20th Century Studios is charting an ambitious path forward, capitalising on the success of its Predator and Alien franchises with a slew of new projects that promise to expand and enrich these iconic universes. Studio president Steve Asbell recently shared a host of insights with The Hollywood Reporter about the exciting cinematic ventures on the horizon.
The revival of the Predator franchise began with Prey, a film that transported viewers back to colonial times and followed a young Comanche woman’s fierce battle with both a Predator and French fur traders. Asbell expressed enthusiasm about the film’s success, noting, “Yes, a Predator movie will have a theatrical. I’ll tell you very simply. After Prey became a success, Dan [Trachtenberg] came back and said he didn’t want to do Prey 2. And we’re like, “What do you want to do?” And he rattled off a bunch of ideas that were really crazy but really cool. We’ve actually done two of them. Two are coming out next year.”
One of these movies, Predator: Badlands, is a project starring Elle Fanning and described by Asbell as “an absolutely bonkers idea.” He elaborated, “It is a sci-fi thing, but it’s not what everybody thinks it is. And I mean, it’s awesome. It is so nuts. But in Dan [Trachtenberg], we trust.” The film recently wrapped production in New Zealand and is scheduled for a theatrical release on 7 November 2025.
Intriguingly, Asbell also revealed that another Predator project is in the works, slated for release before Badlands. Details remain under wraps, but he hinted at its unconventional approach: “There’s a second Predator movie that we have different plans for. Dan has actually directed both. It will come out before the theatrical one but I can’t say anything about yet.”
The conversation also veered into the possibility of rekindling the Aliens vs. Predator narrative. Asbell teased, “Probably,” adding, “It wouldn’t be in the way you think. That’s the thing. Not in the way that it will just be called Alien vs. Predator or anything like the original movies. If we do this, they’ll be organically created out of these two franchises that we’ve continued with characters that we fall in love with and those characters will combine…perhaps. But we haven’t gotten to that point. And we’re not just going to bang it out.”
Asbell’s discussion extended beyond these franchises, touching on plans for an Alien: Romulus sequel, a Master and Commander prequel, and even the possibility of Speed 3.
With such dynamic leadership and a clear focus on innovative storytelling, 20th Century Studios seems poised to continue its legacy of delivering compelling and thought-provoking cinematic experiences. Fans of these franchises have much to anticipate as the studio explores new narratives and redefines what it means to be a blockbuster in the modern era.
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 Sylus from Love and Deepspace.
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