Predator: Badlands Will Take You to the Predator Home World

A new live-action Predator movie isn’t something we get every year, let alone one that places the murderous extraterrestrial at the center of the story in a heroic light. But that’s the unique premise teased by 20th Century Studios in the first look at Predator: Badlands.

The film will follow a young Predator named Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) who has been exiled from his kind and, partnering with a Weyland-Yutani android named Thia (Elle Fanning), must battle an “ultimate opponent” (as the trailer so elegantly puts it) — a monster “that can’t be killed.” There’s not much to go on from the brief teaser, but that monster looks to be a giant unseen beast, likely new to the Predator and Alien franchises.

A Solo Addition to the Shared Universe

Although Badlands will exist independently in the greater Predator/Alien shared universe, it is expected to contribute significant worldbuilding from the early indicators. For one, it is rumored that a portion of the film takes place on the Predator home planet, a location teased by previous films but never explored.

The first teaser backs this up with glimpses of alien jungles, Predator outposts, and other Predators standing in tense silence or locked in vicious combat. Director/co-writer Dan Trachtenberg is reportedly interested in delving into Predator culture after stripping the story back to its primal roots for 2022’s Prey, set on Earth in the 18th century.

Trachtenberg and co-writer Patrick Aison (Peacemaker) will likely be working to add depth to the Predator’s traditions, language, and politics — including explanations of the role of the hunt and how an exile like Dek could have fallen from grace.

Fanning’s character Thia is also likely to be a major source of intrigue. In the teaser trailer, she moves in slow motion with careful grace and utters dialogue with a robotic monotone and unsettling emotion. The edges of her teeth have been blunted by a hint of curiosity and intrigue.

Fans will be happy to know that it is the first time a Predator film has connected the titular aliens with a human-made android so closely, with the Weyland-Yutani Corporation sure to be a favorite Easter egg for Alien enthusiasts.

Return of Familiar Faces

Trachtenberg’s return to the director’s chair is one of the major draws for fans familiar with Prey. The film was critically well-received, boosted by good word of mouth, and became a top ten hit on Hulu, the streaming platform where many modern Predator movies go to find a new audience. To see Trachtenberg back at the helm is a signal of 20th Century Studios’ confidence in his vision and ability to craft a modern but respectful addition to their sci-fi mythology.

Trachtenberg is not only back to direct, but has his Predator: Killer of Killers project in the works, an animated anthology series coming to Hulu on June 6 that will be a Predator-exclusive for the streaming service, as Prey also was. The series will explore Predator hunts through various timelines and settings.

Teaser Details

While this first Predator: Badlands teaser stops short of spoiling some of the more major reveals, there are some things fans should be taking note of in the three-minute glimpse at the film. First, numerous Predators are donning a ceremonial armor with flickering bio-luminescent veins featured throughout the trailer in tense moments of combat and violence.

As is expected from a Trachtenberg project, there is a heightened focus on immersion in the world he is building and depicting this Predator’s culture, as hinted at with glimpses of the alien world Dek is on, as well as an apparent Predator outcrop and signs of nearby Predator conflict.

Expect another aesthetic element of the Predator franchise to get its worldbuilding in Badlands, fleshing out a known cinematic element to further delve into the mysterious Predator civilization.

When to See It and What’s Next

Predator: Badlands will have its theatrical release on November 7, joining other sci-fi action titles to close out 2024. In the months leading up to release, we will likely see at least two more trailers and possibly more to tease out major plot points, major set pieces, and give audiences more clarity on the villainous “unkillable” opponent.

But for now, 20th Century Studios has done well to tease out the film’s central hook and main character — a Predator on the run and outcast from his kind who’s taken in by an android named Thia. While it may be a surprise to longtime fans of the series to see a Predator being a protagonist, it is this angle that sets the film apart and makes it ripe for unexpected character journeys and relatable motivations.

If it is true that Dek has to overcome his exile status or prove his honor to his people, the audience will see a Predator in a new light. Between the curious juxtaposition of the story and the return of familiar talent, Badlands is a Predator film unlike any other and is one we are already eager to see in November.