The hunt is on, but not in the way fans may expect. Predator: Badlands, the next entry in the long-running franchise, will put an unlikely partnership into focus, featuring lead actor Elle Fanning‘s character and, well, none other than the alien hunter itself.
Taking to the stage at CinemaCon 2025, the Maleficient star dropped an interesting nugget of information about the latter’s new characterisation. “Something unprecedented happens in this movie, and my character is not the one being chased,” she shared. “My character actually teams up with the Predator, and you get to see him in a whole new light.”
The tease comes after director Dan Trachtenberg confirmed that the Predator will step into the main role, challenging the conventional hero archetype and the series’ human protagonist tradition.
“The creature is front and centre, leading the charge,” he said last November. “He’s still badass. but there’s something there that touches you emotionally, too. Creating a character you connect with, but are also super-intimidated by, has been challenging. But exciting.”
Predator: Badlands is set to hit theatres on 7 November 2025, replacing the highly-anticipated reboot of Marvel Studios’ Blade. It picks up after Prey, the prequel to the first four movies in the franchise (Predator, Predator 2, Predators, and The Predator), and is one of the two Predator films due out this year.
Details for the second project remain under wraps, but fans can expect more works moving forward, including a different Alien vs. Predator crossover and a rumoured animation anthology film. It’s also encouraging that Predator: Badlands will feature a female lead, following in the footsteps of Amber Midthunder’s outing in the 2022 film.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
