The galaxy’s deadliest hunter is getting a major reinvention. 20th Century Studios has dropped the first trailer for Predator: Badlands, a striking new installment of the classic monster franchise that reframes the infamous alien not as the relentless menace of past films, but as the emotional center of a sweeping sci-fi saga. The film marks the return of director Dan Trachtenberg, who revitalized the franchise with 2022’s Prey - and this time, he’s swinging even harder.
Set on a brutal alien world sometime in the far future, Badlands centers on Dek, a young Predator cast out by his own kind. Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi stars under the armor, delivering what’s teased to be a complex, conflicted performance. Dek’s only ally? A mysterious robot named Thia, played by Elle Fanning - who is also confirmed to be portraying multiple characters in the film, adding a layered twist to the story’s emotional core.
The trailer hints at a strange but potent bond between Dek and Thia, as they battle nightmarish creatures and forge an unlikely partnership rooted in survival and redemption. Trachtenberg has described the movie as a story where “you root for the Predator,” a concept that flips decades of cinematic lore on its head. It’s a bold shift - but if Prey proved anything, it’s that Trachtenberg thrives when he's breaking rules.
Badlands isn’t the only Predator project on the horizon, either. Trachtenberg is also behind Predator: Killer of Killers, an animated anthology series landing on Hulu this June. The show will jump between historical eras - from feudal Japan to pirate-infested seas - following the Predator as it clashes with legendary warriors across time. It’s the kind of ambitious world-building that promises to deliver on what many fans have been asking for for decades.
After years of diminishing returns, Predator: Badlands feels like a genuine fresh start. Between its emotionally driven premise, inspired casting, and the promise of genre-hopping expansions, this is shaping up to be the most creatively exciting direction the series has taken since its inception. If Prey cracked the door open, Badlands kicks it off the hinges.
'Predator: Badlands' hits theaters on November 7, 2025.
