Somewhere between the shriek of a xenomorph and the sonic boom of a Harvester lies Predator: Badlands, a crossover tease decades in the making. The newest trailer for 20th Century Studios’ upcoming sci-fi thriller dropped recently, and in just over a minute, it has set off a storm of speculation. At the heart of the buzz? Weyland-Yutani logos, potential Independence Day trophies, and the clearest signal yet that this isn’t just another solo outing for the galaxy’s favourite hunter.
A blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment confirms what many eagle-eyed viewers suspected: Elle Fanning’s character, Thia, is a synthetic — a humanoid android created by the same shady conglomerate that built Ash, Bishop, and David in the Alien films. A flash of Weyland-Yutani branding in her eyes (as seen above) cements her origins, while glimpses of corporate vehicles further ground the film in the Alien universe. That link alone is enough to get fans re-evaluating timelines and canon, especially since Predator: Badlands becomes the first film since 2007’s Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem to make overt connections between the two franchises.
But that’s not all. In a scene pulled straight from Predator lore, a trophy wall aboard a ship displays a collection of skulls and bones. One of them might belong to a Harvester, the hulking alien species from 1996’s Independence Day. While no official confirmation has been made, its prominent placement hints that this is more than a throwaway Easter egg. It’s a tantalising hint that the film could quietly lay the groundwork for an expanded shared universe — or at the very least, indulge in the kind of fan service that inspires Reddit theories for years.
At the centre of Predator: Badlands is the unlikely pairing of Dek, a young Predator played by Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, and Thia, the Weyland-Yutani synthetic portrayed by Fanning. Outcast by his clan, Dek finds himself on a remote planet in the future, driven by a need to find the ultimate adversary. Thia becomes his unlikely partner on that journey, and together, they navigate a hostile world filled with predators, prey, and secrets that might reshape what fans know about the universe they inhabit. With director Dan Trachtenberg involved once again following the success of Prey, anticipation is running high for a fresh take that blends mythology with modern sci-fi.
Whether the film merely nods to Alien and Independence Day or sets up something more expansive remains to be seen. For now, Predator: Badlands is shaping up to be more than just a return to form — it could be a quiet revolution for a franchise that’s long hunted for its next evolution. Audiences will find out how far it dares to go when it lands in cinemas on 7 November.
Natalie is a big fan of anything related to movies, TV shows, and anime — you name it. When she’s not reading or being a dedicated cinephile, she’s probably playing gacha and tabletop games, or daydreaming of Caleb from Love and Deepspace.
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