(Image source: 20th Century Studios)
"Predator: Badlands" officially opened last weekend, not only performing well at the box office but also garnering significant positive feedback from many viewers, including award-winning director James Cameron.
Dan Trachtenberg, the director of "Badlands," recently revealed in an interview with "DiscussingFilm" that because this installment required extensive motion-capture technology to achieve more nuanced Predator expressions than ever before, he sought advice from Cameron, who is highly experienced in the field. After all, Cameron's direction of the Na'vi motion-capture performances in the "Avatar" series is industry-leading. Due to this connection, Cameron had an early look at "Badlands."
(Image source: 20th Century Studios)
Trachtenberg recalled that "Badlands," like the "Avatar" series, was filmed at the same studio facilities in New Zealand and worked with some of the same crew members. Cameron, who enjoyed Trachtenberg's previous "Predator" films, "Prey" and "Predator: Killer of Killers," reached out to Trachtenberg during production. He invited Trachtenberg to visit his editing suite and gave him an early viewing of "Avatar 3: Fire and Ash."
Trachtenberg seized the opportunity to share his plans for using motion-capture technology in "Badlands" with Cameron. Cameron, upon hearing the details, encouraged him, assuring him the plan would definitely work. Trachtenberg later continued to send early cuts of "Badlands" to Cameron, who consistently offered valuable advice throughout post-production, which proved immensely beneficial.
(Image source: Los Angeles Times)
Trachtenberg recounted: "After he saw the final cut, he sent me a message saying, 'I have to say, when I first heard about what you were doing, I didn't think it would work. But now that I've seen it, I can't believe it. You actually pulled it off.' He knew from the beginning when we needed to seize opportunities to push forward and when we needed that final nudge to cross the finish line. Of course, his 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day' was a huge inspiration for 'Badlands,' and he himself is incredibly inspiring. I've long admired him."
via： DiscussingFilm