Fans of the Predator franchise are in for a double dose of action this year! While fans eagerly await the animated anthology movie Predator: Killer of Killers, the live-action side of the franchise is roaring back to life with Predator: Badlands. And it’s helmed by none other than Dan Trachtenberg, the director who delivered the critically acclaimed Prey!
This newest entry in the Predator saga takes us to a remote and, judging by the trailer, hostile planet. Here, we meet a young Predator, an outcast from his clan. This young Yautja forms an unlikely alliance with a human character named Thia, played by Elle Fanning. Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi stars alongside her. Together, this unexpected duo embarks on a treacherous journey searching for the ultimate adversary, a Predator!
Like he did with the brilliant Prey, Trachtenberg’s goal with Badlands is to “push the franchise’s boundaries.” This time, it seems that boundary-pushing involves giving the audience a Predator to root for, a refreshing change of pace for a series typically focused on humans being hunted.
Based on the first look, Predator: Badlands could be the biggest and craziest Predator movie we’ve encountered, boldly venturing down a new and uncharted path within the franchise. Seriously, the buzz is that you’ve never seen a Predator movie like this one before, and that’s not even touching on the special surprise eagle-eyed viewers might spot around the trailer’s 26-second mark of the trailer.
With Trachtenberg at the helm and a narrative that dares to make a Predator the protagonist, Predator: Badlands has the potential to be a truly groundbreaking and exciting new chapter in the franchise’s legacy when the movie opens in theaters on November 7, 2025.
If you want to explore the franchise in more depth, you should watch our recent interview with SFX Master Alec Gillis, who has worked on much of it.
