After three awesome Predator movies in a row, fans of the franchise are obviously excited about what director Dan Trachtenberg might have in store for the future. A crossover with Alien? The return of classic characters? We don’t know. But last week’s news of Trachtenberg signing a new, first-look deal with Paramount seemed like it could be the end of those plans. Disney owns the rights to Predator, not Paramount. Are those future Predator plans dead?

io9 spoke with Trachtenberg this week about the upcoming home release of Predator: Badlands and asked him straight up, does his Paramount deal mean he’ll never direct another Predator movie? “It does not mean that,” Trachtenberg said.

“I am simultaneously figuring out all of the next steps for the Predator franchise,” he continued. “I’m in this moment that I was in when Prey came out, where I was like, ‘What do I do next?’ and got very excited about a Predator protagonist and got very excited about an animated movie with multiple time periods, and then they just happened to go at the same time. And so that’s where I’m at with Predator now, is, ‘Oh my God, there are so many exciting things we can do.’”

“But also now I have this deal at Paramount where I’m thrilled, and they are thrilled to make some of the original movies that I’ve always had in my head and heart,” Trachtenberg added. “And of course, they also have very cool IP and all that. You know, timing may affect certain things, but both things are in my heart… Anything’s on the table.”

So breathe a little bit easier, Predator fans. Just because Trachtenberg now hangs his hat at the home of Transformers, G.I. Joe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Cloverfield does not mean the Predator is dead. It just might mean it takes a little bit longer to return.

Predator: Badlands is now on demand and comes to Disney+ and Hulu on February 12. It then lands on physical media on February 17. We’ll have more on that soon.

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