For almost forty years, the Predator franchise has stalked the imaginations of moviegoers, evolving from a simple jungle thriller into a sprawling science fiction saga. Now, with the highly anticipated release of Predator: Badlands set for November 7, 2025, the series is poised for another dramatic reinvention. But how did we get here? And what makes this latest chapter so different from all that came before?
The saga began in 1987 with John McTiernan’s Predator, a film that set the tone for everything that followed. Audiences were introduced to the Yautja, an alien species whose advanced technology—thermal vision, cloaking devices, and plasma weaponry—made them the ultimate hunters. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Dutch and his team of commandos, sent on a rescue mission in the fictional jungles of Val Verde, quickly found themselves prey to a creature that killed not out of malice, but for sport. According to The Direct, the jungle was more than just a setting; it was an adversary, stripping the soldiers of their strength and forcing Dutch to survive by outsmarting the Predator, exploiting its one weakness: heat.
Three years later, Predator 2 (1990) took a bold risk, trading the steamy rainforests for the urban chaos of Los Angeles during a blistering heatwave. This time, the Yautja stalked not soldiers, but gangsters, police officers, and civilians, turning the city into a new kind of hunting ground. LAPD officer Mike Harrigan, played by Danny Glover, became the unlikely hero who tracked the Predator back to its ship and used the alien’s own Smart Disc to defeat it. As reported by The Direct, the sequel also deepened the franchise’s lore, hinting that the Yautja had been visiting Earth for centuries, collecting trophies from the planet’s fiercest warriors.
The franchise continued to expand its mythology with entries like Predator: Killer of Killers, an animated feature that stands out for its unique structure. Set across three different time periods—841 B.C., 1629, and 1942—it introduced viewers to a Viking, a Japanese samurai, and a World War II mechanic, each of whom managed to slay a Yautja. In a twist, these victorious humans were revealed to have been abducted by the Predators and placed in cryosleep, only to be awakened and forced to fight each other for the Yautja’s entertainment. Co-director Joshua Wassung confirmed to The Direct that, while the Yautja cannot time-travel, their penchant for collecting worthy adversaries has major implications for the franchise’s future.
In 2022, the franchise returned to its roots with Prey, a critically acclaimed prequel set in 1719 on the Great Plains. The film follows Naru, a resourceful Comanche woman played by Amber Midthunder, who uses her wits and the Predator’s own technology to defeat her otherworldly foe. The Direct notes that Naru’s story doesn’t end with her victory; a mid-credits scene in Predator: Killer of Killers suggests she is among those captured by the Yautja, her fate left tantalizingly unresolved.
The early 2000s brought a pair of crossover films—AVP: Alien vs. Predator and Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem—which pitted the Yautja against their only rivals in the galaxy, the Xenomorphs. While some fans debate their canonical status due to inconsistencies involving Weyland-Yutani, these entries expanded the universe by introducing team-ups between humans and Predators and even a hybrid “Predalien.”
2010’s Predators marked a fresh direction, dropping a group of elite killers onto a mysterious alien planet—essentially a massive game preserve for the Yautja. This film explored the blood feud between different Predator factions, including the introduction of “Super Predators,” and was the first live-action entry where humans fought back on a world other than Earth. The Direct describes it as a “bold new chapter,” emphasizing the shifting power dynamics between hunter and hunted.
Fast forward to 2018’s The Predator, where the U.S. government’s secret capture of a Yautja leads to chaos. The alien escapes, leaving a trail of bodies, but the real shocker comes at the end: the Predator had arrived not to conquer, but to deliver the “Predator Killer” armor, humanity’s last line of defense against an impending Yautja invasion. The fate of Quinn (Boyd Holbrook), who dons the suit, remains unresolved, leaving fans speculating about future storylines.
All roads now lead to Predator: Badlands, the ninth film in the franchise and arguably its most ambitious. Arriving in theaters on November 7, 2025, the film is set on the brutal planet Genna—described by early reports as the most dangerous world in the universe. For the first time, the story centers not on humans, but on a young Predator named Dek and an android warrior named Thia, portrayed by Elle Fanning. According to The Direct and other early sources, Dek must prove himself to his clan by hunting the “unkillable beast,” but the real twist is that he’s the one being hunted. The film also features the first-ever team-up between a Weyland-Yutani synth and a Yautja, hinting at deep connections to the broader Alien universe.
Director Dan Trachtenberg, who previously helmed Prey, returns to push the boundaries of the franchise even further. He has promised a deep dive into Yautja culture, exploring their moral codes, internal rivalries, and even their vulnerabilities. Notably, Trachtenberg has debunked rumors of a Xenomorph appearance in Predator: Badlands, but some fans remain convinced that a surprise cameo could set the stage for another epic crossover.
Perhaps the boldest move of all: Predator: Badlands features no human leads, telling the story entirely from the Predator’s perspective. As reported by The Direct, this marks a radical departure from previous entries, inviting audiences to empathize with a character who has long been viewed as an implacable threat. By flipping the script and making the hunter the hunted, the franchise challenges viewers to rethink everything they thought they knew about the Yautja.
With its intricate timeline spanning from 841 B.C. to the far future, its ever-expanding cast of characters, and its willingness to reinvent itself with each new chapter, the Predator franchise remains as unpredictable as ever. As Predator: Badlands prepares to hit theaters, fans both old and new are left with one burning question: what happens when the ultimate hunter becomes the prey?
