The Predator movie series has had its ups and downs, with 2018's Shane Black-directed fourquel almost icing the franchise for the foreseeable future. Thankfully, Prey (2022) brought the venerable sci-fi icon back to life with a grounded but refreshing story that took us back into the past. Now, the same creatives are pushing into the future with the follow-up. Here's everything we know about Predator: Badlands.
Unlike Prey, which was a Hulu/Disney+ exclusive, this new Predator flick will hit cinemas worldwide. After the huge success of Dan Trachtenberg's prequel on streaming, and Alien: Romulus' triumphant takeover of theaters last year, we expected Disney to bring back the sci-fi action/horror series to the big screen again. Perhaps more surprising is the fact that the movie will invade IMAX theaters too.
Predator: Badlands won't be the only sci-fi blockbuster coming from Disney in 2025. We've got a Lilo & Stitch live-action remake, Pixar's Elio, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Tron: Ares, and Avatar: Fire and Ash. Moreover, an animated Predator movie called Predator: Killer of Killers is coming to Hulu this summer.
Predator: Badlands release date
Predator: Badlands will release exclusively in theaters on November 7, 2025, in both the U.S. and the U.K. The movie is also set to hunt down as many IMAX screens as it can, taking moviegoers on a stunning journey to a new alien world in the far future.
Most international territories will be getting it around the same date. European countries such as France and Sweden are ahead of the pack with a November 5 release date. In the case of Australia, Brazil, or Germany, we're looking at November 6. You can check out the full list of confirmed countries and release dates here.
How to watch Predator: Badlands
Predator: Badlands will be a theatrical exclusive when it launches on November 7, 2025, so you'll have to head out to your local theater to watch it on release day. It will certainly be appearing on streaming platforms after its run in theaters, though.
We expect to see Predator: Badlands on Hulu in the US and Disney+ elsewhere in the world. We don't have an exact release date for this, but early 2026 is a good guess.
What is the plot of Predator: Badlands?
Predator: Badlands will take us to a "world of hurt" through the eyes of a Yautja "runt" named Dek, writer-director Dan Trachtenberg confirmed. While the story will also be told through the eyes of Elle Fanning's Thia (and a rumored twin character), the main goal behind the movie is to put the Predator front and center, inverting the dynamics we'd gotten used to. Alien vs. Predator fans, however, still remember that Scar/Lex team-up back in 2004, though.
Speaking of AvP, it seems the long-rumored crossover set in the future could be close to happening now, as Thia has been openly revealed to be a Weyland-Yutani synthetic in the first trailer. Moreover, large civilian vehicles belonging to the Alien series' big evil corporation can be spotted too. We're not counting on Xenomorphs showing up in this movie, but the board has been officially set now.
Regardless, Predator: Badlands is leaving the rest of the Predator timeline behind and leaning heavily on elements from the "extended lore" which were mostly developed through the video games and comic books. Mercifully, though, without Yautjas utilizing their prey's DNA to become stronger, we're leaving all that nonsense behind.
Meatier plot details haven't been shared yet, but it's been confirmed that the young Predator Dek is an outcast from his clan after failing the group in some way. This kickstarts his quest to find "the ultimate adversary" on a remote planet, where he also comes across Thia and has to overcome unexpected challenges including savage beasts and deadly plant life. It looks like humans and a non-Predator masked hunter are tracking him, too, so expect a bloodbath.
Predator: Badlands trailers
Predator: Badlands | Teaser Trailer - YouTube
Only one Predator: Badlands trailer has been released at the time of writing. It's more of a teaser trailer and runs for barely over a minute, but it's more than enough to excite us and keep fans guessing until a bigger preview rolls around. It's also set to 'Wolf Totem' by The HU, so that's a nice bonus.
You can also check out the badass teaser poster for the movie below:
Who is starring in Predator: Badlands?
At this point, only two actors have been officially announced, and the character rumors didn't point to additional cast members, so we're left in the dark until the marketing for the movie ramps up over the next few months.
- Elle Fanning (Super 8, The Neon Demon) as Thia
- Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi (The Panthers, Far North) as Dek
At the very least, we're expecting to learn more about Elle Fanning's long-rumored second character soon. We'll be updating this article with the latest official news and updates as they arrive.
Who are the Predator: Badlands director, writers, & crew?
Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane, Prey) directed a script written by himself and Patrick Aison (Prey, Jack Ryan). The writer-director is also producing alongside John Davis (The Predator), Marc Toberoff (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice), Ben Rosenblatt (Tokyo Vice), and Brent O'Connor (Alien: Romulus).
Jeff Cutter (Prey) is handling the cinematography once again, with Ra Vincent (Thor: Ragnarok) on board as the production designer, plus Zahra Archer (A Minecraft Movie) and Sam Storey (Avatar: The Way of Water) serving as art directors. We've yet to learn if Prey composer Sarah Schachner is working on the original score, but we'll be keeping this article updated with the latest on this front.
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