The director of Predator – Badlands and the visionary who transformed the franchise, Dan Trachtenberg, has just secured a significant agreement with Paramount. He has signed a three-year first-look deal with the studio. As part of this agreement, he will direct, produce, and develop projects for Paramount Pictures in collaboration with his long-time associate, Ben Rosenblatt.
This marks another collaboration between the director and Paramount, as he previously began his career with the successful film 10 Cloverfield Lane, released by the studio in 2016. Trachtenberg shared his enthusiasm about partnering with Paramount in a statement.
He mentioned that as a child, he adored the films produced by the studio and eagerly anticipated what would come after the logo. He expressed immense joy at having the chance to contribute to the legacy of the production company.
The director referred to the agreement as “a dream realized”. He also conveyed his eagerness to collaborate with the Paramount team.
According to Dan Trachtenberg, “As a child, I vividly recall the excitement of seeing the Paramount logo and imagining the grand adventures that awaited. Now, having the chance to create new, monumental, and heartfelt stories for the big screen is truly a dream realized. Ben and I are eager to collaborate with Dana, Josh, Don, and the whole Paramount team to achieve our common goal of restoring Paramount to it’s rightful place as the pinnacle of cinema.”
Josh Greenstein and Dana Goldberg, co-chairs of Paramount, expressed their admiration for Trachtenberg in a joint statement, eagerly anticipating their collaboration. They characterized him as bold, innovative, and driven, highlighting his clear vision as a creator. Furthermore, they noted that his work connects with a wide audience, which is truly priceless.
As per Josh Greenstein & Dana Goldberg, “Dan possesses a remarkable talent for creating films that are not only bold but also profoundly engaging. His unique intuition for building tension, scale, and narrative resonates with viewers across the globe. We are thrilled to have him join our studio.”
This agreement follows Trachtenberg’s tremendous achievement with Predator – Badlands. The movie debuted in November 2025 and established a new Box Office milestone for the Predator franchise, which has been around for more than thirty years.
With a global gross of $184.5 million, it outperformed 2004’s Alien vs. Predator, which made $177.4 million. The blockbuster film came after the debut of his animated feature Predator – Killer of Killers on Hulu.
Trachtenberg initially made a significant impact on the franchise with the 2022 release of Prey. Many fans regarded it as a refreshing change. The movie garnered him two Emmy nominations for both directing and writing.