A quick 90-second teaser just dropped for Predator: Badlands, the long-awaited follow-up to Dan Trachtenberg’s stellar Prey, and all I can say is… holy shit—this thing looks incredible.
Trachtenberg has once again flipped the Predator franchise on its head. After grounding Prey in the primal grit of the Comanche Nation and reminding everyone why the Predator is one of sci-fi’s most iconic creatures, he’s now aiming for the stars—literally. Badlands ditches Earth altogether and throws us headfirst into what looks to be alien terrain, possibly even the Predator’s homeworld. Right away, it feels more ambitious, more dangerous, and way more unhinged in the best possible way.
Let’s talk Ella Fanning. She stars in this one, and based on the teaser, there’s already speculation that she might be playing a Weyland-Yutani android. Yeah. That Weyland-Yutani. If this is even a subtle hint that the Alien and Predator franchises are inching closer to a crossover (a proper one), then count me all the way in. This could be the slow-burn reintroduction of Alien vs. Predator done right.
What’s striking in this teaser is the sheer weirdness of the planet: flowers that spit poisonous gas, colossal alien monsters, and a younger, leaner Predator taking on everything in its path. It’s like Trachtenberg threw Prey, Dune, and Monster Hunter in a blender and added a dash of Star Wars—yeah, there’s a shot that looks like the Predator is wielding a damn lightsaber. Okay, maybe not technically a lightsaber, but it’s got that same energy. And that’s the vibe this teaser gives off: a franchise that’s finally unchained and ready to get weird in the best way.
But here’s the biggest curveball: this time, we’re getting the story from the Predator’s perspective. That’s right—the hunter becomes the protagonist. This shift could be game-changing for the franchise. We’ve always viewed the Predator as the silent killer from the shadows. Now, we might get inside its mind, its world, and maybe even its code of honor. If executed well, this could be the franchise’s most unique take yet—and honestly, it’s about time.
Shot in full IMAX, the scope already feels huge. Unlike Prey, which was unjustly sent straight to streaming during the pandemic despite critical acclaim, Badlands is heading to the big screen where it belongs. This is the kind of world-building and scale that demands the theatrical experience.
Dan Trachtenberg has said this teaser “doesn’t even scratch the surface” of what’s coming, and if that’s true? We’re in for one hell of a ride. The man might just be the key to finally pulling off the Alien vs. Predator crossover we all deserve.
Until then, keep your thermal vision sharp and your plasma caster charged.
The hunt is on.
