Predator: Badlands to Showcase Predator Language and Culture

A brand-new live-action Predator movie is almost always exciting, and today was doubly so when 20th Century Studios dropped the first teaser for Predator: Badlands. The film is set to make its official debut in theaters on November 7, but the trailer is a clear indication that we’ll be getting an interesting take on the famous sci-fi monster, for one simple reason.

Meet Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), a young Predator who’s been exiled from his clan and is, for the first time, at the forefront of the action as a hero. A far cry from the usual stoic, sword-wielding hunter from the various Predator movies, Dek is a total fresh face, with no backstory or prior connection to the franchise or its well-established world.

The only other major character in the trailer is Thia (Elle Fanning), a Weyland-Yutani android who is set to team up with Dek as an unlikely ally, and maybe even as a sort of mentor. Their goal is to take on “the ultimate adversary,” a monster that appears to be larger and more terrifying than any of the Predator or Alien movie monsters the series has seen before.

Alien Worlds and Big Secrets in Store for Badlands

Badlands is set to be its own thing within the larger Predator/Alien universe, but early details and this new teaser suggest it’ll be doing some heavy-duty worldbuilding as well. Rumors had already suggested that at least part of the film would take place on the Predator home planet, which has always been an untapped but major detail of the movies and other properties in the overall sci-fi monster universe. The new trailer does little to confirm that, but it does show fleeting glimpses of alien terrains and elaborate Predator settlements, as well as multiple Predators engaging in what look like standoffs or even brutal battles.

Dan Trachtenberg, director and co-writer of 2022’s Prey, also returns to helm the project. After Prey stripped down the series’ formula to a bare-bones survivalist thriller set in 18th-century American plains, Badlands will have the chance to get more into the Predator culture, from their traditions and language to their internal politics and leadership.

Expect lots more of the tribe’s hierarchy and hieroglyphics, and their language and communication style. On top of that, Trachtenberg’s Prey already got some extra attention for featuring a female protagonist, making Badlands, with a total fresh face, an opportunity to see the Yautja through a new lens.

Elle Fanning’s android character, Thia, is also a major talking point. She appears to be moving robotically and speaking with a type of detached calm as she was glimpsed marching around the battlefield, casually handling high-tech weapons and gadgets. It’s not clear what her overall role is, but the glimpses of her in the trailer show some moments of intrigue and empathy around the edges of her more metallic presentation, and the team-up itself is a first.

One thing that fans of the Alien films will no doubt spot right away is the Weyland-Yutani connection. This is, after all, an android from one of the most major weapon corporations in the universe, and this new Predator movie has thus far only furthered speculation about the W-Y tech’s ubiquity and also its apparent weaknesses.

Not to mention the Weyland-Yutani Corporation has its lore connections, and Alien fans are always on the hunt for signs of those, be it in the Alien films or other media, from novels to comics. With a brand-new Predator movie in the works, the search is on for Easter eggs.

Dan Trachtenberg is Back, Again

It’s probably no surprise that Trachtenberg is back on board, as Prey not only received strong critical acclaim and was lauded for breathing some fresh life into the series but also found a strong audience on Hulu. It was the audience support that likely had a major role in both the success of Prey and Trachtenberg’s return to the helm.

Notably, this isn’t his only Predator or even Alien project either. Trachtenberg is also developing Predator: Killer of Killers, an animated anthology Hulu series slated to launch on June 6. While also set in the same shared Predator/Alien universe, Predator: Killer of Killers will see different Predators hunting on different planets at different points in time.

The trailer didn’t reveal anything major in terms of spoilers, but it did give viewers a chance to look over these main characters. The snippets from the movie show Predators in what looks like battle armor and ceremonial garb facing off or clashing with each other, Dek and the girl carefully navigating through the rough, outdoor terrains, Thia holding down the fort and showing off the tech while also building on her backstory, and a large figure that’s meant to be the killest killer of all.

We see the familiar Predator blade here and there, but also hints of tech, and those aspects will likely come into play later in the story as well. For now, the teaser makes one other thing very clear: that Badlands is about to be doing something new, at least in the form of a Predator movie, with the change in perspective being a welcome refresh to the formula. Instead of just showing humans as prey, Badlands promises to focus on a Predator, a young one, an outcast even. If he’s fighting to earn back his honor or solidify his position in the clan, fans may find themselves supporting a franchise villain.

Watch this space for more Predator: Badlands updates!