‘Predator: Badlands’ Director Explains When the Movie Takes Place in the Timeline
Predator: Badlands, released a few days ago, is the ninth movie in the Predator series. Directed by Dan Trachtenberg and written by Patrick Aison, the film stars Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi.
The story follows Dek, a young Predator exiled from his clan, who crash-lands on a dangerous planet. To survive, he must prove himself in the hunt. Along the way, he forms an unlikely partnership with Thia, a damaged synthetic from the Weyland-Yutani Corporation, as they face a deadly apex creature together.
Predator: Badlands also links to the Alien universe. Dan Trachtenberg explained how the movie fits into the timeline.
“Very intentionally, it is the furthest into the future in both ‘Predator’ and ‘Alien.’ When we were making it, I wasn’t really sure what was going on with ‘Alien: Romulus’ and I don’t even know how aware I even was of ‘Alien: Earth.’ So I just didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes. I wanted to make sure we were doing our own thing, and selfishly, I’d also done so much ‘Predator’ in different time periods that I was excited for this to be in the future, even past ‘Alien: Resurrection.’”
He also talked about how he researched the timeline while developing the movie. “It can all go out the door once we start putting pen to paper on stuff, but I’ve looked as far as I could to feel comfortable about what I’m doing.”
“Every movie is a complete thought, not that much unlike the early Marvel stuff before the first ‘Avengers’ movie, where it’s like, those are great movies, and lo and behold, we’re actually setting up that things could come together in a delicious way. But they weren’t like, ‘See how everything’s interconnected like crazy all of a sudden!’ So I’m trying to learn that lesson and make sure that any of these movies that we do are awesome ideas for movies on their own.”
Trachtenberg reflected on working in the Predator universe for an extended period. “I didn’t think I would be living in it this long. What I realized is that because the Yautja has the code that it has, it’s allowed for me to make the kind of movies that I’ve always wanted to. It is not Michael Myers or Jason. It’s not there just to kill victims in its periphery. It’s a creature with a culture and a code, and it’s looking for the most worthy. That resonates in our lives, where we’re constantly thinking about how we measure up to the outside world, to ourselves, in career and love and whatever it is.”
On November 7, witness the rise of the ultimate Predator.
— Predator (@Predator) October 22, 2025
Watch the international trailer for Predator: Badlands, in theaters and IMAX November 7.
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“So I get to keep making movies with this fulcrum that bears all this thematic weight and brings out the emotional storytelling that I love. And also, because it’s this kick-ass creature with unique designs and assets that other franchises don’t have, I get to also make those stories with kick-ass action. It really has allowed for me to make very different kinds of stories, and have them each be worthy of the franchise itself.”
Predator: Badlands promises to be a unique entry in both the Predator and Alien universes. Trachtenberg’s approach shows how the franchise can continue to grow while keeping its own identity and giving fans thrilling action and meaningful storytelling.
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