Elle Fanning Unveils Sci-Fi Grit in SFX Magazine – October 2025

Her wardrobe throughout the spread is utilitarian with a dystopian twist. Think distressed cargo fabrics, tactical layering, and silhouettes that prioritize movement over ornament. In one shot, she’s clutching a weapon with the kind of intensity that rewrites her usual ingénue narrative. The color palette is muted—earth tones, greys, and the occasional flash of metallic hardware. It’s survivalwear, but styled with cinematic precision.

Weapons become accessories in this world—blades, rifles, and makeshift gear slung across her frame like jewelry with purpose. There’s no sparkle, no gloss. Just function. And yet, every strap, buckle, and boot feels curated. The synergy between costume and character is seamless: Fanning doesn’t wear the look, she inhabits it.

The lighting is harsh, directional, and shadow-heavy—evoking the hostile terrain of the Badlands. Fanning’s expressions range from haunted to defiant, her body language taut and reactive. It’s not a fashion shoot—it’s a storyboard for a sci-fi epic.

With Predator: Badlands, director Dan Trachtenberg is steering the franchise into a new era—one that centers emotional depth and world-building over brute spectacle. Fanning’s character, Tía, is a departure from the usual action archetype: vulnerable, volatile, and deeply human. In the SFX interview, she reflects on the physicality of the role and the thrill of stepping into a genre that demands both stamina and soul.

Hair is tousled, damp, and unstyled—more battlefield than blowout. Makeup is minimal, with dirt and sweat replacing contour and highlight. The cohesion is total: every visual element reinforces the narrative of survival, tension, and transformation.

Elle Fanning’s SFX spread is a masterclass in character-driven fashion—where every thread tells a story and every pose feels like a plot twist. For more looks that blur the line between costume and couture, explore our archive of celebrity photos.

So—is this the beginning of Fanning’s action-era evolution, or just a reminder that she’s always had range? Either way, she’s not playing pretty—she’s playing powerful.