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Director Dan Trachtenberg explained the reason why the highly anticipated Predator: Badlands movie will be different from the previous installments in the iconic sci-fi horror franchise. This marks the filmmaker’s third Predator movie, after directing the 2022 prequel Prey, and Hulu’s recently released animated anthology movie Predator: Killer of Killers.

During a recent interview with SFX Magazine, Trachtenberg assured Predator fans that Badlands won’t be your average sci-fi or slasher movie. For the first time, the titular monster is the one who’s being hunted down, providing fans with a fresh new perspective on the long-running franchise. "The movie kind of teaches you how to watch it, and I know traditionally the Predator has just been a creature," He said. "Now it's a character and that just takes some adjusting to. But the cool thing is, when more and more materials come out for the movie, people will...

Back in 2022, 20th Century Studios, director Dan Trachtenberg, and the Hulu streaming service brought the world a new addition to the Predator franchise, the 1719-set Prey – a film that went over so well, Tranchtenberg was given the opportunity to continue expanding the Predator series. In February of 2024, it was announced that he was moving forward with a project called Predator: Badlands, which is now aiming for a November 7, 2025 theatrical release. With more details on the new film starting to emerge, we figured this was the right time to put together a list of Everything We Know About Predator: Badlands:

Prey Creative Team

Dan Trachtenberg directed Predator: Badlands from a screenplay he wrote with his Prey collaborator Patrick Aison – and they crafted a very different sort of story this time around. The studio has revealed that the film is set in the future on a remote planet, telling the story of a young Predator,...

Tom Hern and Nua Finau formed Tavake in 2021, with their debut drama The Panthers – the story of how the Polynesian Panther Party was founded in ‘70s Nz – the first Kiwi series to screen in Toronto. Tavake’s most recent series is Madam, starring Rachel Griffiths, which recently won the Golden Nymph at Monte Carlo TV Festival. They speak to If about their working relationship.

The post Take Two: Tavake’s Tom Hern and Nua Finau appeared first on If Magazine.

The Cinema at Sea – Okinawa Pan-Pacific International Film Festival has unveiled the lineup for its second edition, which will take place on the Japanese island prefecture from February 22 to March 2.

The festival is set to open with the world premiere of Ocean Elergy: The Tragedies Of Mudan And Ryukyu, a documentary by Taiwanese filmmaker Sean Hu. The film chronicles the Mudan Incident of 1871, a massacre which served as a pretext for Japan to invade Taiwan and annex the Kingdom of Ryukyu (what is now Okinawa).

The closing film is Tinā, the theatrical debut of directorial Miki Magasiva, who previously directed...

The Cinema at Sea – Okinawa Pan-Pacific International Film Festival has unveiled the lineup for its second edition, which will take place on the Japanese island from February 22 to March 2.

The festival is set to open with the world premiere of Ocean Elergy: The Tragedies Of Mudan And Ryukyu, a documentary by Taiwanese filmmaker Sean Hu. The film chronicles the Mudan Incident of 1871, a massacre which served as a pretext for Japan to invade Taiwan and annex the Kingdom of Ryukyu (what is now Okinawa).

The closing film is Tinā, the theatrical debut of directorial Miki Magasiva, who previously directed episodes...

Rachel Griffiths drama “Madam” has sold to a slew of territories across the Asia-Pacific region including Hong Kong and Philippines.

The comedic drama stars Griffiths as New Zealand local Mack Leigh who discovers her husband has been visiting sex workers, prompting her to open her own “feminist, ethical brothel.”

Rima Te Wiata (“The Wheel of Time”), Danielle Cormack (“Wentworth”), Robbie Magasiva (“Bad Behaviour”), Martin Henderson (“Virgin River”) and Ariāna Osborne also star.

Based on Antonia Murphy’s memoir, which has been adapted for screen by showrunners Shoshana McCallum (“Inside”) and Harry McNaughton (“The Pact”), the show is directed by Kacie Anning, Madeleine Sami and Peter Salmon and produced by Tavake and XYZ Films for Warner Bros. Discovery Anz in association with Fifth Season, who are handling worldwide distribution.

They have now secured deals with Australia’s Nine Network, Hong Kong’s Now TV and Philippines’ Lionsgate Play.

Executive producers are...

Oscar-winning duo Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe are to direct and executive produce “Sk8 or Die: The Lee Ralph Story.” The upcoming series is an anthology exploring the wild and highly unique life of Lee Ralph, a former pro skateboarder turned folk hero and recluse.

Vinnie Bennett and Oscar-nominee Keisha Castle-Hughes are set to lead the cast, with Bennet portraying Ralph and Castle-Hughes playing his sister and partner in crime Kim Ralph.

The six-part show was hatched by New Zealand-based production company Tavake (“Madam”). Skateboarding ace Tony Hawk and “Jackass” touring comedian and skate culture legend, Steve-o are on board to executive produce. Free and Roe executive produce under their The Unreasnble banner.

Tavake principals Tom Hern and Halaifonua (Nua) Finau (“The Panthers,” “Red White and Brass”) co-wrote the series and will serve as showrunners. Hern will also direct some episodes. Julian Arahanga will act as a producer for Tavake.

Rachel Griffiths has been cast as the lead in “Madam,” a new dramedy series about an escort agency.

Griffiths, best known for her roles in “Six Feet Under” and “Brothers & Sisters,” stars as McKenzie ‘Mack’ Leigh, who sets up an ethical brothel in New Zealand after her philandering husband and mountain of debt leave her struggling to provide for her family.

Joining Griffiths on the show are Rima Te Wiata (“The Wheel of Time”), Danielle Cormack (“Wentworth”), Robbie Magasiva (“Bad Behaviour”), Martin Henderson (“Virgin River”) and newcomer Ariāna Osborne.

The series, which started shooting on location this week, is based on Antonia Murphy’s unpublished memoir about an American woman who opened an ethical escort agency in New Zealand after the country decriminalized sex work. Murphy’s company aimed to protect women’s rights, well-being and financial independence.

Showrunners are Shoshana McCallum (“Inside”) and Harry McNaughton (“The Pact”) while...

Exclusive: XYZ Films and Tavake, the Auckland-based producer of series The Panthers, have acquired adaptation rights to the unpublished memoirs Madame Mom by Antonia Murphy, author of the Huffington Post article I’m an Ethical Pimp.

Murphy, author of Dirty Chick: Adventures of an Unlikely Farmer published by Penguin Random House, moved from the U.S. to New Zealand, where sex work is decriminalized, and in 2016 founded an escort agency built on a philosophy of protecting women’s legal rights, emotional well-being, and financial independence.

A half-hour dramedy adaptation is underway with Shoshana McCallum, who won an International Emmy for Nz series Inside, and Harry McNaughton (The Pact) writing. It is Tavake and XYZ’s first series collaboration.

Tom Hern, Halaifonua Finau (The Panthers) and Crystal Vaega (The Panthers) are executive-producing for Tavake, with Nick Spicer and Marci Wiseman for XYZ. Eric and...

Social justice series to debut on Tvnz on August 15 ahead of TIFF screening next month.

Endeavor Content has boarded worldwide sales on TIFF Primetime selection The Panthers, a social justice series from New Zealand producers Tavake in association with Four Knights Film.

The miniseries of six hour-long episodes was commissioned for Tvnz (New Zealand) and funded by Nz On Air and screens in TIFF’s Primetime international TV showcase.

The Panthers follows the founding of The Polynesian Panthers, a revolutionary social justice movement inspired by the Black Panther movement in the United States. It will debut in New Zealand on...

Endeavor Content has come on board as the global sales agent for “The Panthers,” a music-influenced social justice drama series from New Zealand.

It was Friday confirmed that the series will make its international premiere as an official selection at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival, as part of the Primetime program.

The six, hour-long episodes, based-on-a-true-story series covers a devastating and resonant period in New Zealand’s history through the dramatization of the founding of The Polynesian Panthers – a revolutionary social justice movement directly inspired by the Black Panther movement in the U.S.

The 1974-set narrative follows a young man who is the black sheep of his Tongan family who is frustrated by his community being stuck in a broken economic and criminal justice system. In the face of increasingly aggressive racial-profiling from the government and police force, he forms his own revolutionary movement The Polynesian Panthers, while also...