Predator: Badlands is a short few weeks away from release, and I could not be more excited for this movie. Having been a fan of the Predators for many years, I always love getting a new movie that showcases the Predators and the lore. This movie will take that to the next level.
In this movie, we will see a young Yautja, cast out, who meets an android ally and journeys through hostile territory to prove himself and face a danger far greater than the standard prey. The movie focuses on a Yautja as the main character, named Dek. Having been marginalized by his clan for being a runt.
3. Respects Lore Yet Reinvents It
This film is not just another “Predator hunts humans” story. The synopsis and interviews hint that this movie will dive deeper into the world-building aspect. We get to see a Yautja outcast trying to prove himself to the clan and the clan leader.
The inclusion of an android “Thia” from the Weyland-Yutani Corporation line hints at crossover lore, or at least a nod to the Alien/Predator mythos. The Yautja’s journey is one of self-discovery and survival in his own world, rather than simply being the unstoppable hunter. This also gives the film some emotional weight.
2. Bold Setting and Tone Departure
Unlike most earlier entries in the Predator franchise that were set on Earth with humans being hunted, Badlands is set on a remote planet in the future, focused on alien territory with no human characters being the primary prey, which is very unusual for this franchise.
That setup allows for a more creative freedom for Dan Trachtenberg. This gives us a new environment, new stakes, new visual palette, and could reinvigorate the franchise rather than simply re-tread the original formula of movies.
1. The Yautja’s Perspective
Previously in the franchise, Humans have almost always been the protagonists, with the alien hunter as the threat. Badlands changes that formula and flips it by allowing the Yautja to be the protagonist as a young outcast Predator. Director Dan Trachtenberg explains that “this time, the Predator is the one being hunted, and he is the one needing to prove himself.”
One of the best reasons this will be is simply because it will dive deeper into the Yautja culture, their clan dynamics, rites of passage, and what it means to be an outsider in their world. That angle gives the film a fresh emotional grounding and lore richness.
While the original Predator remains nearly untouchable in franchise lore, the Predator we’ll see in Badlands could be the most fully-realized character of the species yet on film. If I had to make a bold prediction?
“Predator: Badlands will rank very favourably, possibly a top 3 of all Predator films so far” – Philip Weaver
