MIAMI—After nearly four decades of watching the Predator hunt from the shadows, Predator: Badlands turns the lens inward. This time, the creature behind the mask isn't a mindless killer: he's the story. Directed by Dan Trachtenberg (Prey), the 2025 film dives deep into the origins of the Yautja species, exploring what happens when the most dangerous hunter in the galaxy becomes the outcast of his own kind.
At the heart of this new chapter is Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, the Samoan-Tongan actor from New Zealand who brings a rare vulnerability to a creature built on intimidation. Sitting down with him in Miami, Dimitrius shared that the power of the role began long before cameras rolled in his name.
"Schuster is my Samoan name, and Koloamatangi is my dad's Tongan name," he said proudly. "I want people to know I'm Samoan and Tongan. Both my cultures. I'm bringing my village with me."
That pride in identity became the emotional foundation for a film that fuses raw spectacle with deeply personal storytelling.
The New Face Behind the Mask
Predator: Badlands takes place on the desolate planet Genna, where a young Predator named Dek (Schuster-Koloamatangi) is exiled after failing his rite of passage. Cast out by his tribe, he's forced to survive the planet's savage ecosystem and prove that strength comes from within, not from status.
Dek's journey brings him face to face with Thia, a wounded synthetic woman portrayed by Elle Fanning, who's been abandoned by her human creators. Together, they navigate a world filled with hostile creatures, shifting alliances, and moral dilemmas that blur the line between hunter and prey.
Unlike its predecessors, Badlands gives the Predator an emotional arc. "We've only ever seen them as apex predators," Dimitrius explained. "They come in, fight, and leave. We've never seen them go through any obstacles or hardships. But this time, he's an underdog. He's vulnerable."
Director Trachtenberg described the movie as an inversion of the franchise. "This time, the Predator is the one being hunted," he said. That concept allowed Dimitrius to explore layers of emotion that surprised even him.
"There's power in your name," he explained when teaching me how to pronnounce his name and his decision to hyphen his mom and dad's last names. "There's lineage behind it. You should be proud of that. And I think Dek feels the same way. He's trying to honor where he came from while finding who he is."
Behind the Scenes at Bethells Beach
The first day of shooting took place at Bethells Beach in New Zealand, where the film's opening sequence unfolds a windswept confrontation that sets the tone for the entire story.
"There was a lot of prep leading up to the shoot," Dimitrius recalled. "A month of stunt and physical training, just finding his physicality. But when I put on the suit, everything changed. It restricts your movement, so you work harder to find how he breathes, how he moves. And that first day, standing on top of a rock and whipping out the sword, I thought, 'Man, I'm playing a Predator. This is badass.'"
But beneath that armor was something new emotion. "You can CGI everything, but not the eyes," Dimitrius said. "The soul is in the eyes."
The Emotional Core of the Predator
Dimitrius and Trachtenberg worked closely to ensure the creature's expressions reflected both ferocity and feeling. "We had a lot of conversations about emotionality and how he wanted the Predator to be viewed," he said. "It's relatable to humans, feeling excluded or outcast from a community. I drew on my own experiences to bring that emotion out, but I still kept it primal."
Those eyes, enhanced only slightly through visual effects, tell the story of a creature torn between instinct and empathy. It's a risky move for a franchise built on silence and brutality, but one that's paying off.
Expanding the Universe
Predator: Badlands both rewrites the character andexpands the universe. Fans will recognize the Weyland-Yutani Corporation's fingerprints, connecting the film subtly to the Alien saga. The story explores the Yautja culture like never before: their rituals, rival clans, and inner conflicts.
Elle Fanning delivers one of her most intense performances to date as Thia, whose fractured humanity mirrors Dek's. Newcomers Mike Homik and Reuben De Jong bring physical gravitas as members of Dek's clan, while Rohinal Narayan shines as Bud, a native creature who becomes the Predator's unlikely ally.
The film's practical and digital effects blend seamlessly, allowing audiences to see every twitch, every breath, and every hint of emotion beneath the mask.
A Franchise Reborn
Since its debut in 1987, Predator has been synonymous with survival, featuring icons like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Danny Glover, and most recently, Amber Midthunder in Prey. But Badlands marks a turning point. "Now we're showing that even predators go through their own paths," Dimitrius said. "They're still ferocious and badass, but they're also fighting battles inside. That's what makes this one different."
From Village to Galaxy
For Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, the role is more than a Hollywood milestone. It's a bridge between worlds: Pacific and Western, human and alien, myth and identity.
When asked what it means to carry both his cultures into one of cinema's biggest franchises, he smiled. "It's everything. Every time I'm on set, I'm representing my people. I want them to see that we can be heroes, too. even if we wear a mask."
And with Predator: Badlands, that mask finally reveals a face worth remembering.
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