Dan Trachtenberg’s 2025 Was Almost Even Bigger Thanks To Stranger Things

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Director Dan Trachtenberg is having a fantastic 2025, and it could have been even better! He recently released his fourth film, Predator: Badlands, which is his third movie in the Predator series, following Prey and Predator: Killer of Killers. He was also in talks for a project related to Stranger Things, but it didn’t come to fruition.

Trachtenberg now has two significant Predator films coming out in 2025, starting with the Hulu release this July. Although the animated Predator: Killer of Killers earned positive reviews (a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes), it was only available for streaming. His first live-action Predator film, Prey, also debuted as a streaming exclusive.

As a huge fan of the Predator movies, I was thrilled to finally see Dane Trachtenberg’s third installment, Predator: Badlands, in theaters – and it’s clearly paying off at the box office! It’s awesome to see his work get the recognition it deserves. And can you believe he almost directed some of the final season of Stranger Things? That would have been another amazing project for him in 2025!

Dan Trachtenberg Was Supposed To Direct A Stranger Things Season 5 Episode

I was so excited when I heard Dan Trachtenberg was going to direct an episode of the final Stranger Things season! It would have been amazing to see his vision added to the show alongside the Duffer Brothers, Shawn Levy, and Frank Darabont. Unfortunately, with everything happening during the Hollywood strikes and how schedules shifted, he had to focus on Predator: Badlands instead. It’s a bummer, but I understand needing to prioritize other commitments.

Although Dan Trachtenberg didn’t direct an episode of Stranger Things season 5, he found a way to include it in his new Predator film. Predator: Badlands features cameos from the creators of Stranger Things, Matt and Ross Duffer, who provided the voices for the ship belonging to the character Kwei. This allowed Trachtenberg to collaborate with the Duffers even though they weren’t working together on the show itself.

Why Dan Trachtenberg Would Have Been A Perfect Fit For Stranger Things

The fifth and final season of Stranger Things will be released in three parts, concluding on New Year’s Eve 2025. This also means that director Shawn Levy won’t be involved with the original series beyond that, which is disappointing as many believe he would have been a great addition to the show.

Director Trachtenberg clearly excels at sci-fi action and adventure, as demonstrated in his three Predator films. He’s skilled at balancing big, detailed worlds with compelling characters, a talent also evident in Stranger Things. It would have been interesting to see him direct an episode of the Netflix series, especially as it comes to a close.

Beyond its supernatural elements, Stranger Things has always been about its characters growing up. Similarly, Predator: Badlands centers on Dek, a young and underestimated Predator who embarks on a journey to prove his worth. Like Stranger Things, Badlands is essentially a coming-of-age story, which highlights how well director Trachtenberg would have fit in directing Stranger Things if the chance had come up.

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2025-11-11 14:08