was released on June 6 and has proven to be another smash success for Trachtenberg, as the film has a 97% critics and 90% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, and is being hailed as one of the best entries in the franchise so far.

The response to Killer of Killers certainly means fans are going to be all the more thrilled for Predator: Badlands, which Trachtenberg teased during an exclusive interview with

Given that the Badlands trailer contains overt references to the Alien franchise — Elle Fanning playing a Weyland-Yutani droid, for one — we asked Trachtenberg about the skeletons fans are think they are seeing in the trophy case, specifically, mentioning a Xenomorph, Xenomorph queen, and an Engineer (from Prometheus).

an understandably coy Trachtenberg said about the trophy wall seen in the first trailer for Badlands.

Eric Italiano, Brobible: Because you guys have leaned into the alien-ness of it, and it’s explicitly referenced in the trailer and on the clothes you wear… Is Blade Runner also in this world? Because in Aliens, Dallas’s bio says that he worked for Tyrell. Now, that’s not something that’s ever been expanded on explicitly in the story… But because of how much you guys are leaning into this, I had to ask—has the Blade Runner part of it ever come up?

EI: I’m glad you indulged me on that one. Before I wrap up, I’ve got a real quick one about Badlands — one that’s a bit less get us both in trouble. Since ‘Prey’ and ‘Killer of Killers’ have both been about—not just underdogs—but people who can die… Talk to me about how you approach that challenge in ‘Badlands’ now that Elle is playing a synth.