Predator: Badlands — When the Hunter Becomes the Hunted
They say in every myth the villain is just the hero of another story. With Predator: Badlands, Dan Trachtenberg seems ready to flip the franchise’s lens—and perhaps ours along with it.
A New Frontier, a New Perspective
Trachtenberg’s Badlands (in theaters November 7, 2025) is already being framed as a bold experiment: no humans, no Earth, no familiar stakes. Instead, this will be a Predator tale told from deep inside Predator culture.
From what the trailers hint and the press confirms, Badlands centers on Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), a young Yautja cast out from his clan for being too small or weak (or both). He meets Thia (Elle Fanning), a severed-synthetic (a Weyland-Yutani android) with no legs, who becomes his unlikely ally in navigating a planet full of threats.
The final trailer shows the pair traversing “the most dangerous planet in the universe,” dodging monstrous fauna, robotic machines, and vicious predators. A surprise reveal introduces Thia’s twin sister Tessa, also played by Fanning—an android whose motives seem far from pure.
Trachtenberg himself compared the dynamic to Chewbacca & C-3PO—a gruff Yautja and a calm synthetic clashing in temperament but bound by survival. It’s one of the franchise’s boldest tonal shifts yet: bursts of grim humor amid primal violence.
And yes, there’s a “spine rip” sequence Trachtenberg claims could rival the most infamous Predator kills.
What the Trailer Doesn’t Tell Us
The trailer is smartly withholding. We don’t yet know why Dek was exiled, how far Thia’s loyalty extends, or what this ultimate adversary actually is. There are clear hints of internal Predator politics, but the focus remains emotional—an alien outcast and a half-broken android, surviving side by side.
There’s also the quiet tease of Weyland-Yutani influence—perhaps a deliberate nudge toward a future Alien crossover, though nothing confirmed. For now, Badlands remains self-contained.
Trachtenberg’s Gamble
After Prey revitalized the brand with character-driven tension, Trachtenberg now seems determined to expand the lore’s emotional vocabulary. The film reportedly balances horror, humor, and existential dread. It’s less about “the hunt” and more about what hunting means—to both predator and prey.
He’s also building a small cinematic ecosystem: a prequel comic, Predator: Badlands #1, drops November 12, exploring Dek’s early training and exile. That timing alone tells you 20th Century is betting long-term on this direction.
My Take (So Far)
The visuals are striking—rugged alien wastelands, bioluminescent skies, creatures that look half-mechanical, half-organic. But this time, spectacle isn’t the hook. The emotional thread is.
If Prey made you root for a human against a Predator, Badlands dares you to root for the Predator himself.
Whether that empathy lands will define the film’s legacy. I’m hopeful, cautiously so. Trachtenberg doesn’t miss often. And if this world feels half as lived-in as it looks, the Yautja might finally earn their own mythos rather than just hunting ours.
5 Things to Know Before Watching Predator: Badlands
A Predator story with no humans.
The entire film unfolds on a distant planet within Predator territory—an unprecedented first for the franchise.
Elle Fanning plays dual android roles.
Her twin performance adds emotional tension and mystery.
Dan Trachtenberg returns with full creative control.
After Prey, he co-wrote and directed Badlands, expanding the lore instead of rebooting it.
Set in a post-Prey continuity.
It reportedly exists centuries later, connecting loosely via thematic DNA rather than direct sequel lines.
Theatrical release confirmed.
Predator: Badlands hits theaters on November 7, 2025, followed by the prequel comic on November 12.
