No Guest Found in this category
With Prey, the upcoming Predator: Badlands, and now Predator: Killer of Killers under his belt, filmmaker Dan Trachtenberg has quickly become one of the most prolific creative forces behind the Predator franchise. While many directors have taken a stab at the iconic alien hunter, none have explored its potential across such diverse settings and mediums.
A fresh expansion of the series’ lore and mythos, Killer of Killers brings the Predators into a richly stylised, time-hopping animated film that pits them against legendary warriors from across history, including samurai, Vikings, and more.
Trachtenberg was kind enough to sit down with Supanova and discuss the pressures of being handed the reins of the franchise, its bold leap into animation, and what lies ahead for the deadliest hunter in cinema.
“I feel pressure anytime someone calls me the ‘ultimate go-to authority’ on all things Predator,” he laughs, though it’s clear he embraces the role with enthusiasm. “I’ve just enjoyed it so much. I loved the original when I was a kid because it was so unexpected. I thought I was just going to get an awesome war-based action movie, and was delighted with every twist and turn it took.”
That sense of surprise and genre fusion has become a signature of his own work within the series. “Each time out, the thrill is figuring out how to combine genres and tell interesting stories that are already awesome without a Predator… and then make them even cooler with the Predator.”
The leap into animation with Killer of Killers came about through a long-time creative partnership with co-director Josh Wasson, a pre-visualisation artist who has collaborated with Trachtenberg on nearly every one of his projects, including major television work like the series premiere of The Boys.
“Josh is like an advanced storyboard artist. He’s helped countless directors, even Spielberg, by pre-vising action sequences before they head into production. He came to me with a sample of what he and The Third Floor (an animation company he co-founded) could do – and it was really impressive.”
What started as a technical experiment soon evolved into something more ambitious. “I love an underdog story, and I thought, alright – his first time, my first time, all of us have something to prove. That really ignites creativity.” The team began to realise that animation unlocked narrative and visual possibilities that live-action never could. “We’d always wanted to explore more time periods. An animated Predator lets us go beyond what people are expecting.”
The film also includes a standout voice performance from Michael Biehn, known for iconic roles in The Terminator and Aliens. His appearance now places him in an elite group of actors – alongside Bill Paxton and Lance Henriksen – who have faced off against a Xenomorph, a Terminator, and a Predator.
When asked if that was a conscious choice, Trachtenberg responds, “It had to happen. It was a joy. I was like, ‘Now, finally, Michael Biehn can claim that honour.’ It was crazy to hear him in casual conversation and be like, ‘You’re Hicks! You’re Reese!’ It was just the coolest thing.”
While specific details about the franchise’s future are still under wraps, Killer of Killers subtly opens the door to a broader universe, where old and new characters alike can enter (or exit) at any time. “What’s cool about this film is that it really opens up possibilities for so many different kinds of characters,” he teases.
Beyond its technical achievements and fan-service moments, the film also taps into something more elemental. For years, fans have dreamed of seeing Predators go head-to-head with history’s most legendary warriors – Vikings, samurai, ninjas. Here, that vision is finally realised.
“That’s what’s so cool about this movie,” the director explains. “On the one hand, it fulfils that very childlike curiosity – like, what happens when samurai and ninja fight? That’s one of those things all of us nerds latch onto. But it’s also more than that. The stories, even though they’re short, are quite rich and emotionally charged – completely separate from the Predator entering the fray. And of course, when it crashes into those stories, everything just gets amplified.”
If this is the new direction for the Predator franchise, it seems to be in highly capable – and imaginative – hands.
Predator: Killer of Killers premieres exclusively on Disney+ on June 6
