Predator: Badlands Flips the Predator Mythos on Its Head

Rarely does a Predator movie release in the real world, much less one that reimagines the title Predator as the hero of the story. That is about to change, however, as 20th Century Studios today released the first teaser trailer for Predator: Badlands, in which we finally get a look at the new movie in all its unconventional glory.

As previously announced, Predator: Badlands stars Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi as Dek, a young Predator cast out from his people and into the wild. There, he will team up with a Weyland-Yutani android (Elle Fanning) to take on “the ultimate adversary,” a monstrous creature that can’t be killed.” Though it only flashes by in a few seconds at the end, the creature appears to be one enormous beast, a Predator trademark rampaged into a whole new level of monstrosity.

New Angles on an Old Monster

Set in the larger Predator/Alien shared universe but a standalone tale all its own, early indications suggest that Badlands will be as much a world-building exercise as anything else. One rumor has it that at least part of the story will take place on the Predator homeworld, a locale hinted at in the films but never fully explored. The first teaser shows glimpses of strange, alien landscapes and sprawling Predator encampments, as well as numerous Predators (at least one armed with some form of unfamiliar ceremonial armor) either sizing each other up in a standoff or violently slaying each other.

Director/co-writer Dan Trachtenberg, of last year’s acclaimed Prey, has also expressed an interest in going deeper into Predator lore. Where Prey pared back the narrative to a stripped-down duel of hunter and hunted in the American Great Plains in the 18th century, Badlands, Trachtenberg has indicated, would flesh out the Predator race’s culture, language, and traditional values. Assuming the first teaser is any indication, Badlands should feature more in-depth explorations of Predator life and culture — and more of the franchise’s signature arsenal and bone-crunching action.

Badlands also stars Elle Fanning as Thia, an android sent to kill Dek. In the trailer, she can be seen stalking the landscape with an uncanny precision, delivering lines with an eerie calm, and softening her harsh, mechanical edges with both mystery and sympathy. This will be the first Predator movie to feature such a close and prominent relationship between the extraterrestrial Predators and a human-created android, and the Weyland-Yutani tie-in is sure to delight Alien fans hungry for easter eggs and shared universe details.

Production Team on a Roll

Not only is the return of Trachtenberg one of the main selling points for Badlands, but Prey itself has proven to be a hit for the studio. That film, after being released to critical and audience acclaim and becoming a surprise box office smash, found an even wider audience on Hulu, where its streaming viewership has only grown with great reviews spreading by word of mouth. It’s no surprise to see 20th Century Studios bet on the director again.

Badlands isn’t even Trachtenberg’s only new Predator project on the horizon. In addition to the film, he is also producing Predator: Killer of Killers, an animated anthology series also set to premiere on Hulu on June 6. Predator: Killer of Killers, which will premiere on Hulu the same day as Prey did, will center on different Predator hunts in different periods and settings.

Preview of the Teaser Trailer

Predictably, the first teaser gives us only brief glimpses of some key details without spoiling too many of the plot’s secrets. But for what it is, the trailer still has a lot to unpack. It shows Predators clad in ornate armor slaying each other in single combat, Dek stealthily moving about, Thia in possession of advanced weaponry, and the monstrous, “unkillable” antagonist of the story. As for the Predator universe, the first teaser offers fleeting sights of alien environs — dense jungles, if the first glimpses of the forested landscape are any indication. We also get larger hints about the scale of Badlands’ production.

It’s important to note, also, that while the first teaser offers shots of the type we’ve become accustomed to from other Predator films, Badlands itself does not seem like it will be a simple retread of those earlier films. By changing the point of view from the typical human prey to a Predator exile, Badlands changes up a familiar formula and paves the way for a more involved character development and moral ambiguity. Should Dek’s character arc involve something as common to the Predator universe as reclaiming his honor among his own or winning the respect of his peers, audiences will be eager to see a traditionally villainous race of aliens as the protagonist.

Dates to Remember

On November 7, the hunt begins, with Predator: Badlands set to release in theaters. In the interim, one can certainly expect more trailers that will likely dole out more details about the plot, show off larger set pieces from the film, and — fingers crossed — offer a closer look at the so-called “unkillable” creature.

For now, however, the first teaser trailer has done its job: whet the appetites of long-time fans of the series, intrigue newcomers to the franchise, and hype one of 2023’s last major science fiction action releases. With Trachtenberg returning to the series, a strong pair of leads, and an apparent commitment to lore expansion, Badlands may be just what the franchise needs to breathe new life into the formula.

Audiences may choose sides in Dek’s survival quest or may even come for the big-budget spectacle of intergalactic Predator-on-monster action. In any event, this November’s hunt will be one to watch.