Director of Predator: Badlands Dan Trachtenberg shares why he cast Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi in the science fiction film, praises them for meeting physical demands of their roles
Dan Trachtenberg
Set in the future on a lethal, remote planet, Predator: Badlands centers on Dek, a young Predator exiled by his own clan, who forms an improbable, volatile pact with Thia for the deadliest quest imaginable: to go find the ultimate adversary.
What makes the casting of Dek and Thia so exciting is that both roles demanded actors who could redefine what we expect in a Predator film — physically and emotionally. Director Dan Trachtenberg opens up about the casting choice for the film.
Dan Trachtenberg on casting Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi as Dek:
Dan said, "Dimitrius (Schuster-Koloamatangi) was one of the most remarkable finds of my career. He had a lovely audition, but we wanted to see what he was capable of physically, so we had a day where we brought in a bunch of stunt performers and set up an obstacle course. The way Dimitrius navigated that course was insane. The swashbuckle he brought to all the sliding, jumping, leaping, and weapon work was cooler than the stuntmen. Dimitrius had a special physicality. Then, on set, Dimitrius showed up not just for the physical work but also for the emotional work. It was unbelievable to see where he went. I wasn’t prepared for how he brought so much to this creature who’s simultaneously vulnerable, but terrifying, ferocious and visceral."
Dan Trachtenberg on casting Elle Fanning as Thia:
Further talking about Elle Fanning as Thia, Dan said, "Elle is remarkable in that she’s both highly analytical, but also deeply emotional and thoughtful. She mines every scene for all its worth. She also brought a verbal dexterity to Thia, for sure. But what I didn’t think of until I lucked into it with Elle was the peculiar physical demands of this role. You’d think that you could just sit and talk, but no—there were so many different kinds of harnesses and tricks needed for pulling off the magic that is Thia. We obviously use visual effects to see the more robotic side of Thia, but there's a way that Elle holds her body so she can feel inert and dead and come alive in ways that I thought we’d need so many more special and visual effects to pull off. She just knows how to use all her tools as an actor to make us believe in this robot. Thia also has one of the most special, unique, coolest fight scenes in the movie, and Elle was tremendous in pulling that off."
Predator: Badlands releases in theatres on 7th November in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.
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