‘Predator: Badlands’ Filming Location, Explained

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Following the successful reboot Prey, director Dan Trachtenberg returns with Predator: Badlands. The movie, starring Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, premiered in theaters on November 7, 2025. As a new story with new characters, Badlands moves the action to a different location than Prey, which was set on the Great Plains in the 1700s.

The new movie Predator: Badlands takes place on a faraway planet, offering a fresh setting and detailed world. However, eagle-eyed viewers, especially fans of the Lord of the Rings franchise, might notice a familiar landscape – a specific mountain range that feels strikingly similar to those seen in the beloved films. Let’s explore where Predator: Badlands was actually filmed.

Where Was ‘Predator: Badlands’ Filmed?


20th Century Studios

Filming for Predator: Badlands, initially known as Backpack, began in August 2024 and finished in October. Director Trachtenberg again worked with cinematographer Jeff Cutter, who also shot Prey, but the new film was shot in a different location. While Prey was primarily filmed on the land of the Stoney Nakoda First Nation in Alberta, Canada – a fitting choice given the film’s story and themes centered around Naru (played by Amber Midthunder) – Badlands utilized a different setting.

When making Predator: Badlands, director Trachtenberg and his team needed a filming location that felt like a faraway alien world. They chose the remote parts of New Zealand to capture the expansive outdoor scenes. Besides building sets to resemble New Zealand, they also filmed on location in Auckland and Rotorua.

Auckland is a vibrant, bustling city in New Zealand, famous for its stunning buildings and beautiful coastal and mountain scenery. Several scenes from Predator: Badlands were shot in an Auckland studio, including the crashed spaceship and the Weyland-Yutani research facility. Most of the movie, however, was filmed in New Zealand’s lush natural landscapes, notably around Rotorua.

Rotorua is a beautiful city in New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty, located beside Lake Rotorua. It’s famous for its unusual geothermal features and the stunning Pink and White Terraces. According to Letterboxd, director Trachtenberg chose Rotorua as a filming location because its geothermal landscapes and forests offer a distinctly different atmosphere from the jungles seen in the original Predator movie. The rolling hills and volcanic activity of Rotorua also create a landscape that’s very different from the American Great Plains setting of Prey.

‘Predator: Badlands’ Shares a Filming Location With ‘The Lord of the Rings’


20th Century Studios

The movie Predator: Badlands was filmed in the same locations used for Peter Jackson’s famous Lord of the Rings films. The Lord of the Rings franchise, based on the novels by J.R.R. Tolkien, has earned over $6 billion globally and won 17 Academy Awards, including 11 for The Return of the King – a record it shares with other films.

Both Predator: Badlands and The Lord of the Rings trilogy famously filmed scenes near Rotorua, in the Bay of Plenty region. Tongariro National Park played a key role in The Lord of the Rings, serving as the backdrop for iconic locations like Mount Doom, the Black Gate, and Gollum’s Pool. The area around Okahune, close to Rotorua, was used to film scenes set in Hobbiton. Because of the region’s unique and dramatic mountains, viewers watching Predator: Badlands will likely notice the same landscapes featured in The Lord of the Rings.

There’s a striking scene in Badlands where Thia and Dek flee across a mountain from a group of Predators. The landscape feels remarkably similar to the scenery in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films – almost as if it was filmed in the same location. Even if you don’t know the story of The Lord of the Rings, you’ll likely recognize the vast green mountains and the water below. It’s like Thia and Dek briefly took a detour to The Shire before continuing their journey. Director Trachtenberg explained to Letterboxd that they chose to film in New Zealand because…

I’ve always hoped for a chance to film here. This project gave me that opportunity, and it’s perfect because the scenery is so striking. We’re used to seeing landscapes like this used for fantasy films, and I wanted to avoid the typical science fiction look. We’ve seen so many films, like Predator, set in jungles, and I wanted something different.

The forest here is really special – it’s an unusual mix of dense, jungle-like areas alongside traditional forests and woodlands, and it even includes redwoods. It’s absolutely stunning. I really want the environment to feel wild and natural, with unexpected, otherworldly touches, rather than feeling like a completely artificial set.

Putting aside the hypothetical battle between the Predator and Sauron, fans can now enjoy a return to a classic setting with the new Predator installment, Badlands.

‘Predator: Badlands’ Is Now in Theaters


20th Century Studios

As a longtime fan of the Predator series, I was excited to see Dan Trachtenberg back in the director’s chair for Badlands, the ninth film in the franchise, especially after his excellent Prey. Written by Patrick Aison and Brian Duffield, this installment takes a really interesting turn, blending the world of Alien with the Predator universe. The story centers around Thia, played by Elle Fanning, who is a synthetic human created by the ever-present Weyland-Yutani corporation. It’s a compelling setup that promises a fresh take on the familiar Predator formula.

When Thia lands on a distant planet, she unexpectedly connects with Dek, a young Predator who is different from the rest of his kind because of his small size and has been rejected by his group. The actor Kai Schuster-Koloamatangi plays both Dek and his cruel father, Njohrr, a powerful Predator who wants to eliminate his son.

When Njohrr unleashes his hunters to eliminate Dek, the young Predator seeks guidance and protection from his brother, Kwei. Luckily, Thia, equipped with advanced artificial intelligence – similar to the AI seen in the film Alien: Earth – assists Dek and Kwei in defending themselves and surviving the onslaught. Predator: Badlands is currently showing in cinemas.

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2025-11-08 04:19