CinemaCon has released trailers for some of the year’s most anticipated movies, and it’s not over yet. The Predator Badlands trailer (official teaser) has just been released, and fans cannot stop making theories about how the next installment in the Predator franchise will fit into the narrative.
Yautja’s hunt is not over, and they will be back in Predator: Badlands, but they are to hurt badly, badder than before. Here are all the details of what to expect from the new film.
Plot details of Predator: Badlands
The official synopsis of the film states that Thia (played by Elle Fanning) lives on a future remote planet where a young predator outcast (played by Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) from his clan will find an ally in her.
The search for his ultimate enemy does not end, as Yautja are already invading the planet Earth to quench their thirst for hunting for years. Watch the trailer here to get a glimpse of the rest of the wrath that predators want to inflict on Earth.
Director’s vision for the film
Dan Trachtenberg told that the creature he wanted in the film needs to be “front” and “leading the charge”. The film is partially set in the predators’ homeland, Yautja Prime. Since its connection with a human, Thia who is nothing ordinary, is the evident element of the film now, he has a special angle on the film. He explained,
“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.” [Source]
He is always inspired by movies and video games, especially Shadow of the Colossus. He believed that he wanted to give the audience something unique this time that he would “root for,” but a rare hero who would push the boundaries of the franchise. It means that the director wanted to create a new space for the aliens this time that the viewers haven’t experienced before, and the trailer has proven it.
The creature is certainly “badass”, as the director mentioned, which is corroborated by the trailer where Thia is hunting for something “that can’t be killed”.
Director’s specifications for casting
Trachtenberg revealed that he definitely wanted a stunt guy and someone who was seven feet six, as cited by Bloody Disgusting. This is where Dimitrius earned his role by passing a demanding physical audition.
A special physical obstacle course was arranged on the casting set, and when Dimitrius showed his skills, he instantly became a part of the film’s cast. The director did not believe his luck to have found Dimitrius, as his agility and stamina matched perfectly with the role.
It was this energy that needed to be within the predator, whose immense passion to learn to fight and even speak the Yautja language helped Dimitrius bag the role smoothly.
What does Elle Fanning have to say about her character in the film?
IGN reported that Fanning disclosed an interesting detail about her character. She said,
“My character is not the one being chased. My character actually teams up with the Predator. And you get to see him in a completely new light. And… I’ll stop there!” [Source]
We have seen in the trailer that there is a Yutani logo in Fanning’s eyes, which implies she might be the predator/alien’s ally. Also, the Yutani logo is visible on a damaged vehicle, which suggests that the ‘Alien vs Predator’ film is a crossover within the franchise that we might expect.
Could the Predator Badlands Trailer Be Setting Up a Franchise Crossover?
Theories are surfacing over the internet that this film might be a crossover between the Alien and Predator franchises. Why? There is a new predator Dek, played by Dimitrius, and he is an underdog Yautja “runt”, an outcast of the predator clan, but in a protagonist role.
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Predators are originally portrayed in antagonist roles previously, but this one is different. Since Dek will be seen creating an alliance with Fanning’s character, they both are expected to demonstrate protagonist roles.
Getting the vibes that Thia might be a synthetic (synth) since she becomes home to the predator, becoming an ally, creates the possibility that an Alien and Predator crossover is happening. The speculation might stand true as the franchise has shown synthetics have been there since 1979’s Alien.
Other conspicuous synthetics were Bishop in Aliens and Alien 3 (played by Lance Henriksen), David in Prometheus and Alien: Covenant (played by Michael Fassbender of Black Bag), and Andy in Alien: Romulus (played by David Jonsson).
This will be the first time that a standalone Predator film has a synthetic. To clarify, a synthetic is a creation of Weyland-Yutani, who are meant to have a stake in space colonization. As Yautja have been searching for worlds for invasion, they need Earth for colonization, and for that, they create synthetics within their evil corporation, as per Entertainment Weekly.
Clear reasons appear for the franchise to come up with a crossover, as Weyland-Yutani has played their part in both Alien vs. Predator films.
When is Predator: Badlands releasing?
Predator: Badlands is slated for a theatrical release under 20th Century Studios on November 7, 2025.
Genre: Alien invasion, sci-fi
Cast: Elle Fanning, Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi
Director: Dan Trachtenberg
Writers: Dan Trachtenberg, Patrick Aison, Jim Thomas, John Thomas
Producers: Dan Trachtenberg, John Davis, Brent O’Connor, Marc Toberoff, Ben Rosenblatt
Release date: November 7, 2025
Movie runtime: – –
Got this one circled on your calendar? We are already jumping with excitement. Let us know how you feel about the film.
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