Dan Trachtenberg: On the Predator Franchise, 10 Cloverfield Lane, The Boys, Black Mirror, and His Affection for Underdog Stories

It's another one of Philadelphia's finest as acclaimed writer/director Dan Trachtenberg (Predator: Badlands, 10 Cloverfield Lane) joins Becky as she wears a Sixers t-shirt in honor of LeBron (still can't believe it!) for a wide-ranging conversation about creative collaborations, leaps of faith and where underdog mentality really comes from. First, Dan takes Becky back to growing up in Philly: working at Suncoast Video in the Willow Grove Mall, leaning into his passion for comic books and movies that laid the foundation for his directing career. Then Dan shares his path from film school at Temple University (go Owls!) to years of trying to make it in Los Angeles directing commercials, before his buzzy short films and a fortuitous connection from Philly helped him land the job directing his first film, 10 Cloverfield Lane — produced by one of Dan's biggest filmmaker influences, J.J. Abrams. Dan then shares the backstory of how he found a fresh and original way into the Predator franchise and how he's continued to build out the Predator universe in distinct ways — prequels, animated films, and not one but two incredible roles for Elle Fanning — and what else he's working on next. Dan and Becky also bond over their shared love of movies that try to show the full human experience — especially '80s and '90s movies, anything Spielberg touched, and definitely if John Cusack holds up a boombox.  Check out our episodes on YouTube as well! https://www.youtube.com/@generalmeetingpodIf you enjoyed this podcast, please follow, share, like, comment, all the things - thank you for your support!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/generalmeetingpod/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@generalmeetingpodWebsite: https://www.generalmeetingpod.comHost: Becky SloviterGuest: Dan Trachtenberg - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0870469/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.