Predator: Badlands First Look Is a Game-Changer for the Franchise

Live-action Predator movies are a rarity — even rarer is one with the title hunter as the protagonist. Today, 20th Century Studios released the first teaser trailer for Predator: Badlands, a new take on the franchise’s sci-fi monster with an unexpected hero at its core.

The film’s star is a young Predator, or Yautja, named Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), who has been ostracized from his species. He is the main character and will have to ally himself with a Weyland-Yutani android (played by Elle Fanning) named Thia to defeat “the ultimate adversary”: a creature that can’t be killed.” A mysterious monster shown in the first teaser trailer seems to be an oversized beast unlike any previously seen in either the Alien or Predator film series.

Worldbuilding in Badlands

Badlands is part of a shared Predator/Alien universe but will exist in its continuity. Still, early information suggests it will add to that mythos in significant ways. There has been talk of at least a portion of the film taking place on the Predator home world, which has only been implied in passing or visually in previous installments. This first teaser trailer shows brief glimpses of that otherworldly setting, including shots of the diverse and dense planet’s landscape as well as teeming Yautja cities. There are also hints of multiple Predators in one location: some are in a standoff, and others are in battle.

Director and co-writer Dan Trachtenberg (2022’s Prey) is interested in exploring the Yautja culture and society in a way that was simply not possible in earlier entries, which focused on them as largely faceless, emotionless killers. Prey pared back the film to a minimalist and suspenseful two-protagonist stand-off between a human and a Predator in the 18th-century American Great Plains. Badlands, on the other hand, will provide fans with more context about the traditions, language, and social hierarchies of the Yautja. We may get a greater understanding of how the characters in this story fit into Yautja culture in this teaser, along with some of the franchise’s hallmark sci-fi gadgetry and bloodlust.

Elle Fanning’s role as the android Thia is also one to watch. In the trailer, she moves and speaks in a way that is both uncanny and calculated, her robotic harshness giving way to hints of curiosity and even compassion. For the first time in a Predator movie, the alien hunters will be shown in close quarters with a human-created artificial intelligence, and the film’s emphasis on the Weyland-Yutani corporation should delight Alien fans who love spotting connections between the series.

Coming Back to the Predator Franchise

It’s a sign of confidence in his abilities and vision that Trachtenberg is back. Prey not only garnered critical acclaim for reviving the franchise but also did well on Hulu, with its fan-driven word-of-mouth value subsequently growing. The director’s return to the series seems like a signal that 20th Century Studios is backing his vision and that he can deliver on the promise of a fresh and faithful take on a storied sci-fi franchise.

It’s not just a feature film from Trachtenberg that fans of the series should look forward to. The filmmaker has been working on Predator: Killer of Killers, an animated anthology series that will premiere on Hulu (the same streaming service that successfully hosted Prey) on June 6. The series will contain individual episodes with stories centering around Predators and the hunts they will partake in. The episodes will all be set in different eras, showcasing the universe’s expansion.

Things to Look Forward to in the Trailer

The first teaser trailer for Predator: Badlands gives the audience few spoilers, but it is still worth examining the snippets fans have received so far. We can spot several details, from Predators in ceremonial armor clashing with each other to Dek navigating an unknown landscape, to Thia handling futuristic weaponry, to shadowy images of the “unkillable” foe. The location is one of lush and exotic-looking alien flora that hints at the film’s scope.

The teaser trailer also suggests that Badlands is going to be something different. It provides an alternate view of the Predator films’ premise, with a Yautja in a fish-out-of-water scenario instead of human prey. This could lead to character development and moral conflicts that have not been seen in the earlier movies. If Dek is on a journey to restore his honor or prove himself to his fellow Predators, audiences could find themselves unexpectedly on the side of the species they used to consider only a villain.

Release Date and What to Expect

Predator: Badlands will hit theaters on November 7, making it one of the year’s major end-of-year sci-fi action film releases. There is likely more to come: more trailers are expected, perhaps with more details about the plot, bigger set-pieces, and more of a look at the mystery “unkillable” adversary.

For now, the first teaser trailer has done its job: it will likely whet the appetite of long-time fans, intrigue new viewers, and set up expectations for a Predator film with an unexpected hero at its core. With Trachtenberg back at the helm, a solid lead duo, and hints at deeper lore, Badlands could be the franchise-revitalizing event that the long-running Predator series has needed.

So, whether viewers are on Dek’s side in this battle for survival or whether the action-packed spectacle of Predators taking on a greater foe is what they come for, the November release is shaping up to be one to watch.