installment.
Empire Magazine confirms that Fanning is playing not one but TWO characters in Dan Trachtenberg’s live-action follow-up to Prey.
While we know a bit about Thia, Fanning’s other character– including name– remains a mystery at this stage.
Thia will be paired with Badlands’ young hero Yautja. Trachtenberg recently described to BD what their dynamic looks like, “As inspired as I am by movies, I’ve been very inspired by video games [like] Shadow of the Colossus, where you have a protagonist paired with someone else who provides color and connection. There’s a thing with a horse in Shadow of the Colossus that’s devastating when you play the game.
Thia (Elle Fanning) in 20th Century Studios’ PREDATOR: BADLANDS film. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
“And so [Predator: Badlands] was a little bit inspired by that in terms of wanting to see the Predator with someone else, this character who’s the opposite of him. He’s very laconic, [Fanning] is not. She’s capable in ways that he is not. Physically, she’s got a real thing that I’m so excited for you guys to see. But I want to let eventually some of that speak for itself.”
Of course, the teaser revealed that Thia isn’t human at all. While that leads to obvious speculation that Fanning’s second character will also be a Weyland-Yutani synthetic, Trachtenberg’s comments to Empire confirm it.
“I always wanted no humans in this movie,” Trachtenberg tells Empire, “so I thought it might be fun to have the Predator with a robot. Then I thought, ‘I know a company that makes robots…'”
The newest entry in the franchise is set on a remote planet where a young Predator, outcast from his clan, finds an unlikely ally in Thia (Fanning) and embarks on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary.
Fanning stars alongside Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, who plays protagonist Dek. Trachtenberg (Prey, 10 Cloverfield Lane) directs from a script he co-wrote with Patrick Aison (Prey).
Predator: Badlands will be released in theaters on November 7, 2025.
Sunrise Films has announced the official North American release of William Bagley‘s horror comedy Hold the Fort, and it’s accompanied by an energetic new trailer.
Hold the Fort debuts on digital platforms on June 23.
In the film, “Lucas and Jenny think their life is finally coming together when the couple become homeowners. Little do they know that their new house comes with a big catch. Lucas and Jenny soon find themselves in a fight for their lives when they become trapped in a battle between their Homeowners Association and an onslaught of monsters from hell. The horror-comedy takes the timely concern of home-ownership and wraps this up in an entertaining action-packed thrill ride.“
Watch the new trailer below, which introduces one wild HOA gathering during an equinox. Things get bloody fast.
Chris Mayers (Adult Swim Yule Log), Haley Leary (“The Walking Dead”), Levi Burdick, and Julian Smith star.
William Bagley writes and directs, in addition to producing with Smith, Matt Dodd, Luke Williams, and Tim Reis (Adult Swim Yule Log).
Ahead of the release, Bagley said, “My goal with this film was to make a hilarious, fast-paced thrill ride while also telling a great story with heart. Hopefully, through all the blood, laughs, fights, and gags, you leave the film feeling inspired to tackle whatever life throws at you.“
Hold the Fort premiered at Fantasia last summer before going on to play FrightFest London, Toronto After Dark, and Beyond Fest.
I wrote in my review, “It’s an infectiously charming assemblage of jokes and monster vignettes bound together by a barebones plot with not much on its mind beyond delivering an entertaining time.”
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