The Predator Badlands stunts, visual effects and creature design…

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We take a look at the Predator Badlands stunts, visual effects and creature design…

Alec Gillis, a creature designer who started his career with the original “Alien” and “Predator” movies working alongside special effects legend Stan Winston, recently teamed up with director Trachtenberg again. They previously collaborated on the 2022 film “Prey,” and Gillis has worked on nearly every installment in both the “Alien” and “Predator” series since his early work with Winston.

To truly make Genna feel like the most dangerous planet imaginable, Gillis and Trachtenberg collaborated to design all life forms – both plants and animals – to be frightening. Every detail, from creatures like the bone bison and the Kalisk to plants like razor grass and elephant trees, was carefully created to ensure that every part of Genna posed a threat.

The designers of the Kalisk – Trachtenberg, Gillis, and Wētā FX – looked to a variety of animals for inspiration, both real and imagined. This included the charming creatures from Hayao Miyazaki’s films, the epic beasts in the video game “Shadow of the Colossus,” and fascinating life forms found in the deep ocean.

Gillis explained that designing the character Bud was tricky because her initial harmless appearance hides a dangerous side. He drew inspiration from real-world transformations in nature, such as how tadpoles develop into frogs, to help shape her evolution.

Gillis collaborated closely with Wētā Workshop to design the highly detailed prosthetic suits and weapons for the Predator. He focused on the fact that this Predator, Dek, is young – around 14 or 15 years old – and therefore not as large or powerful as adult Predators, though still very aggressive. To reflect this, Dek’s arms and legs were made shorter and more muscular, giving him a compact and powerfully built appearance.

 

*** VISUAL EFFECTS ***

To fully bring the world of Genna to life in “Badlands,” the filmmakers needed a top-tier visual effects supervisor. They brought in Olivier Dumont, known for his work on films like “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” and “Shang-Chi,” to lead a team of incredibly talented effects companies. These included industry leaders like Wētā Workshop (New Zealand), Framestore, ILM, Trixster, Perception, and ILP, all working together to create the film’s breathtaking visuals.

In “Prey” (also known as “Badlands”), the Predator is unmasked for a significant portion of the film – a first for the franchise. The filmmakers initially planned to use a remote-controlled animatronic mask, but director Trachtenberg soon realized the story required a more nuanced performance from the creature. He wanted audiences to connect with the Predator on an emotional level, seeing beyond its frightening appearance and recognizing a powerful, complex character, something the previous films, which focused on fear and intimidation, hadn’t explored.

To accurately portray Dek’s feelings and expressions, actor Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi performed all his scenes in costume, but with his hood down to reveal his face. Wētā FX then used this facial capture data, creating a Predator with a depth of emotion we haven’t seen before – one where you can see anger, pain, resolve, intensity, and even a hint of humor behind the iconic mask.

According to Dumont, allowing a previously established monster to display emotions is a significant development, effectively turning it into a character. Therefore, during filming, the focus was on capturing genuine emotion from the actor playing the monster, rather than relying on a mask to convey it.

Throughout much of the film, Elle Fanning’s character, Thia, is carried on the back of another character, Dek. While post-production digitally removed Fanning’s legs, the filmmakers cleverly achieved this effect during filming. Fanning was positioned in a seated “L” shape, with her legs supported by a system of harnesses, wires, wheelbarrows, or even rolling benches – the specific setup depended on the shooting location. This made it look like she was weightless on Dek’s back.

 

*** PREDATOR BADLANDS STUNTS ***

Stunt coordinator Jacob Tomuri, known for his work as Tom Hardy’s double in “Mad Max: Fury Road,” designed the fighting style for the Predator character Dek’ to fit the story. He used Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi’s smaller size to make Dek’ exceptionally agile. Dimitrius’ natural athleticism also helped him quickly master the necessary training, which focused on footwork, strength, and sword fighting.

As a huge fan, I was amazed learning about how they filmed that incredible fight scene with Thia! Elle Fanning did a lot of her own stunts, but for the really dangerous parts, they brought in Abigail Swain to be Elle’s body double. And get this – Rosalie Button did all the legwork, literally! She was Elle’s leg double, performing the whole fight choreography with her hands behind her back. It wasn’t just for the performance either; it actually helped the visual effects team make everything look seamless in post-production. It’s details like that which really show how much work went into making that scene so awesome.

The fight scenes were particularly difficult because Thia had to battle multiple opponents, all portrayed by a single actor. This actor had to master unique choreography for each individual fight, adding to the complexity.

Mike Homik, who plays Dek’s brother Kwei, was specifically chosen for the role because of his impressive height – he’s 6’8” – and his experience performing stunts.

Elle Fanning, director Dan Trachtenberg, and the team behind ‘Predator’ attended a special screening of the film in London’s Badlands area.

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2025-11-07 03:24