By: Brandon Pope
In Predator: Badlands, the famous dreadlocked monster serves a role we’ve never seen before on-screen: the protagonist. The latest in the Predator franchise moves away from Earth and human victims – crafting a story on alien worlds that grapples with themes of belonging and what real strength means. Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi is the man behind the four-pronged mouth. Koloamatangi delivers a standout performance, embodying a “predator” that’s far more complex than the ruthless hunters we’ve come to know. Schuster-Koloamatangi sat down with me for brief conversation on what it was like portraying the Predator in a new light.
Brandon Pope: What does it mean for you to be a part of the Predator franchise?
Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi: “Man, I can’t even fully put into words what it means to me. If I’m honest, I’m still processing it. It’s such an iconic character that’s been around for 40 years. You know, I’m kind of entering history, if that makes sense. It’s massive. I kind of just get blown away every day, and I just feel really blessed that I got to step into these shoes – or I should say, feet. They don’t wear no shoes over there on the Ultra Prime (the home planet of the Predator species, the Yautja).”
BP: What was it like putting on the costume, putting on all that stuff?
DSK: “It was heavy, bro. It was heavy. When I first put it on, I was like, I think I got to put on some masks to last the whole shoot. But it was badass, man. The first time I saw myself in the mirror with everything on, yeah, I couldn’t believe it.”
BP: I could only imagine what that feeling is like, seeing yourself in the mirror all decked. The VFX here – they were incredible. And also your performance. What did this acting role require from you compared to some others that you’ve done in the past?
DSK: “It required a lot out of me, if I’m being truthful with you. This is the most physically demanding job that I’ve ever had to do, film wise. It was just a lot of physical training that had to go into it. While I’m on set, you know, I’m sweating literally the whole time I’m in the suit. I had to wear contact lenses that blurred my vision, so I had to kind of rely on other things to help me get through scenes. The suit itself restricts your movement when you’re trying to fight or, you know, run or carry (co-star) Elle Fanning on your back. So yeah, there were a lot of physical demands that came with the job, but I think that you just have to mentally accept it when you take the job. You know, every Predator that has played this character in the past has had similar issues. They’ve come across similar obstacles. And who am I to step into these shoes and be like, that should be easy. It’s not easy to play the Predator. It’s a tough character to crack. So you kind of just got to use it to your advantage and help it inform different behaviors. You know, try and stay positive through it all and get the job done.”
BP: With the Predator taking center stage, what are you hoping people gain or take away after they see this kind of unique take on the franchise?
DSK: “Especially for our OG fanbase of the franchise, I hope they’re happy with what we’ve come up with, because it expands the universe. There’s so much more now to explore within the Predator universe. This film dives deeper into the lore. It touches a bit on the culture that they’re apart of. And it’s funny, because I was thinking about it when I had to prep for this character, and I was doing my research and watching back all the previous Predator (films). I was feeling sorry for some of the Predators because they’re just hunting. They’re just doing what they do. But we just see them as these big, bad, evil creatures. But there’s a code behind why they hunt and what they’re doing on these other galaxies. So I just hope it opens people’s minds to exploring and taking risks. I think it’s needed in today’s world. You know, everyone’s a bit too comfortable with where they’re at or what they’re doing. So, yeah, you know, having that courage and resilience to stand up and forge your own path, like Dek in the film, I think there’s those are good messages to take away.”