The Predator franchise is returning in 2025 with Predator: Badlands, a bold and atmospheric new entry from Prey director Dan Trachtenberg. With Elle Fanning and newcomer Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi leading the cast, the film takes a fresh direction—set not on Earth but a remote, futuristic planet.
A young woman named Thia (Elle Fanning) has spent most of her life in a lab. The movie follows her journey along with that of a young Predator named Dek, who has been sent away from his own clan. The unlikely pair sets out across dangerous terrain to find the ultimate enemy. For the first time in the franchise’s history, the Predator isn’t the villain but a central protagonist. The film is being hailed for its stylistic vision, inspired by sources as varied as Conan the Barbarian, Shadow of the Colossus, and classic Clint Eastwood Westerns.
Like in Prey, the places are just as much a part of the story as the people who live there. Let’s look at the real-life places where Predator: Badlands was filmed and how they helped make the movie feel like it was set in a different world.
Where Was Predator: Badlands Filmed?
Principal photography on Predator: Badlands began in late June 2024 and wrapped by the end of October that same year. The film was shot under the working title Backpack, a method often used to keep major productions low-profile during filming.
New Zealand’s natural beauty and film-friendly environment were used for filming in a number of beautiful locations. The film’s otherworldly look came from the use of remote beaches, volcanic landscapes, lush forests — and small towns in rural areas.
Here are the key locations used in Predator: Badlands:
1. Bethells Beach, Auckland
Bethells Beach, also called Te Henga, is one of the most important places in the movie. It is on the west coast of Auckland’s North Island. Bethells Beach, with its dark sand, rocky cliffs, and gloomy skies, was the perfect place for a rough alien world.
Photos from the set showed director Dan Trachtenberg and creature effects designer Alec Gillis on-site. This beach has also been featured in past productions like Xena: Warrior Princess and The Shannara Chronicles, but its dramatic isolation made it ideal for Badlands’ wild frontier vibe.
2. Rotorua
Rotorua was a geothermal wonderland with a truly unique landscape. The area was famous for its bubbling mud pools, steaming vents — and geysers. Its harsh, otherworldly atmosphere made it feel like the terrain on an alien planet would be unpredictable.
The naturally smoking fields and colourful mineral lakes in Rotorua made it possible to use green screen less and still make the backgrounds look very real, which is what modern sci-fi movies try to do.
3. Te Kuiti, Waikato Region
Inland filming was carried out in and around Te Kuiti, a small town in the Waikato region. Surrounded by rolling farmland and dramatic limestone landscapes, the town and its outskirts were transformed to create scenes showing the less-hospitable parts of the Badlands world.
The use of these rural settings gave the film a grounded, tactile feeling. The filmmakers made use of nearby caves and forest trails to create sequences involving chases and survival scenes between Thia and Dek.
4. South Head, Kaipara
The production later moved to South Head, near Kaipara Harbour. This location, with its wind-swept dunes and coastal plateaus — served as the setting for key climactic moments in the film.
The film’s themes of exile and discovery aligned with South Head’s natural isolation and openness. Aerial shots captured here highlight the vast emptiness of the terrain, reinforcing the characters’ physical and emotional journeys.
Other Behind-the-Scenes Details
The film’s cinematographer, Jeff Cutter—who also worked on Prey—returned to bring the alien world to life using natural light and wide landscape shots. The goal, according to the director, was to avoid synthetic backdrops wherever possible, immersing the viewer directly in the environment.
New Zealand-based makeup artists Carly Marr and Susie Glass also shared behind-the-scenes photos that gave fans early peeks at the Predator suit and scenic locations.
With these real-life effects and digital improvements from big names in visual effects like Wētā FX, Industrial Light & Magic, and Rising Sun Pictures, every frame looked both real and huge.
Why New Zealand Was the Ideal Location
New Zealand has long been a favorite for fantasy and science fiction productions, from The Lord of the Rings to Avatar. Its wide range of landscapes lets filmmakers create different worlds without having to go to different countries.
The mix of wild beaches, volcanic areas, rainforests — and farmland in Predator: Badlands made it possible to make an alien world that felt real and complicated. The production was also able to stay under the radar because these spots were out of the way and easy to get to. This goal seemed to have been met until post-production began.
Working with local people and resources, like VFX artists and stunt performers, made New Zealand’s reputation as a world-class filmmaking hub even stronger.
Production Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| February 2024 | Predator: Badlands officially announced with Dan Trachtenberg as director |
| June 2024 | Pre-production begins in New Zealand |
| Late June 2024 | Principal photography starts under the working title Backpack |
| August 2024 | Elle Fanning confirmed as lead; Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi cast as Dek |
| August 27, 2024 | Filming underway in locations like Rotorua and Bethells Beach |
| September 2024 | On-location shooting continues in Te Kuiti and South Head |
| Late October 2024 | Principal photography wraps |
| October 19, 2024 | Filming completion quietly confirmed by fan communities and local crew |
| November 2024 – 2025 | Post-production, including extensive VFX work by ILM, Wētā FX, and others |
| July 2025 | Official trailer released |
| November 7, 2025 | Predator: Badlands scheduled for theatrical release |
Official Trailer
For more updates on filming locations and TV production news, visit netfilming.com – your go-to source for everything behind the scenes.
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