Predator: Badlands’ Kalisk Inspired by Miyazaki and Shadow of the Colossus, Says Director Dan Trachtenberg

Predator: Badlands is now streaming on Hulu and on Hulu via Disney+.

According to director Dan Trachtenberg, the Kalisk, an apex predator on the “death planet” Genna in Predator: Badlands, was visually inspired by the works of Hayao Miyazaki and the video game Shadow of the Colossus.

Speaking to Discussing Film, Trachtenberg said the Kalisk in Predator: Badlands “has to look incredibly intimidating, but for there also to be a nobility, and that doesn’t come with a design that’s really reptilian and scary.”

The Kalisk, designated Specimen XX0522 by the Weyland-Yutani Corporation, is a mature and highly dangerous creature that rules as the apex predator of the death planet Genna. A prized target for Yautja hunts, the Kalisk is feared for its remarkable regenerative powers, which allow it to survive otherwise fatal injuries. These abilities have led many to consider the creature nearly impossible to kill.

In a recent interview with ScreenRant, Trachtenberg said he is still thinking about the next Predator movie alongside his Paramount deal.

He said, “Okay, we now have this cool story, we now have these other characters that would be cool to explore further, but is there anything else that we haven’t seen in the franchise, or anything else in sci-fi that would be so cool to do as another entry point? It’s like all three of my movies—Prey, Killers of Killers, and Badlands—are entry points to the franchise. So I’m thinking along those lines as well.”

Trachtenberg has confirmed plans to continue the story after Badlands’ cliffhanger ending, with a deeper emotional focus on Dek’s relationship with his mother. He has also hinted at expanding the shocking Killer of Killers reveal, which exposed that Naru and other survivors of Yautja hunts were cryogenically frozen and transported to Yautja Prime.

Directed by Dan Trachtenberg and written by Patrick Aison from a story by Trachtenberg and Aison, the newest entry in the Predator franchise is set in the future on a remote planet, where a young Predator—outcast from his clan—finds an unlikely ally in Thia (Elle Fanning) and embarks on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary.

Predator: Badlands Cast Details:

• Elle Fanning as
  • Thia, a damaged Weyland-Yutani Corporation synthetic who partners with Dek.
  • Tessa, a Weyland-Yutani synthetic and Thia’s sister, who opposes her and Dek.
• Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi as
  • Dek, a young Predator outcast for being a runt.
  • The voice of Njohrr / Apex Predator / Father.
• Reuben de Jong as Njohrr / Apex Predator / Father, Dek and Kwei’s father and leader of the Clan, who seeks Dek’s death.
• Mike Homik as Kwei, Dek’s older brother who helps him prepare for his first hunt.
• Stefan Grube as the voice of Kwei.
• Rohinal Narayan as Bud, a creature native to the planet Genna.
• Cameron Brown as Smyth, a Weyland-Yutani drone synthetic.

20th Century Studios released Predator: Badlands theatrically in the United States on November 7, 2025.