Predator: Badlands First Teaser — A Different Kind of Predator Story

The premiere of a new live-action Predator movie is a rare event to say the least, especially when the famous sci-fi monster is not just the antagonist but a protagonist of the film. However, that is exactly what 20th Century Studios is showing in the newly released first teaser trailer for Predator: Badlands, a film that looks to be putting a new and unusual twist on the franchise’s famous alien hunter.

At the center of the upcoming action movie is a young Predator named Dek, played by Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi. This banished member of the Predator race will be joined by his unlikely ally, a Weyland-Yutani model android named Thia, played by Elle Fanning. The unlikely duo of human-created artificial intelligence and the feared extraterrestrial warrior will have to take on “the ultimate enemy” in the form of “a beast that can’t be killed.”

What We Know About the Feature Film

Very little information has been released about Predator: Badlands, which is why the first teaser trailer has come as a welcome surprise. What little details have been gleaned about the film so far indicate that it will be taking place on the Predator’s home world for at least part of the movie. The story itself will build upon the larger Predator/Alien shared universe but is said to be completely self-contained. This means that the movie will work just fine as an entry point for new viewers, even as it begins to add details to the rich shared world that has been growing between the films, the Alien TV shows, and comics.

Focus will be on exploring the culture, language, and inner workings of the Predator race as a whole. The first trailer offers hints at this, showing a lush alien landscape and an active Predator encampment with other Predators going about their business. While Prey, also directed by Dan Trachtenberg, stripped back Predator lore and traditions in favor of a sparse and grittier duel between two women in the 18th-century Great Plains of America, Badlands looks to be refocusing on the species as a whole. If the footage is any indication, then fans can expect more information about Predator traditions, race relations, and social hierarchy, as well as details about how they approach hunting, live in their environment, and more.

Other intriguing elements have also been revealed in the trailer. Most notably, the android played by Elle Fanning. Her character has a stilted, eerily efficient movement and cold, emotionless delivery that is softened in places by curiosity and empathy. This is the first time a Predator movie will be aligning the alien species so closely with human-made artificial intelligence, and connections to the Weyland-Yutani corporation could prove very rewarding for fans of the Alien side of the shared universe who look for easter eggs and other overlaps in the franchises.

Familiar Faces in the Helm

Dan Trachtenberg, director of Prey and the upcoming Hulu series Shooter, has been confirmed to be returning to direct and co-write the film. His previous work on the Predator franchise was met with critical praise and has proven to be a commercial success on Hulu. Despite being a younger audience, the rewatchability of the film has led to very strong word of mouth that has only improved over time. 20th Century Studios has faith in his abilities to manage a large-scale, multi-character blockbuster, as well as his knowledge of the series to give it a new spin without alienating existing fans.

Badlands will not be Trachtenberg’s only Predator project. The director is also working on a Hulu-exclusive series that was announced to be in development as Prey was finding its legs. Predator: Killer of Killers is an animated anthology that will look at different Predator hunts over the course of history. The series is set to launch on Hulu on June 6 and will further the mythos of the franchise with diverse settings and stories.

The Teaser Trailer

As for the movie itself, while the first teaser trailer is by no means giving anything major away in terms of actual plot details, it still has lots to look at and analyze. The footage shows Predators in ceremonial armor clashing, Dek sneaking about the alien world, Fanning’s android character brandishing futuristic weapons, and glimpses of the mysterious “unkillable” beast. The alien environments shown in the short clip also give a strong indication of the film’s scope.

It’s also good to note that this is a completely new perspective on the Predator franchise and, in some ways, the entire Monster in the House sci-fi subgenre. Badlands will be exploring themes and characters that were not present in the earlier films by literally switching the roles of predator and prey, giving its characters room to grow and change as they find themselves in a new situation, and being forced to face moral quandaries, which in the case of Dek, may revolve around redemption or winning the respect of his people.

The Predator: Badlands will be coming out on November 7, making it one of the final major releases of the year in the sci-fi action genre. More trailers are sure to come and should offer a better glimpse of the action on a larger scale, perhaps giving a more detailed look at what the “unkillable” foe looks like. What is certain is that this is the first Predator movie in many years that is more than likely to hit theaters. As for what the November 7 release will be, we will have to wait and see until the movie premieres.