One of the biggest 2025 movie releases I’m most stoked for is the upcoming Predator: Badlands. As we have already learned, the next installment in the Predator franchise is making a significant change, as it will feature a Predator as the lead, teamed up with a synthetic played by Elle Fanning. Fans may be pleasantly surprised to hear that Fanning actually looked to Alien: Romulus to help her prepare for the role (or roles)? With that, I'm not really excited to see what she brings to her performance.
Elle Fanning spoke about her work on Badlands during an interview with Empire Magazine, shedding light on her dual roles in Dan Trachtenberg’s next Predator installment. The Super 8 star is set to play both Thia and Tessa, two different Weyland-Yutani models. She admitted it was a daunting challenge but, surprisingly, it was a recent performance from within the shared universe that helped her get into the synthetic mindset. She explained:
We went to see Alien: Romulus while we were shooting. [Jonsson] is such a great actor.
David Jonsson’s performance as Andy in Romulus has already earned major praise. His synth starts out as a stuttering, protective big brother before undergoing a terrifying software upgrade that shifts him into something much darker and more calculating. For Fanning, watching that transformation in real time wasn’t just impressive, it was formative. She continued:
That was informative for me, to see him step outside of other synths and create his own version. It gave me confidence to create my own thing, too.
It’s easy to forget that this is Fanning’s first real foray into full-blown sci-fi action movie territory. And jumping into a franchise crossover, where the Alien and Predator timelines are finally colliding again in a meaningful way, adds even more weight to her performance. Not to mention the fact that she’s following in the footsteps of some very big synth boots. She added:
Luckily, I [rarely] had to play both the same day. But it was daunting playing Weyland-Yutani synths. Think about the list of people who’ve played one!
Elle Fanning’s got a point, because Alien is packed with iconic synth performances. From Ash in Alien to Bishop in Aliens, and my personal favorite, David in Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, the franchise has a long legacy of unforgettable androids and the actors who bring them to life.
Still, the Great actress seems to be more than up to the challenge. And, thankfully, she didn’t often have to pull a full Tatiana Maslany and play both roles in the same day. However, the mental gymnastics of balancing two distinct versions of artificial intelligence? That’s some serious acting heavy lifting.
With Prey director Dan Trachtenberg at the helm and Badlands promising gritty action and even grittier lore, anticipation is already high. On top of that, Elle Fanning is playing not one but two synths, drawing inspiration from Alien: Romulus’ standout performance. All signs point to Badlands being another top-tier entry in the ever-expanding Alienverse, and I am so excited!
You can catch Prey, Alien: Romulus and the new Alien: Earth series, as they're all streaming with a Hulu subscription. As for Predator: Badlands, it's scheduled to hit theaters on November 7, 2025.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
