The first look at footage fromPredator: Badlandshas been revealed atCinemaCon. The seventh movie in the long-running series,Predator:Badlandswas helmed byPreydirector Dan Trachtenberg. DespitePreyacting as the earliest movie in the franchise timeline,Predator: Badlandswill act as a standalone story and not as a direct sequel to the well-received 2022 installment, which earned a Certified Fresh score Rotten Tomatoes of 94% and starred Amber Midthunder as Naru, a Comanche warrior who defends her tribe from the Predator. TheupcomingPredator: Badlandswill star Elle Fanning and will premiere on July 26, 2025.
During a presentation at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, whereScreenRantwas in attendance,20th Century Studios revealed the first look atPredator: Badlands. Below, read a description of the footage, which is not available online:
“I didn’t think you survived,” says Fanning’s character. We see a few dozen people hunting the Predator in one shot. The predator is hunting something that can’t be killed. We see it use a speeder-type bike, and then a sword that looks like it heats up at the end. Overall, it’s more otherworldly than Prey was.
Additionally,SR’s reporter on the ground, Mansoor Mithaiwala, notes that Fanning revealed a key detail while introducing the footage:
“Something unprecedented happens in this movie… my character teams up with the Predator.”
What This Means For Predator: Badlands
It Expands The Franchise’s Universe
So far, Trachtenberg’s approach to his movies seems to be exploring previously unseen corners of thePredatorfranchiserather than continuing an ongoing story. From this new footage, it appears that he has done so by centering on an important aspect of Predator lore, which isthe alien race’s intense interest in hunting for sport. This has been central to the franchise for many years (and justified the Xenomorphs' presence inAlien vs. Predator) and seems to be a springboard into one of the most sci-fi focused installments yet.
Predators and Xenomorphs clashed once again in the 2007 sequelAliens vs. Predator: Requiem.
Typically, thePredatormovies take a more action or horror-oriented approach. However, this footage from theanticipated 2025 movieimplies that it could expand the universe even more by leaning in harder on the sci-fi angle,potentially providing an even more in-depth look at the Predators and their worldas this seemingly impossible hunt kicks off.
Our Take On The Predator: Badlands Footage
The Movie Could Be A Hit
By embracing this unique take on the franchise,Predator: Badlandscould become a success with general audiences, just likePrey, which earned a Popcornmeter score of 74% on Rotten Tomatoes and became Hulu’s most-watched premiere across movies and television series of all time when it debuted. Should this be the case, the fact that it is getting a theatrical premiere rather thanPrey’s Hulu-exclusive streaming releasecould make it the highest-grossing installment in the franchise, which has so far peaked at the $172.5 million earned byAlien vs. Predator.
Predator: Badlands
Cast
Predator: Badlands is a science fiction film set for release in 2025, building on the longstanding Predator franchise.
