The Predator franchise is heading into uncharted territory. 20th Century Studios has released the official teaser trailer for Predator: Badlands, the live-action feature that continues the legacy of the long-running sci-fi horror saga — but with a major shift in perspective. The Predator… is the protagonist! Take a look above.
Set in the future on a distant, desolate planet, the story centres on a young Yautja warrior (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) cast out by his clan. When he crosses paths with Thia (Elle Fanning), a human survivor, the two form an unlikely alliance and set out on a high-stakes mission to confront an enemy greater than either of them could face alone.
More on Screen Realm:
The film comes from director Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane), who previously shook up the Predator franchise with 2022’s Prey. That film saw a young Comanche woman going head to head with the vicious, humanoid alien. Trachtenberg reunited with Prey co-writer Patrick Aison to craft this film’s screenplay.
Trachtenberg is promising a fresh take that reshapes how we see the iconic hunter. “The creature is front and centre, leading the charge,” Trachtenberg told Empire in November 2024. “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 explained that the concept grew from a desire 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.” For the first time, audiences are being invited to not just fear the Predator — but to root for him.
Predator: Badlands will stalk its way into Australian cinemas on November 6 and US cinemas on November 7.
