Release Date: November 7, 2025 (United States) Director: Dan Trachtenberg (known for Prey and 10 Cloverfield Lane) Cast: Elle Fanning (Thia), Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi (Dek), Mike Homik Genre: Science Fiction, Action, Horror Studio: 20th Century Studios
Overview and Plot
Predator: Badlands is the ninth installment in the Predator franchise and marks a significant shift in perspective, making the Predator the central protagonist and an underdog.
The film is set in the future on a remote, deadly planet, where a young Predator named Dek has been exiled from his clan. Stripped of advanced technology like the cloaking device and shoulder cannon, Dek is forced to prove his worth in the savage wastelands.
The central narrative revolves around Dek's quest to hunt an "unkillable creature" known as the Kalisk. Along his treacherous journey, he forms an improbable and necessary alliance with Thia (played by Elle Fanning), a severed and stranded synthetic (robot) from the Weyland-Yutani corporation.
The movie explores the culture and vulnerabilities of the Yautja (Predator) species like never before, positioning Dek as an antihero the audience can root for as he faces rogue Predators, mutated beasts, and a monstrous hybrid in his fight for survival and honor.
Significance
Director Dan Trachtenberg has noted that Predator: Badlands builds on the franchise's lore and aims to connect with the original films, stating that it's meant to be to The Terminator what Prey was to T2 (an inverted reference to the structure of the Alien franchise).
The film has been released to positive reviews, praising its world-building and its unique approach to the title monster as a protagonist.
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