"Predator: Badlands" Full Trailer: Elle Fanning Plays a Weyland-Yutani Android in Dan Trachtenberg’s New Predator Film with Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi
The hunter becomes the hunted in this bold new chapter of the Predator saga, set on a deadly alien planet and hinting at a looming clash with the Alien universe.
When filmmaker Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane) took over the Predator film series with 2022’s Prey, he successfully reinvigorated the iconic ‘80s sci-fi horror franchise, taking it back to its roots. Gone were the overly convoluted set-ups of having a proficiently skilled alien hunter on Earth. Prey offered a stripped-down survival story grounded in a primal battle between a young Comanche female warrior (Amber Midthunder) and a Predator, set in the early 1700s where killer instincts are the only advantage.
Just last month in June, Trachtenberg returned with another installment in the Predator franchise. This time, it was an adult animated anthology titled Predator: Killer of Killers (a Hulu exclusive), which dropped a Predator alien into different points in human history. Each segment explored the unique survival skills, combat tactics, and resourcefulness of humans across different eras.
Now Trachtenberg is back yet again, but this time flipping the script with his latest chapter, Predator: Badlands. Instead of centering the story around a human protagonist, this installment shifts the perspective to a young Predator hunter (performed by New Zealand actor Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) who must prove his worth in the harsh, unforgiving terrain of the Badlands. But in a brutal twist of fate, the hunter soon becomes the hunted—now facing off against a hostile alien planet literally crawling and swarming with deadly creatures, each more vicious and territorial than the last.
And from the looks of this new trailer, which offers our best look yet at the upcoming film, there’s another twist: Elle Fanning also stars. And she’s certainly more than meets the eye. She plays a young “field unit” android named Thia, created by the Weyland-Yutani bio-weapons division. Yes, that Weyland-Yutani Corporation!
Although rumored since the release of its first teaser months ago, this new full-length trailer confirms a direct connection to the iconic sci-fi franchise. Weyland-Yutani is, of course, the infamous fictional company from the Alien series—hinting that a crossover event between Predator and Alien may finally be in the works.
And it seems Badlands might be the bridge to an inevitable showdown between Predator and Alien. With the confirmed presence of Weyland-Yutani and the introduction of Thia, a next-gen android designed for high-risk bio-weapons field work, all signs point toward a larger shared universe finally taking shape.
“So, this is your first hunt,” Fanning’s Thia says in this new full trailer, acting as a calm yet calculating observer as she watches the young Predator struggle to survive on this hostile alien planet.
“And you’ve come to the most dangerous planet in the universe,” Thia remarks, becoming the voice of reason. “You’re after a creature that can’t be killed. The definitive apex predator.”
Her words hang in the air like a warning (or perhaps a challenge) as the trailer cuts to flashes of brutal skirmishes, stalking shadows, and glimpses of a new, terrifying creature lurking in the Badlands. One can’t help but wonder if Thia is hinting at the eventual presence of a Xenomorph. Hmmm.
“I could help you,” Thia offers her assistance to the young Predator before being lifted up by her collar, revealing she has no legs—her lower half missing entirely.
Having just survived a horrible space crash, rendering her body partially destroyed, Thia relies on her programming to stay alive. But despite her condition, her mind remains sharp, her motives unclear, and her offer of help... seems intriguing.
But if we’ve learned anything from Ash, the android from the original 1979 Alien movie, it’s that A.I. doesn’t always have others’ best interests in mind. Especially those built by Weyland-Yutani. And you can bet your bottom dollar that Thia has other motives than survival that she ain’t letting on... just yet anyways.
So, filmmaker Dan Trachtenberg is again keeping things simple, but with fresh twists and bold perspective changes. Badlands appears to be another survival horror thriller, yet it shifts the point of view to a young Predator and introduces an enigmatic android with ties to the Alien universe. It feels both familiar and brand new. And with San Diego Comic-Con just around the corner, we can only imagine the buzz building for an eventual Alien vs. Predator revival. Now that would be something to die (or kill) for.
Written by Prey scribe Patrick Aison, based on a story by Trachtenberg and Aison, Predator: Badlands will be coming to theaters on November 7th.
So have your popcorn buckets ready... and maybe some body armor too. ’Cause you never know when something with claws, acid blood, or cloaking tech might show up in your row.
Official Synopsis:
First hunt. Last chance…
From the director of Prey, Predator: Badlands stars Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, is set in the future on a remote planet, where a young Predator, outcast from his clan, finds an unlikely ally in Thia (Fanning) and embarks on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary.
