It all began with an image of Chewbacca carrying C-3PO on his back. That one image from The Empire Strikes Back would inspire one of the best Predatormovies ever, a fresh reimagining of the sci-fi horror franchise that turned the slasher monster into the protagonist. But while Star Wars will always be a North Star for director Dan Trachtenberg, he didn’t make Predator: Badlands with the ultimate goal of making a Star Wars movie — not that he would say no to one. “I’ve had various exciting thoughts for Star Wars over the years, and maybe one day that is a thing,” Trachtenberg tells Inverse. “Or maybe it will continue to fuel things I do elsewhere.” Trachtenberg’s guiding principle is inspired by a story about how George Lucas and Steven Spielberg conceived of Indiana Jones. Spielberg was upset that he wasn’t allowed to direct a James Bond movie because he was American. But then Lucas gave him something better: an idea that would eventually become Raiders of the Lost Ark. “And it was like he made his own James Bond,” Trachtenberg says. “I’ve had various exciting thoughts for Star Wars over the years, and maybe one day that is a thing,” Trachtenberg tells Inverse. “Or maybe it will continue to fuel things I do elsewhere.” Trachtenberg’s guiding principle is inspired by a story about how George Lucas and Steven Spielberg conceived of Indiana Jones. Spielberg was upset that he wasn’t allowed to direct a James Bond movie because he was American. But then Lucas gave him something better: an idea that would eventually become Raiders of the Lost Ark. “And it was like he made his own James Bond,” Trachtenberg says. “Funny enough, almost everything I’ve done... has come from nos,” Trachtenberg continues. “That has fueled some of the movies I have made already and things that I’m looking forward to making. ‘Well, they said no to this thing. So you know what? I’m just going to make it on my own.’” It’s how Trachtenberg has found himself steering the Predator franchise into brand new territory since 2022, when his lean historical thriller Prey brought fresh blood to a waning series. In an interview with Inverse, Trachtenberg teased (very cryptically) what’s next for his vision of the Predator franchise, whether we could see more Alien crossovers down the road, and what impact his Paramount deal will have on it all. Read the rest of our review here. | 
