It goes without saying that the original Predator is one of the greatest action films ever made, as it proved John McTiernan’s merit as a filmmaker and secured Arnold Schwarzenegger’s status as the definitive action movie star of his generation. Although these key collaborators would never work on another Predator film ever again, the franchise managed to continue with several sequels, a prequel, and two crossovers with the Alien franchise. 2025 is set to be a big year for Predator fans, as director Dan Trachtenberg revealed that there will be an animated film, as well as a new live-action installment titled Predator: Badlands, which takes place on an alien planet. Trachtenberg certainly proved his merit with the excellent Hulu prequel Prey, but Predator: Badlands is set to be the first installment in the series told from the creature’s point of view.

The ‘Predator’ Franchise Keeps Changing

While the notion of a monster movie where the creature is the hero is certainly creative, the Predator franchise has always managed to change things up, for better or worse. Instead of returning to the jungle, Predator 2 turned the series into a gritty cop thriller, with Danny Glover offering a very different type of hero compared to Schwarzaneggar’s performance as Dutch in the original film. While Predators had a very similar story to the original Predator, the film notably focused on a group of convicted criminals, rather than heroic soldiers. The Predator was met with relatively disastrous reviews, but the snarky sense of humor that Shane Black added to the film certainly made it distinct. The only Predator films that could be accused of being creatively bankrupt are Alien vs. Predator and Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem, and that’s because the Predator itself is largely overshadowed by the Xenomorph.

Related Dan Trachtenberg Faces Off With the ‘Predator’ in ‘Badlands’ BTS Image Elle Fanning stars in the next installment of the franchise.

Prey became the best film in the series since the original because it returned to the roots of the series as a survivalist story. Even though the original Predator is a work of science fiction, it is a fairly obvious metaphor for the Vietnam War, as the American soldiers are forced to become primal in order to survive amidst a hostile environment in which all notions of chivalry have been erased. By exploring the struggles that the Comanche warrior Naru (Amber Midthunder) experiences as she has to protect her people from a hostile invading force, Prey was able to examine the experiences of the American indigenous people in the wake of European colonizers. Considering that Trachtenberg proved with both Prey and the surprisingly excellent 10 Cloverfield Lane that he could invert the perceived “villains” of a franchise, there is a lot of reason to believe that Predator: Badlands will be a creative success.

‘Predator: Badlands’ Has a Lot of Potential

Predator: Badlands has the opportunity to reshape the entire franchise, as there has never been any specific motivations granted to the creature itself. By showing what life is like on the homeworld of the Predators, Trachtenberg’s new film may be able to examine the other, more ruthless creatures that exist within the science fiction universe. The other films have established that the Predators attempt to hunt humans, which seems like it is inherited from a tradition within their culture. Predator: Badlands should be able to explore the origins of these practices, and allow viewers to understand why these seemingly ruthless actions are actually vital to these creatures’ survival.

The news that there are two different installments in the series coming out next year signifies that the Predator franchise will continue to be experimental, which indicates that it has a bright future ahead of it. The original Predator is one of the rare action movies that can be called perfect, so the only way for the series to not feel like a step down is to do something radically different. It speaks to Trachtenberg’s creative integrity that he saw the success of Prey as justification to take another wild creative swing, rather than double down on his previous success. The only drawback to Prey is that the film ditched a theatrical release and premiered directly on Hulu. Given the enthusiasm that the franchise has now earned, it will be a great experience to witness the madness of Predator: Badlands on the biggest screen possible.

Prey is streaming on Hulu in the United States.

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Your changes have been saved Prey Naru, a skilled warrior of the Comanche Nation, fights to protect her tribe against one of the first highly-evolved Predators to land on Earth.Release Date August 5, 2022 Director Dan Trachtenberg Cast Amber Midthunder , Dane DiLiegro , Harlan Blayne Kytwayhat , Dakota Beavers Runtime 99 minutes Main Genre Sci-Fi Writers Patrick Aison Expand