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20th Century studios has just released a new trailer for “Predator: Badlands,” the latest entry in the “Predator” cinematic franchise, and one that turns the usual premise on its head.
Along with a lot more action, this new trailer features more of Elle Fanning as Thia, a Weyland-Yutani android accompanying the Yautja hunter Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) on his hunt. You can watch the trailer below.
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Among the new things we get to see in this trailer is the predator Dek speaking in his native tongue, “I am prey to no one!”
In most “Predator” movies the aliens merely record the dialogue of their prey and play it back at them, however director Dan Trachtenberg decided an actual language needed to be developed for “Badlands.”
Elle Fanning as Thia and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi as Dek in “Predator: Badlands.” Elle Fanning as Thia and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi as Dek in “Predator: Badlands.” 20th Century Studios
Among the new action sequences teased in the trailer, we see a clash toward the end of the preview between a very large beast and someone in a beefy mech suit. It’s hard not to be reminded of Sigourney Weaver’s fight with the Xenomorph Queen in 1986’s “Aliens.”
The most obvious thing setting “Badlands” apart from previous “Predator” entries is that it’s the first to feature one of the titular aliens as the protagonist. The Yautja hunter Dek is an outcast from his tribe who hunts a seemingly unkillable prey, aided by the android Thia.
“Predator: Badlands” is directed by Dan Trachtenberg and produced by John Davis, Trachtenberg, Marc Toberoff, Ben Rosenblatt, Brent O’Connor.
It is a rich time for “Predator” fans. “Badlands” follows the streaming release in June of the animated anthology film “Predator: Killer of Killers” which earned acclaim from critics and fans alike.
The anthology followed three different Yautja hunters in three different historical times, hunting Vikings, Japanese ninja, and World War II pilots respectively.
It also canonized the name of the “Predator” alien species as “Yautja,” something that had only been used previously in expanded universe media like comics and novels.
Speaking of comics, “Predator” media has also been very busy on the comic book stands. The crossover miniseries “Predator Vs. Spider-Man” just came to a conclusion and the new miniseries “Predator Kills the Marvel Universe” is on the way.
In the meantime, Marvel has also released the anthology comic “Predator: Black, White & Blood.”
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