Press.disney.co.uk
Filmmaker Kevin Smith Moderates Both Panels Featuring Cast and Filmmakers Exclusive Film Previews, and Surprise Guests Disney’s “TRON: Ares” Opens in Cinemas October 1020th Century Studios “Predator: Badlands” Opens in Cinemas November 7
Links to PREDATOR: BADLANDS materials:
Comic-Con BRoll & Soundbites: Disney AV Assets
https://dam.gettyimages.com/thewaltdisneystudios/sdccpredatorbadlands-
https://app.box.com/s/irqu98m1mbjlqdctsc9m6yr9olcdmr1r-
Links to TRON: ARES materials:
https://dam.gettyimages.com/thewaltdisneystudios/sdcctronares-
https://nineinchnails.lnk.to/TRONAres-
https://app.box.com/s/ntfze9qf3s21lzvqln6ps4rtgbtymmap-
Cast and filmmakers from “Predator: Badlands” and “TRON: Ares” were in San Diego over the weekend for two special Comic-Con panels hosted by the Walt Disney Studios and moderated by filmmaker Kevin Smith in Hall H at the San Diego Convention Center.
The first panel featured the stars of 20th Century Studios’ “Predator: Badlands,” Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, and the film’s director/producer Dan Trachtenberg, who were greeted by the more than 6,500 Comic-Con attendees wearing Predator masks. A 7-foot-tall real-life Predator descended upon Hall H and used its heat signature abilities to scope the room, zeroing in on Smith. A brief Q&A followed, which focused on details of the upcoming action-adventure film and included legendary creature designer Alec Gillis, touching briefly on the recent animated film “Predator: Killer of Killers.” Trachtenberg delighted fans with an exclusive look at the alternate ending of the film, featuring franchise favourites Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny Glover. The panel ended with a screening of the first 15 minutes of “Predator: Badlands,” and all attendees were gifted an exclusive SDCC “Predator: Badlands” poster after posing for a selfie with Smith, cast, and filmmakers in their Predator masks before exiting Hall H.
“In the ‘Predator’ movies, the Predator never wins. They are supposed to be the greatest warrior in the galaxy, and they are always the bad guy,” says Dan Trachtenberg. “The Predator is not a friendly creature…it is ferocious, a bad ass, and very much an anti-hero. And I was really interested in switching that up and pairing a Predator with someone totally unexpected and taking these two unique characters on an incredibly emotional and visceral journey.”
Up next were the cast and filmmakers from Disney’s “TRON: Ares.” Smith welcomed Jared Leto, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Jodie Turner-Smith, Hasan Minhaj, Arturo Castro, Cameron Monaghan, Gillian Anderson, Comic-Con legend Jeff Bridges, director Joachim Rønning, and producer/creator Steven Lisberger to the stage to speak about what fans can expect from the highly anticipated third installment in the groundbreaking “TRON” franchise, which hits cinemas October 10. Comic-Con attendees were treated to a preview of the film’s thrilling light cycle chase scene, an extended first look at the Dillinger Grid – an immersive digital world created by Julian Dillinger, and an exclusive look at the music video of “As Alive as You Need Me to Be,” performed by the GRAMMY®-winning rock band Nine Inch Nails, whose exhilarating electronic rock music accompanies the mesmerizing action sequences in the film. “As Alive as You Need Me to Be” is the first single (https://nineinchnails.lnk.to/TRONAres-UK) from the album’s soundtrack. Fans received an exclusive “TRON: Ares” SDCC poster at the end of the panel.
“Ares’s journey is all about what it means and takes to be human. And trying to answer those questions is why I wanted to tell this story,” says Joachim Rønning. “I want to make movies for the big screen. That’s what I grew up with and what made me want to become a filmmaker. Cinema is my art form. And ‘TRON: Ares’ is just that: a full-blooded cinema experience. Myself, and hundreds of amazing craftspeople have worked our asses off for two years to make sure of that.”
20th Century Studios’ “Predator: Badlands,” directed by Dan Trachtenberg, opens exclusively in cinemas November 7, 2025. The newest entry in the “Predator” franchise is set in the future on a remote planet, where a young Predator (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), outcast from his clan, finds an unlikely ally in Thia (Elle Fanning) and embarks on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary. The film is produced by John Davis, Dan Trachtenberg, Marc Toberoff, Ben Rosenblatt, Brent O’Connor.
Disney’s “TRON: Ares” follows a highly sophisticated Program, Ares, who is sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission, marking humankind’s first encounter with A.I. beings. The feature film is directed by Joachim Rønning and stars Jared Leto, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Jodie Turner-Smith, Hasan Minhaj, Arturo Castro, Cameron Monaghan, with Gillian Anderson, and Jeff Bridges. Sean Bailey, Jared Leto, p.g.a., Emma Ludbrook, p.g.a., Jeffrey Silver, Justin Springer, p.g.a., and Steven Lisberger are the producers, with Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, Russell Allen, and Joseph Kosinski serving as executive producers. The screenplay is by Jesse Wigutow, with story by David DiGilio and Wigutow, based on characters created by Steven Lisberger and Bonnie MacBird. Disney’s “TRON: Ares” releases in UK cinemas on October 10, 2025.
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