Hunters Gather for Predator's Return at SDCC 2025
In a thrilling revelation at San Diego Comic-Con 2025, the upcoming Predator film, Predator: Badlands, took centre stage. Director Dan Trachtenberg and stars Elle Fanning and Dan Trachtenberg themselves presented the film, promising a fresh and emotional take on the Predator franchise.
The film's protagonist, a young Predator named Dek, is set to challenge the norms of the Predator universe. Dek, who experiences scrutiny in the opening scene, is an underdog pushing himself to prove others wrong and find self-worth. The first 15 minutes of the film, revealed at SDCC, showcase a desert planet where Dek engages in a sword fight and honor-driven conflict with his brother Quay inside a cave. Their relationship is emotionally nuanced, displaying rivalry mixed with hidden affection, establishing an emotional core focused on family and honor among the Yautja.
Trachtenberg aims to change the trend in the Predator films where Predators typically die at the end by making a Predator the central character. This shift in perspective is part of Trachtenberg's strategy to add emotional resonance to the Predator franchise, an approach he has already demonstrated in Predator: Killer of Killers, particularly in the Shield and The Sword chapters.
The film also hints at a potential future crossover with the Alien franchise. However, Trachtenberg is taking a subtle and elegant approach to integration, avoiding the pitfall of "smashing action figures together." For now, the series remains separate from the Aliens, prioritizing character and story development before any crossover event.
Interestingly, Arnold Schwarzenegger's iconic character Dutch may return in Predator: Badlands, although details are scarce at this point. The film also offers new insights into the Predator species' maturation process and a family dynamic among them.
Predator: Badlands represents an "inversion" of previous Predator stories with a futuristic setting and more emotional depth, inspired partly by video game narratives. The film promises to be a significant addition to the Predator franchise, offering a layered depiction of Predator family dynamics and a carefully crafted approach to linking the Predator universe with Alien in the future.
The next Predator film, Predator: Badlands, is set to release in a few months, promising an exciting journey into the Predator universe. Stay tuned for more updates!
[1] SDCC 2025: First 15 minutes of Predator: Badlands revealed [2] Predator: Badlands - A new direction for the franchise [3] Predator: Badlands - A focus on family and honor [4] Predator: Badlands - The potential crossover with Alien
- The upcoming movie, Predator: Badlands, shown at SDCC 2025, departs from the traditional Predator movies by making a Predator the central character, providing a fresh perspective on the franchise, as demonstrated in previous works like Predator: Killer of Killers.
- Alongside the typical action, Predator: Badlands delves into the world of Predators, offering a more emotional narrative centered around family and honor, much like the plot of a well-crafted book or a compelling movie-TV series entitled 'movies-and-tv'.
- For fans of science-fiction and fantasy, Predator: Badlands offers a captivating storyline that might pave the way for a potential crossover with the Alien franchise, setting the stage for an exciting blend of two famous entertainment universes.
