I'll never forget the first time I saw a Predator flick—those glowing eyes, the dread of an unseen hunter. It's primal. But the Predator: Badlands teaser trailer and poster? It's like someone handed the monster a hero cape and said, “Go befriend a human.” Boom. Mind blown.
Directed by Dan Trachtenberg, the guy who gave us the taut, Hulu-dominating Prey in 2022, Predator: Badlands is taking the franchise where it's never gone before. The teaser introduces us to Dek—a Predator who's not here to hunt humans but to team up with one. Elle Fanning plays Thia, a naive yet brilliant scientist, and together they're navigating a hostile alien wasteland. The poster, with Dek kneeling under a crimson eclipse, sword glowing, screams epic stakes. “First Hunt, Last Chance,” it reads. It's haunting. It's fresh. But is it… Predator?
Let's break this down. The teaser trailer's biggest subversion is Dek as a protagonist. Historically, Predators have been the ultimate antagonists—think Arnold Schwarzenegger's Predator (1987) or the chaotic Alien vs. Predator (2004). They're hunters, not heroes. Yet here, Dek's alliance with Thia flips the script. The footage teases a desolate, tech-ravaged planet—jagged spires, a blood-red sky, and a haunting score that feels more Interstellar than Predator. Themes of survival and trust dominate as Dek and Thia face unseen threats. The hunter-hunted line? Blurred to oblivion.
Trachtenberg's track record gives me hope. His debut, 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016), was a masterclass in tension—John Goodman's unhinged performance still gives me chills. And Prey? It broke Hulu viewership records, becoming the platform's most-watched premiere at the time, per a 2022 Variety report. Trachtenberg knows how to structure a shot, how to make you feel the stakes. One scene in the teaser—Dek shielding Thia from a swarm of alien bats—has that same meticulous framing. You can feel the danger.
But here's the rub: the Predator franchise has a shaky history with reinvention. Predators (2010) tried a new setting—a hunting planet—but felt like a rehash. The Predator (2018) went for humor and failed miserably, earning a 33% on Rotten Tomatoes. What makes Badlands different? For one, Trachtenberg's vision. He's not just slapping a Predator into a new genre—he's exploring what makes the creature tick. Dek's not a villain, but he's not cuddly either. The teaser hints at his internal conflict through a single, guttural growl as he hesitates to strike. It's like watching Darth Vader pause before a lightsaber swing—except with dreadlocks and a plasma cannon.
The real-world influence here might be Trachtenberg's love for unlikely alliances. In a 2022 Collider interview, he mentioned being inspired by Enemy Mine (1985), where a human and alien form a bond to survive. That DNA is all over Badlands. Dek and Thia's dynamic—wary, tense, but necessary—feels like a nod to that. It's a gamble, sure. Fans might hate seeing their favorite monster softened. But if anyone can pull it off, it's Trachtenberg.
Here's teh uncomfortable truth: this could either be a franchise-defining move—or a total flop. The theatrical release on November 7, 2025, unlike Prey's streaming drop, adds pressure. Will audiences show up for a Predator who's more ally than enemy? I'm intrigued, but I'm nervous. If this doesn't land, it might be the last hunt for Trachtenberg's Predator saga.
You'll either love this or hate it. What's your take—does Dek as a protagonist work? Drop your thoughts below.
