Predator: Badlands | Official Trailer – YouTube 
We’ve known since the teaser trailer that Predator: Badlands has strong ties to the Alien universe in the shape of Weyland-Yutani-owned synthetics. Now, the full trailer shows the movie will follow a young Predator warrior as he teams up with a synth who’s seen better days.
After watching the new trailer, it’s safe to say writer-director Dan Trachtenberg – who revived the movie series with Prey in 2022 – wasn’t lying when he said the entire pitch behind Predator: Badlands was telling a Conan-like story through the eyes of a Yautja hunter (subtitles for the alien language included). It’s a bold angle for a new entry in the long-running Predator movie franchise, but at this point, you either reinvent yourself or die slowly chasing the safety and warmth of nostalgia.
Last month, Predator: Killer of Killers – an animated anthology-format movie with a twist – proved Prey wasn’t the result of the beginner’s luck. This is why we’re quite optimistic about Badlands and what it’s gunning for. Let’s break down the hottest and biggest moments in this new trailer, shall we?
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(Image credit: Disney / 20th Century Studios)
Things are off to a strong start when the first thing we see is Elle Fanning’s Thia (or her long-rumored twin character) being repaired in a Weyland-Yutani lab after encountering what we can only guess was a gnarly beast. The MU/TH/UR (Mother) system from the Alien movies is back too, and we see mention of Weyland-Yutani’s huge bio-weapons division, which suggests both the Predator protagonist (Dek) and the company’s synths might be after the same thing on this alien planet.
The pace picks up right after with all sorts of exciting shots of the young Yautja preparing for his biggest hunt yet. It all looks properly badass, with new weapons like a bow and a sword with a heat blade. Then, the big twist is he comes across Thia, who appears to be far friendlier than the other synths deployed to capture aliens on the “most dangerous planet in the universe.” It appears that Thia’s lower half is entirely missing, which creates an even more interesting dynamic as she attempts to collaborate with a Yautja who’s trying to regain his honor.
(Image credit: Disney / 20th Century Studios)
There are no humans in sight, which might also confirm Trachtenberg’s claims of having zero Homo sapiens in this movie. Can Predators and synths alone carry a brutal action-adventure rollercoaster ride? We say signs point to yes.
At some point (we don’t know if it’s a flashback or part of the central journey), an elder Predator is battling Dek, but by all accounts, the main objective seems to be a massive monster that could tear even a Xenomorph apart. Plus, bulky mechs are being brought over from the Alien timeline too.
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Disney and 20th Century Studios have also shared an all-new poster with Dek jumping straight into the maw of the unknown alien beast:
(Image credit: 20th Century Studios)
At this moment it’s hard to predict whether Predator: Badlands will make big moves towards setting up a new Alien vs. Predator movie (that some voices at 20th Century Studios have been teasing for a while). For now, we’re just excited to have another great-looking Predator flick with a fresh twist looming on the horizon.
Predator: Badlands releases in cinemas on November 7, 2025.
