After spending the last few years reviving and steering the Predator franchise at Disney/20th Century Studios, director Dan Trachtenberg has jumped ship to Paramount Pictures.
THR reports that the filmmaker has signed a three-year first-look directing and producing deal with the studio to develop, direct and produce feature projects with his producing partner, Ben Rosenblatt.
Trachtenberg actually began his career at Paramount, where he helmed his 2016 feature debut 10 Cloverfield Lane.
“As a kid I remember seeing the Paramount logo and dreaming of the epic adventure that would follow,” said Trachtenberg in a statement. “Now to have the opportunity to bring new huge and emotional stories to giant screens is a literally a dream come true. Ben and I cannot wait to join Dana, Josh, Don, and the entire Paramount team in pursuing our shared vision of making Paramount once again the apex of cinema.”
Stated Greenstein and Goldberg: “Dan has an extraordinary ability to deliver films that are both daring and deeply entertaining. He has a rare instinct for tension, scale, and storytelling that connects with audiences worldwide. We’re excited to welcome him to the studio.”
Trachtenberg breathed new life into the Predator franchise with Prey, the animated Predator: Killer of Killers movie, and last year's smash hit, Predator: Badlands. He had been in the process of developing a direct sequel to Prey as well as another untitled Predator movie (possibly a Badlands follow-up), but the status of those projects is now unclear.
As for which properties Trachtenberg might tackle for Paramount, there's speculation that it might be Transformers, or possibly a return to the Cloverfield franchise. The studio has been hyping up a new World War Z movie for a while, and Jeff Sneider believes this might be the project Trachtenberg has his eye on.
"But the piece of IP that I most suspect Paramount wants Trachtenberg to tackle is World War Z, as he’d be a perfect fit for that sequel/reboot, depending on how the studio wants to play it. I don’t know if Brad Pitt is a fan of the Predator franchise, but strictly as a producer of exceptional taste, he has to appreciate what Trachtenberg and Rosenblatt have done with that IP alongside Steve Asbell at 20th Century Studios."
What do you make of this news? Will you be sorry to see Trachtenberg step away from the Predator franchise? Drop us a comment down below.
Predator: Badlands is helmed by returning director Dan Trachtenberg (Prey, 10 Cloverfield Lane) and marks the franchise’s highly anticipated return to the big screen with a story that expands and redefines the Predator Universe.
Set in the future on a deadly remote planet, Badlands follows a young Predator outcast (played by newcomer Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) who finds an unlikely ally in Thia (Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Elle Fanning) as he embarks on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary.
Produced by John Davis, Dan Trachtenberg, Marc Toberoff, Ben Rosenblatt and Brent O’Connor, Predator: Badlands opens exclusively in movie theaters on November 7 in IMAX, Dolby Cinema, RealD (3D), Cinemark XD, 4DX, ScreenX and premium screens everywhere.