The galaxy’s ultimate hunter is about to change everything we know. 20th Century Studios has released the first trailer and poster for Predator: Badlands, the next exciting entry in the legendary Predator franchise.
Directed by Dan Trachtenberg (director of the surprise hit Prey), the highly anticipated film stars Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi. It will hit theaters exclusively on November 7, playing in IMAX, Dolby Cinema, Cinemark XD, 4DX, ScreenX, and premium formats everywhere.
Set in the future on a remote alien planet, Predator: Badlands follows a young Predator (Schuster-Koloamatangi) — smaller, faster, and outcast from his clan — as he forges an unlikely alliance with Thia (Fanning) on a perilous journey to find the ultimate adversary. But Thia is no ordinary human: it’s now confirmed that she’s a Weyland-Yutani synthetic, directly tying Badlands into the larger Alien universe for the first time on screen.
The trailer offers a breathtaking first look at this new chapter, showcasing the Predator not as a relentless enemy, but as an unexpected hero. “Something unprecedented happens in this movie,” Fanning revealed at CinemaCon, “and my character is not the one being chased. My character actually teams up with the Predator, and you see him in a new light.” Watch below:
Trachtenberg, who redefined the franchise with 2022’s Prey, leans even further into emotional storytelling with Badlands. “The creature is front and center, leading the charge,” he said in a Bloody Disgusting interview. “He’s still badass, but there’s something that touches you emotionally, too.”
More Than a Hunt — A New Era Begins
Badlands marks a major tonal shift for the franchise. The younger Predator’s smaller stature brings a different kind of beast to the battlefield — nimble, cunning, and deeply layered. Drawing inspiration from video games like Shadow of the Colossus, Trachtenberg wanted to create an unlikely partnership, pairing the laconic Predator with Fanning’s energetic synth. “She’s capable in ways he is not. Physically, she’s got a real thing that I’m so excited for you guys to see,” he teased.
In an ambitious world-building move, Trachtenberg and the team also brought the Predator home: Badlands is set on Yautja Prime, exploring Predator culture like never before. The Yautja language itself was treated with the same care as Elvish in Lord of the Rings or Dothraki in Game of Thrones — giving the alien world a richness never before seen on screen.
And with the Weyland-Yutani logo glimpsed on Thia’s uniform, Badlands stokes speculation that Disney could be teeing up a Predator and Alien crossover down the line.
A Predator You’ll Root For
Trachtenberg sums it up best: “We wanted to push the franchise’s boundaries again. What if we could actually root for the Predator?”
Produced by John Davis, Dan Trachtenberg, Marc Toberoff, Ben Rosenblatt, and Brent O’Connor, Predator: Badlands promises a genre-defying adventure that redefines everything we thought we knew about the galaxy’s deadliest hunter.
Get ready to experience the most daring Predator story yet. Predator: Badlands opens in theaters everywhere November 7, 2025.
The Geek is a working screenwriter, director and screenwriting instructor.
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