Predator: Badlands Teaser Sets Stage for Alien World Adventure

A new live-action Predator movie is a rare event. A new live-action Predator movie that makes the franchise’s iconic alien hunter its hero is an absolute rarity. So today’s debut of the first teaser for Predator: Badlands was a major surprise for fans of the series. The short clip from 20th Century Studios’ upcoming feature shows off an unexpected and very different take on the well-known sci-fi monster.

In Badlands, Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi stars as Dek, a young Predator who has been exiled from his community. Rather than being the distant, ruthless killers that other films have depicted, Dek is set to be the hero of his own story. He will be joined in his adventure by a Weyland-Yutani android played by Elle Fanning. The two will face “the ultimate adversary,” a “monster that can’t be killed” (as per the official teaser description). While the trailer only teases the enemy for a second or two, the beast is likely a giant monster. One unlike anything that has appeared in the Predator and Alien franchises thus far.

Expanding the Universe

Predator: Badlands will technically be a stand-alone film within the wider Predator/Alien shared universe. However, according to the early information that we’ve gotten, the feature will do some significant universe-building. According to rumors, at least part of the film will be set on the Predator’s home planet. A locale that the other entries in the series have previously alluded to, but never fully fleshed out. This is suggested in the trailer via fleeting glimpses of strange landscapes and predator cityscapes. The teaser also shows multiple Predators in action, whether during an uneasy standoff or a fight to the death.

Director/co-writer Dan Trachtenberg is particularly interested in diving into the inner workings of the Predator community. His previous installment in the franchise, Prey, pared the story back to a stripped-down, last-man-standing survival game on the American Great Plains in the 1700s. Badlands is looking to expand upon the Yautja’s culture, their language, and even their internal politics. If the first teaser is to be believed, the film will provide some tantalizing insight into the lives of the Yautja — and their signature combination of high-tech gear and brutal violence.

Elle Fanning and her android character Thia are also one of the major takeaways from the first clip. As seen in the trailer, her character moves with smooth precision. She also spits out dialogue in a decidedly unnerving calmness, her harsher mechanical edges softened by a twinge of curiosity and empathy. It is a surprise to see a Predator movie throw its alien hunter characters in so close contact with a human-created and operated android. The Weyland-Yutani connection will also be a special treat for Alien fans who love seeing little bits of crossover lore.

There is no denying that the first teaser works well. A lot of the credit for this goes to Trachtenberg’s return. Prey received significant critical praise for refreshing the franchise. The film also performed well on Hulu, seeing significant viewership thanks to good word-of-mouth. Having Trachtenberg return to helm another movie in the series indicates that 20th Century Studios feels confident in his vision. He has also proven that he can take a sci-fi franchise that fans love and handle it with a deft balance of fresh eyes and respectful storytelling.

But Trachtenberg has another Predator-related project in the works. Predator: Killer of Killers, an animated anthology series that will also be coming to Hulu (same service as Prey) on June 6, will be delving into other Predator hunts. Killer of Killers will be set in different eras, at different places around the world, to tell a series of unique stories about one of the most popular sci-fi franchises.

Peeking at the Teaser

Without giving away any story spoilers, the first teaser is a bounty of fun nuggets. There are intense shots of Predators in ceremonial armor fighting other Predators. There is Dek cautiously navigating an unfamiliar landscape. There are glimpses of Thia with high-tech weaponry. And there are brief looks at the “unkillable” monster adversary. Meanwhile, the landscapes are vivid and otherworldly. It is a fitting tease to a production of what is sure to be blockbuster proportions.

It is also worth noting that this teaser indicates that Badlands is not just a retread of previous Predator movies. Simply by shifting the perspective from human prey to a Predator outcast, the movie’s creative team is subverting the familiar formula. Shifting the perspective on this well-known and popular monster also makes room for the film to play with more complex character arcs and moral ambiguity. If Dek’s goal is to reclaim his honor or to prove his worth to his community, viewers may find themselves unexpectedly empathetic to a character that has so far only been the villain in the franchise.

Release Date and What to Expect

Predator: Badlands will release on November 7 in theaters. It is one of a handful of notable sci-fi action releases scheduled to be released this fall and winter. In the coming months, additional trailers will be dropping, and we can likely expect to see more major plot points revealed in those trailers. We can probably also expect to see more of the film’s big set pieces. It is a safe bet that those trailers will also give the film’s monster a closer look.

But for now, the first teaser has done its job. It is intriguing old fans, piquing the interest of newcomers, and setting up expectations for a Predator movie unlike any that has come before it. With Trachtenberg in the director’s chair, a new and exciting lead pairing, and some intriguing exploration of the deep lore, Badlands is looking to be the kind of shake-up that the franchise needs.