First Look at Predator: Badlands — A Predator You’ll Root For

We live in a universe that is not kind to Predator movies. It’s not every year we get a new, live-action installment in the series. And it’s almost unheard of for one to feature the franchise’s space-faring monsters as the main heroes of the piece. But today, that’s exactly what 20th Century Studios is giving us: the first teaser trailer for the new Predator: Badlands.

The film, as you can probably guess, follows a Predator. More specifically, it’s about Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), a young member of the species that has been cast out of its community. And he’s about to take up arms in an uneasy alliance with a Weyland-Yutani android named Thia (Elle Fanning). The trailer names their shared enemy “the ultimate adversary” — an unstoppable, “unkillable” monster. Although we don’t get much time with this foe in the footage, what we do see suggests it’s a massive, unconventional beast not previously seen in the Alien or Predator series.

Predator: Badlands is Building on the Lore

Badlands has been described as a standalone film, which is not surprising considering the new normal that is the ever-burgeoning Predator/Alien shared universe. However, from what we know so far, it seems poised to do some serious worldbuilding. After all, it’s rumored to feature at least a portion of the story taking place on the Predator home world itself. This is a place that’s only really been hinted at through text on the ships and blimps in the various installments of the films. In this trailer, we get brief glimpses of alien flora and fauna, as well as extensive Predator settlements. We also see numerous Predators themselves, some of whom are engaged in tense standoffs, and others, brutal combat.

In addition, from the looks of it, director and co-writer Dan Trachtenberg (Prey) is interested in expanding on the lore of Predator culture. Prey, for its part, was stripped back, showing us a tense, quasi-survivalist hunt for, against, and by a Predator. It was also set in the 18th century on the American Great Plains. Badlands, on the other hand, seems more interested in developing the social, ritualistic, and political aspects of this society. In this teaser, we see glimpses of the Predators’ language, customs, and a whole world that suggests Trachtenberg will be giving us much more insight into this species. (Fans of the classic Alien vs. Predator comic book series will be especially excited for this development.)

Fanning’s character also looms large in the teaser. She moves with a strange mechanical grace and utters her lines with an unsettling smoothness, her edges softened only by the occasional flashes of curiosity and compassion. She’s the first human-made android a Predator film has featured in such proximity to the eponymous monster. And the Weyland-Yutani Corporation connection should tickle the fannish fancy of Alien franchise fans who enjoy spotting references and shared universe minutiae.

Dan Trachtenberg, Sticking with the Predator Formula

And of course, Trachtenberg’s return to the Predator franchise is a strong selling point in and of itself. Prey was very well received by critics and fans alike. It was also a surprise success story for Hulu, picking up a good deal of organic interest and word-of-mouth that’s only grown since. It’s clear that 20th Century Studios, for its part, is confident in its vision and creative acumen, trusting it to give us a new take on an established sci-fi universe that is still both fresh and respectful of what came before.

Trachtenberg has other Predator-related work on the way as well. He’s been developing an animated anthology series, Predator: Killer of Killers, for Hulu (the same home as Prey), set to premiere on June 6. In that show, we can expect a series of Predator hunts through space and time in various settings, greatly expanding the possible settings and narratives within the series’ universe.

Teaser Takeaways

The first teaser is a bit of a lean one in terms of actual plot points. But there is plenty here to consider. The imagery is a lot to unpack, from the Predators (seen in full ceremonial garb) in combat with each other, to Dek’s stealthy trekking through new territory, to Thia’s display of hi-tech firepower, to the monster of the week’s shadowy presence in each scene. This creature, at least based on the name used in the trailer, could be brand new to the Predator films altogether. (It’s also completely unrelated to the Alien universe’s tagline-monster.) The set pieces and costumes suggest it will be quite large, and that the production has some sizable props in its possession.

The teaser itself also makes clear that Badlands won’t just be revisiting ideas and concepts we’ve seen from previous Predator movies. Shifting the POV from humans to a Predator itself (one that has been kicked out of its society, no less) automatically adds a wrinkle to the series’ usual fare. Doing so will also open up space for character development, nuance, and moral conflicts that the series hasn’t always been so great at providing in past installments. It also creates room for Dek’s character journey, which could see our eponymous protagonist have to fight for his honor or social standing back within his community. If that happens, we could be seeing a story where the audience roots for a new Predator rather than against one.

What’s Next for Predator: Badlands

As previously mentioned, Predator: Badlands has a November 7 release date. It’s certainly shaping up to be one of the more big-budget sci-fi action flicks of the 2024 end-of-year season. In the months leading up to this, fans should expect a second trailer dropping to give us more major plot information, showcasing the larger set pieces and effects, and likely giving us a bit more of a look at that big, unkillable monster.