- Two new Predator movies are heading our way
- Predator: Badlands will be directed by Dan Trachtenberg
- The film follows 2022 surprise prequel Prey
Predator: Badlands will hit cinemas later this year. Plus, if rumors are to be believed, it won’t 2025’s only new Predator movie.
20th Century Studios boss Steve Abel let the news of dual Predator movies slip during an interview in late 2024. “Two are coming out next year. One I can’t talk about yet, but the other one is the live-action Predator film,” Asbell told The Hollywood Reporter.
“That’ll be out theatrically sometime next year.”
Read more: Everything we know about Predator: Badlands
While little is known about the second Predator movie (some suspect it could be animated), news has started to emerge about Predator: Badlands.
Although, not much.
The film will be a sequel to the prequel Prey which debuted on Disney+ and Hulu in late 2022. Prey starred newcomer Amber Midhunter as a Native American warrior whose rites-of-passage quest is interrupted by a familiar masked Space Hunter.
Read more: Could secret Predator film be animated?
Set during the turn-of-the-century America, Prey was a relatively self-contained story and very well received by audiences and critics. Its director Dan Trachtenberg quickly signed on for more, ultimately landing on Predator: Badlands as the latest instalment of this long-running monster franchise.
So what’s Predator: Badlands about? Here’s what we know so far…
Predator: Badlands plot
Plot details about Predator: Badlands are harder to find than a Predator with its cloaking device turned on. Little is known about the story behind Trachtenberg’s sequel aside from a few key details.
Firstly, we know that it has been co-written by Trachtenberg and Patrick Aison, the same duo behind Prey. Next, we know that, unlike Prey, it will be set in the near future and feature two sisters played by the same actor. That actor is The Neon Demon star Elle Fanning, who signed on for Predator: Badlands in summer 2024.
According to Empire, the movie will take place on an alien planet but not necessarily the Predator’s home planet. The closest we’ve got to that was in the Robert Rodriguez-produced Predators in 2010 which took place on a nearby moon acting as a game preserve for Predator hunting stock.
The same outlet also confirmed that the Predator will be the hero of the story. This marks a stark change from the character’s role in previous instalments where it typically acts as an antagonist. This changed slightly in 2004’s critically-panned spin-off Alien Vs Predator where the masked Space Hunter teamed up with a human to stop an onslaught of Xenomorphs.
“The creature is front and centre, leading the charge,” Trachtenberg told Empire. “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.”
Who does Elle Fanning play in Predator: Badlands?
Aliens aside, Fanning remains the sole human role associated with Predator: Badlands. Little is known about how her character fits into the plot but it’s believed she’ll play two people plagued by the same disturbing past.
Trachtenberg commented on the challenges Fanning faced during the shoot by saying “She faced intense challenges on this movie — dramatically, physically, logistically.”
Early in the movie’s production, Predator and Alien franchise fan site AVPGalaxy uncovered some more details of Fanning’s role thanks to a casting document.
While remaining quite cryptic, it described the movie as “a groundbreaking film in which one of the two main storylines delves into the intricate bond of two very different sisters, their familial ties are put to the ultimate test as they pursue divergent paths and missions.”
Another blurb commented on its central, dual roles as “female or non-binary” and someone who has “spent most of her life in a laboratory and is now embarking on her first big adventure in the world.”
It added, “She is incredibly smart, witty, enthusiastic, and unflappable. She has an innate disregard for danger, not because she’s fearless, but simply because she’s naive. Strong comedy chops required.
“The other sister, Tessa, has a militant intensity when it comes to achieving her family’s goals and mission objectives. She will not let anything get in her way, not even her twin sister.”
