The Yautja are officially taking over 2026! After absolutely crushing it at the box office, Predator: Badlands is ready to invade your living room.
Director Dan Trachtenberg has done it again. After revitalizing the franchise with Prey, he’s steered Badlands to become the highest-grossing film in the franchise’s 38-year history. It raked in $183 million and finally dethroned Alien vs. Predator.
The Story: An Unlikely Alliance
This isn’t your typical Predator movie. Set in a future wasteland on a remote planet, the story follows Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi). He is an outcast who has been “culled” by his clan. He teams up with Thia (Elle Fanning), a damaged synthetic (android) from the Weyland-Yutani Corporation.
The two form an incredible, underdog alliance as they fight to survive a planet filled with “apex” threats. It’s a wild blend of brutal combat, profound Yautja lore, and—surprisingly—a lot of heart and humor.
Why the Critics (and Fans) are Obsessed
The numbers don’t lie—this movie is a certified hit. It holds a 95% Verified Hot rating on the Popcornmeter (Audience Score) and an 86% Certified Fresh rating (Critics Score).
Fans are calling it a “buddy-movie” twist on the classic slasher formula, praising the chemistry between the “runt” Predator and Fanning’s synthetic character. Plus, the action is purely visceral, using a mix of brilliant practical suits and high-end VFX.
Calling All Collectors
If you wait for the physical release in February, you are in for a treat. The Limited Edition 4K SteelBook is a work of art, featuring the massive “Kalisk” creature and the bond between Dek and Thia.
The disc is also packed with bonus features:
Bonus Features*
- Deleted & Pre-Visualization Scenes with Optional Audio Commentary:
- Sand Trap – An early animatic version of Dek’s very different first encounter with Thia.
- Squirt Canyon – The full version of Dek and Thia traversing the water-filled trench while trying to survive Genna…and each other.
- Tessa vs. Abe – Tessa faces off against a superior synth in this deleted scene and storyline.
- Razor Grass – The original previsualization of Dek, Thia, and Bud’s first hunt together…sort of.
- The Outpost – Thia takes Dek to a small Weyland-Yutani field facility, where they encounter elements later reused in the final film.
- Super Power Loader Extended – Special additional moments during Dek’s climactic final battle with the Super Power Loader and the Kalisk.
- Featurettes:
- Embodying the Predator – Meet the talented team of designers, performers, and effects artists responsible for bringing one of cinema’s most terrifying creatures to life on screen in ways we’ve never seen before!
- Authentic Synthetics – Get up close and personal with synths Thia and Tessa as star Elle Fanning walks us through the process of crafting two characters who may look the same but have evolved in surprisingly unique ways.
- Building the Badlands – With razor-sharp grass, killer trees, and terrifying animals, never has a planet been more deadly than Genna. Uncover how a team of artisans built this threatening landscape, transforming real locations into the dangerous environments seen on screen.
- Dek of the Yautja – For the first time, director Dan Trachtenberg has given audiences an extended look at Predator culture. Follow the evolution as filmmakers reveal the process behind developing the Yautja’s home world, spacecraft, and family dynamics.
- Audio Commentary: Watch the film with audio commentary by Director Dan Trachtenberg, Producer Ben Rosenblatt, Director of Photography Jeff Cutter, and Stunt Coordinator Jacob Tomuri.
- VFX Breakdown: A deep dive into the practical effects created by Studio Gillis and Wētā Workshop.
Coming Home
The latest hunt kicks off on January 6 when the film hits Digital platforms (Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home), followed by a massive physical release on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on February 17.
For the ultimate collectors within the Predator storyscape, a limited edition 4K SteelBook® dramatically captures the scale and intensity of battle with the Kalisk, while highlighting the unexpected alliance between Dek and Thia.
