Predator: Badlands Teaser Introduces Dek and Thia

A new live-action Predator movie is a rare event — especially one that casts the franchise’s fabled sci-fi monsters in the role of the main protagonist. But today, 20th Century Studios released the first teaser for Predator: Badlands, giving fans their first look at the surprisingly fresh direction for the series’ legendary monster.

Set to star Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi as a young Predator named Dek, who has been cast out of his clan, Badlands also stars Elle Fanning as Thia, a Weyland-Yutani android who becomes Dek’s unlikely ally in battle. The film’s plot centers on the two characters’ struggle against “the ultimate adversary” in the form of a monstrous alien that can’t be killed, according to the official synopsis. After just a brief glimpse in the trailer, this monster appears to be a towering behemoth, unlike anything we’ve seen in Predator or Alien movies to date.

Worldbuilding in Space and on the Predator Home World

Predator: Badlands will be set in the larger Predator/Alien shared universe, but based on early reports and the first teaser, it seems like Badlands will do some significant worldbuilding on its own. One key location is believed to be at least part of the story set on the Predator home world, something that the films have alluded to but never explored in great detail until now. The first teaser gives a few seconds of a new glimpse of that world, with sweeping shots of verdant alien scenery, sprawling Predator settlements, and several Predators involved in high-tension standoffs or brutal fights.

Fans hoping to learn more about the Predator culture can expect to get some of those answers with the release of Badlands, too. Director/co-writer Dan Trachtenberg, best known in the sci-fi/horror world for his work on 2022’s Prey, seems poised to do more worldbuilding with this film than his earlier Prey did, which pared down the story to a stripped-down survivalist cat-and-mouse game set in the 18th-century American Great Plains. In Badlands, Trachtenberg appears to have his sights set on fleshing out Predator traditions, language, and politics as much as the story allows, and judging from the first teaser, fans can expect some welcome new glimpses into the Yautja culture — as well as the franchise’s familiar high-tech weaponry and visceral brutality.

Elsewhere in the trailer, Elle Fanning’s Thia stands out as a source of intrigue in her own right. Her movements and voice are both somewhat eerie and otherworldly, robotic and yet human, with bursts of threat undercut by brief moments of genuine curiosity and emotion. Fans of the Alien franchise, meanwhile, will no doubt be picking through every shot of the android to find as many Easter eggs as they can — this is the first time a Predator movie has featured the alien hunters paired so closely with a human-made robot, and the Weyland-Yutani involvement is sure to be a treat.

Star-Studded Cast and Crew

For all the fresh new direction Badlands has on display, the return of Trachtenberg is one of the film’s major draws. Prey not only managed to recapture critical attention for a tired franchise and reach audiences on Hulu with its unique setting and gritty thrills, but its word-of-mouth and buzz on streaming have only continued to build in the year since it launched. By bringing him back for a sequel, 20th Century Studios shows its confidence in his ability to find a new take on a familiar science fiction mythology and make a film that speaks to fans old and new.

Teaser Details

Taken as a whole, the first teaser may leave fans with more questions than answers, but in addition to the worldbuilding aspects mentioned above, the clip has a lot to unpack. Shown in tight shots, Predators in ceremonial armor fighting each other, Dek sneaking and hunting through alien territory, Thia brandishing a high-tech weapon, and a big, monster-like shadow of the “unkillable” mystery creature the pair will be fighting all point to plot elements that will be developed further.

Crucially, as with its central decision to center the story on a Predator outcast, this teaser also seems to signal that Badlands won’t just be a retread of old Predator films or an entirely predictable twist. This new perspective — in terms of both camera and character — will no doubt change up the series’ formula, and if Dek is on a quest to reclaim his honor or earn respect from his people, then there are already going to be new layers to his story and the moral quandaries faced by his character.

Release Date and Next Steps

The full film will hit theaters on November 7 and is now one of the major sci-fi action films set to wrap up the year in cinemas. In the coming weeks and months, fans can expect a second and potentially multiple trailers, teasing out new plot points, larger-scale set pieces, and hopefully a closer look at the massive, “unkillable” mystery creature.

In the meantime, the first teaser has all the groundwork it needs to pique the interest of long-time fans and casual viewers alike and prepare them for the film to come. With Trachtenberg back to direct and great new leads to follow, Badlands is shaping up to be just the kind of shake-up the Predator franchise has been waiting for.

Whether viewers find themselves siding with Dek’s pettle for survival or just come for the fun of watching Predators fight each other against the backdrop of another monster, November is already going to be a great month for hunters of all stripes.