Everything we know About Predator: Badlands – new Monsters & Alien Connections
A Predator like you’ve never seen before is coming—and the hunt has already begun. At CinemaCon 2025, Predator: Badlands blew the roof off with a jaw-dropping teaser, revealing bold new lore, eerie new creatures, and an unexpected twist fans didn’t see coming.
The franchise’s next chapter is no sequel retread—it’s a full-throttle evolution, shifting the battlefield to a mysterious alien world and reimagining what it means to be both the hunter and the hunted. And yes, that reveal? It just changed everything we thought we knew about this universe.
Following the seismic success of Prey, director Dan Trachtenberg returns with a fresh, future-set vision that’s already turning heads. The trailer doesn’t just tease new monsters—it drops a shocking connection to the Alien franchise, a first in over a decade. We catch glimpses of brutal face-offs, eerie landscapes, and Elle Fanning like we’ve never seen her before—cold, calculating, and synthetic. Could this be the beginning of a bold new crossover era?
From explosive trailer details to hidden easter eggs and what this surprise team-up could mean for the Predator legacy, we’ve broken down every must-know detail so far. Stay locked in—we’re tracking every reveal and twist, and updating as new intel drops from the Badlands.
Release date & Where to Watch
Predator: Badlands hits theaters and IMAX screens across the U.S. on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025.
What is the plot of Predator: Badlands (2025) film?
Set in the distant future on a remote planet, Predator: Badlands introduces a bold new chapter in the iconic sci-fi saga. The story follows a young Predator, portrayed by Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, who has been cast out by his clan and forced to survive alone. His path unexpectedly crosses with Thia, a mysterious synthetic played by Elle Fanning, and the two form an uneasy alliance.
Together, they embark on a perilous quest in search of the ultimate adversary—a threat so powerful that even a Predator may not survive. Unlike past installments where humans were hunted, Badlands flips the dynamic: Thia isn’t prey—she’s a partner. “Something unprecedented happens in this movie, and my character is not the one being chased,” Fanning teased at CinemaCon 2025. (via THR)
“My character actually teams up with the Predator, and you get to see him in a whole new light,” she added. With a setting far removed from Earth and a Predator unlike any we've seen before, Badlands explores uncharted ground in the franchise. As Fanning's Thia warns in the trailer: “You’re hunting something that can’t be killed.”
And for the first time, the main character of a Predator film is a Predator himself—a game-changing move for the long-running series.
Who’s Starring in Predator: Badlands?
- Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi as Dek, a Predator
- Elle Fanning as Thia
Is There a Trailer for Predator: Badlands?
The teaser trailer for Predator: Badlands may be barely over a minute long, but it delivers major revelations and an intense sci-fi atmosphere that flips the franchise’s formula on its head. It starts with a voiceover, “I didn't think you survived.”
One of the most jaw-dropping reveals? Elle Fanning’s character, Thia, is a Weyland-Yutani synthetic. A close-up of her eyes reveals the infamous logo of the shadowy megacorp from the Alien franchise—instantly connecting Badlands to the broader Alien universe. Her unsettling calm and biomechanical presence recalls iconic androids like Bishop, David, and Ash.
The trailer opens with sweeping shots of a desolate alien world—definitely not Earth—where a Predator stands still on a shoreline, flanked by unfamiliar, threatening alien creatures. One shot features multiple Predators, some appearing to fight or threaten each other, suggesting possible infighting or a deeper lore between their kind.
Thia delivers a chilling line, "You're hunting something that can't be killed." Immediately after, the trailer cuts to a massive, towering creature smashing through trees as it charges toward the Predator. Instead of fleeing, the Predator stands its ground and lets out a thunderous war cry, setting the tone for the brutal battles to come.
Also featured is a quick glimpse of a Weyland-Yutani vehicle, reinforcing the corporate footprint on this mysterious planet. From strange new monsters to android mysteries, Predator: Badlands promises a sci-fi survival story packed with secrets, betrayals, and jaw-dropping confrontations—all teased in just one minute.
Is Predator: Badlands Related to Prey?
Given that Predator: Badlands is directed by Dan Trachtenberg, who also helmed Prey, some story connection seems likely. However, at the time of writing, nothing as such has been officially confirmed. Prey, set in the Northern Great Plains in 1719, followed a Comanche warrior named Naru (Amber Midthunder) as she battled a Predator threatening her tribe.
The Predator franchise, now owned by Disney through 20th Century Studios, began with the 1987 action-horror classic starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Over the years, it’s expanded to include several sequels, crossovers like Alien vs. Predator, and now Badlands, making it plausible that this new installment could build on the world Prey revitalized.
Filming Details
Filming kicked off in New Zealand by August 2024, under the working title Backpack, and wrapped in late October. Jeff Cutter, who also collaborated with Dan Trachtenberg on Prey, returned as the film’s cinematographer.
Behind the Scenes
Dan Trachtenberg, known for Prey and 10 Cloverfield Lane, returns to the Predator universe as director of the upcoming installment. He's also co-writing the script alongside Patrick Aison, his collaborator on Prey. The film is produced by John Davis, Dan Trachtenberg, Marc Toberoff, Ben Rosenblatt, and Brent O’Connor, with Richard Cowen on board as co-producer.
Trachtenberg's Prey, released exclusively on Hulu, revitalized the franchise and earned four Emmy nominations in 2024, winning for Outstanding Sound Editing. In addition to the new movie, Trachtenberg is also developing Predator: Killer of Killers, an animated anthology series premiering June 6, 2025.
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