The Chase Heats Up in the New ‘Predator: Badlands’ Trailer
The hunt is back in the brand-new trailer for Predator: Badlands, the next big chapter in the legendary Predator franchise.
Directed by Dan Trachtenberg and written by Patrick Aison, this upcoming sci-fi action movie stars Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi. The film will hit theaters across the United States on November 7, through 20th Century Studios.
Watch the new trailer for Predator: Badlands. Experience the film only in theaters and IMAX November 7. pic.twitter.com/fDjUBg55aM
— 20th Century Studios (@20thcentury) October 6, 2025
According to The Walt Disney Company, Predator: Badlands takes place in the future on a distant planet. The story follows a young Predator named Dek, who has been cast out of his clan for being a runt.
His fate changes when he meets Thia, a legless Weyland-Yutani synth, and together they set off on a dangerous journey to find the ultimate enemy.
Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi plays Dek, while Elle Fanning takes on multiple roles. She plays Thia, the damaged synth who partners with Dek, as well as Tessa, a perfect Wey-Yu model who stands against them. Fanning also performs as several other synth characters created by the Weyland-Yutani Corporation.
Director Dan Trachtenberg, who also made Prey (2022) and Predator: Killer of Killers (2025), revealed that Badlands is a standalone story meant to explore the Predators’ home world and their culture.
He explained that the movie draws inspiration from the art of Frank Frazetta and films like Mad Max 2, The Book of Eli, and classic Clint Eastwood westerns. The video game Shadow of the Colossus was also a big influence on the tone and visuals.
Trachtenberg said that the movie features a completely developed Predator language, both spoken and written, created by the same linguist who designed the Naʼvi language in Avatar. He also confirmed that this time, the Predator isn’t the villain — Dek is the main hero.
A prequel comic book from Marvel Comics is also on the way. Written by Ethan Sacks with art by Elvin Ching and a cover by Juan Ferreyra, the one-shot will come out on November 12, just days after the movie’s release.
Trachtenberg has said he has plans for more Predator films after Badlands, depending on how audiences respond. For now, the hunt begins again, and the Badlands are waiting.
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