- A new Predator movie Predator: Badlands is heading our way
- The film follows 2022’s Prey but will be set in the future
- Elle Fanning is set to star in the leading role
Following the success of 2022’s Predator reboot Prey, another sequel to this long-running alien franchise is heading to screens in Predator: Badlands.
The film will mark the series’ sixth canonical instalment and eighth if you include mash-up spin-offs Alien Vs. Predator and Alien Vs. Predator: Requiem which were released in 2004 and 2007 respectively.
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The character first crossed paths with audiences in John McTiernan’s 1987 action classic Predator. Set in the jungles of South America, McTiernan’s movie pits Arnold Schwarzenegger against an intergalactic space hunter.
Schwarzenegger decided not to return for the film’s 1990 sequel, with Danny Glover taking over the primary human role for Predator 2. From there, the character had some meandering movie appearances in films like 2010’s Predators and 2018’s The Predator.
Read more: Could secret Predator film be animated?
It wasn’t until the arrival of Prey that the Predator finally received a new lease of life. Here, a new space hunter faced off against a female Native American warrior in a rites of passage tale set during turn-of-the-century America.
The character is set to return in Predator: Badlands and a mysterious second feature. What do we know about these projects? Well, you’ll find all the key information you need below.
When is Predator: Badlands released?
Predator: Badlands is set to receive a theatrical release in America on 7 November 2025. This marks a noticeable change from the release plans for Prey, which instead debuted digitally on Hulu and Disney+.
The new movie will be directed by Dan Trachtenberg, the same filmmaker behind monster movies like 10 Cloverfield Lane and the Playtest episode of Black Mirror.
Trachtenberg was a co-writer of Prey alongside fellow scribe Patrick Aison. Both have returned to pen the script for Predator: Badlands.
Is there a trailer?
Unfortunately, there’s no trailer for Predator: Badlands just yet – or maybe it is here but just hiding in plain sight using the Predator’s invisible stealth camouflage.
Either way, as soon as a trailer emerges, you’ll find it here.
What’s the plot?
Little concrete details have been released about Predator: Badlands’ plot. Despite being a sequel to the olden-times-set Prey, we know that Trachtenberg’s new film will set itself apart from that movie time-wise by taking place in the future.
We also know it will be set on a planet that’s not Earth and feature the Predator as its hero rather than its antagonist. This would be a first for the franchise (excluding AVP), which has traditionally pitted humans against this iconic alien foe.
Speaking to Empire in late 2024, Trachtenberg elaborated on his new story. “The creature is front and centre, leading the charge.
“He’s still badass, but there’s something there that touches you emotionally, too. Creating a character you connect with, but are also super-intimidated by, has been challenging. But exciting.”
The filmmaker continued to discuss the inspirations that led to this new take, saying his goal was to “find another essential piece of cinema that does what Prey did spiritually — pushing the franchise’s boundaries, letting us root for a hero we rarely get to root for — but in a different way. And that transformed into this big idea of rooting for the Predator.”
When it comes to human characters, one big-name star has been confirmed to play multiple roles.
Predator: Badlands cast
Only one star has been confirmed to appear in Predator Badlands and that’s A Complete Unknown’s Elle Fanning.
Despite being the movie’s solo cast member, it’s believed she will play multiple characters which might tie into its future-based setting. Clones? robots? Either could work.
“She faced intense challenges on this movie — dramatically, physically, logistically,” explained Trachtenburg when discussing her role with Empire.
What do we know about the untitled Predator movie?
In short, not a lot. The film was confirmed in October 2024 when 20th Century Studios boss Steve Asbell revealed that Trachtenberg had written and shot a secret Predator movie which will be released before Predator: Badlands.
“After Prey became a success, Dan [Trachtenberg] came back and said he didn’t want to do Prey 2. And we’re like, “What do you want to do?” And he rattled off a bunch of ideas that were really crazy but really cool. We’ve actually done two of them,” Asbell told The Hollywood Reporter last year.
“Two are coming out next year. One I can’t talk about yet, but the other one is the live-action Predator film with Elle Fanning that just wrapped in New Zealand. That’ll be out theatrically sometime next year.”
Confirming the move, he added “There’s a secret Predator movie that will come out before the theatrical one that I can’t say anything about yet.
Asbell’s wording has led some people to suggest that Trachtenberg’s secret Predator movie could be animated but his has yet to be confirmed.
