Predator: Badlands Flips Predator Franchise’s Classic Formula

Live-action Predator movies are a rarity in cinema, and live-action Predator movies that feature the franchise’s famed alien killing machine as the protagonist are even more so. But on Monday, 20th Century Studios shared the first teaser trailer for Predator: Badlands, and it’s already giving audiences a sense that this particular spin on the monster movie classic is not to be missed.

Predator: Badlands’ central character is a young Predator named Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi). The estranged alien is a member of the alien species but has been outcast from his community. He will not be alone on his journey, however. Dek will team up with a Weyland-Yutani android named Thia (played by Elle Fanning) to take on what the movie’s teaser trailer calls “the ultimate enemy” — a nameless monster that can’t be killed.”

The Predator series is also a long-standing part of the Alien/Predator shared universe. While Badlands is expected to be an entry that can be enjoyed on its own, early hints have indicated that a part of the film will take place on the Predator’s home planet, something never previously explored in the series. The first teaser doesn’t show the bulk of its action in space, but there are quick flashes of alien flora and fauna as well as glimpses of lively Predator settlements. At least two Predators are shown standing off against one another in the trailer, and there are also violent glimpses of actual Predator-on-Predator combat.

Predator: Badlands was co-written and directed by Dan Trachtenberg, who previously directed Prey, the 2022 Predator spin-off that was shot in the 18th-century American Great Plains. In his original script for Badlands, Trachtenberg aimed to provide further insight into Predator history, language, traditions, and even internal politics, a sentiment he has maintained since his hiring. Based on the first teaser trailer for the film, audiences should likely expect more Predator-centric worldbuilding from this installment in the sci-fi franchise.

Fanning as Thia, the android, is also the subject of much interest, and the character likely will be a focal point of any future trailers as well. While she is occasionally quick to violence in the teaser trailer, Thia also displays methodical, mechanical movements and a soothing, almost monotone speech pattern, though her character is also rarely without some air of mystery or charm. This would be the first Predator film to center on a Weyland-Yutani android and its interactions with a Predator for long periods, so many Alien franchise fans may find the cross-franchise connections interesting.

Trachtenberg’s return is another point in Badlands’ favor. Prey may not have been the biggest box office draw for the Predator franchise overall, but its reception as a well-crafted, enjoyable, and skillfully executed Predator film has continued to climb thanks to positive word of mouth and its availability to stream on Hulu.

Trachtenberg has also worked on Predator: Killer of Killers, an animated anthology series that was recently announced to also be set in the Alien/Predator shared universe. It will premiere on Hulu on June 6 and will not feature the filmmakers but will instead have multiple Predator hunts across time periods and other locations.

The first Predator: Badlands teaser trailer does not give away any major plot points, but still includes many elements for fans to comment on and get excited for. There is heavy emphasis on Predators in ceremonial armor fighting each other, Dek trying to go on the offensive after periods of tense self-defense, Fanning as Thia handling some impressive weapons, and quick glimpses of the “unkillable” enemy itself. The sets appear to be sizable, and the alien terrain is lush and verdant.

Notably, however, this early look at Predator: Badlands also makes it clear that this is a different take on the Alien/Predator universe from its predecessors, with a protagonist who, despite being a Predator, is still an underdog of a sort. It’s a unique change of perspective for a series known for its simpler, though no less effective, hero-versus-monster formula, and if Dek is trying to reclaim his honor or otherwise earn back his standing in his community, viewers might just find themselves becoming invested in the journey of a character they previously assumed to only be the bad guys.

Predator: Badlands is expected to hit theaters on November 7, and there will likely be additional trailers that will give audiences additional insight into the characters, further plot reveals, and larger set pieces teased from the film. However, for now, the initial teaser does its job in spades, both hyping up those already in the know and drawing in new fans who may be previously unaware of the sci-fi classic.

Hopefully, both the fans and newcomers to the Predator universe will come out on November 7 and be ready to cheer for the hunter as much as the hunted.