Alright Predator fans, we're eating good again!
For 38 years we have dived into the world of Predator following the 1987 outing which set up the franchise's antagonist as an unrelenting hunting machine that can stalk its prey in any setting - from the jungle of Central America, to the streets of LA - and even a stint on one of their own planets as seen in Predators (2010). With each release, our expectations left us wanting more and sadly in 2018 they were left for dead with the sub-par release of The Predator, which was set on earth again but lacked the execution to make it a notable standout. Fans all but gave up - especially when it came to what was tipped to be THE crossover event of the monster movie franchise with the release of both Alien vs. Predator outings.
However, all that changed in 2022 when Dan Trachtenberg directed a stripped back version of the hunting anti-hero in Prey. Set in the 1700s - long before the modern day takes which flopped in succession - it reignited the fire for fans to get excited about the franchise again. It was a simple, yet effective approach to the storytelling and proved you didn't need to be a mercenary to take on one of the universe's most feared beings.
Fast forward to 2025 and it's highly anticipated sequel Predator: Badlands just dropped it's teaser trailer and oh boy there's a lot to take in. Firstly, the film is set in the future on a remote planet where a young Predator (Schuster-Koloamatangi) has been outcast from his clan and must team up with an unlikely ally in Thia (Elle Fanning) to embark on a journey in search of the ultimate adversary to prove himself.
Much like in Prey with the Comanche tribes, the Predator must prove itself by killing a worthy opponent - which has been the premise of these hunters for thousands of generations in stories told over the course of seven movies and countless other forms of media. Want to be taken seriously by your Predator army brethren? Come home with the skull of a huge game animal or intergalactic creature to show off. Big dick energy stuff.
What makes this new Predator film so special is the blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment when Elle Fanning's character Thia closes her eyes and reopens them, only to show the Weyland-Yutani branding/logo - which means two things - Thia is a synthetic android that's been cast away in the "badlands" (much like the young Predator), and two, it once again signals the crossover between both the Alien and Predator universes - meaning we could in fact be heading towards the rumoured AvP Reboot which follows conversations that started after the release of Alien: Romulus - the other franchise which was brought back from disrepute with the latest entry.
Time will tell if this is the start of the a new direction for the PCU (Predator Cinematic Universe) but from the looks of the teaser, and the fact this movie is set to focus on the Predator as the protagonist for the first time ever, we could be witnessing the start of something EPIC - especially with that incoming Alien: Earth tv-series that's being teased currently to drop in Winter on Disney+
Predator: Badlands is directed by Dan Trachtenberg and produced by John Davis, Dan Trachtenberg, Marc Toberoff, Ben Rosenblatt, Brent O’Connor.
It hits Australian cinemas on November 6th and was filmed for IMAX - so treat yourself and see it there.
