TRAILER:
The surprise hitĀ PreyĀ helped revitalize the strugglingĀ PredatorĀ franchise in 2022, and now the intergalactic hunter is returning in another standalone movie calledĀ Badlands. TheĀ PredatorĀ franchise first launched with the release of the eponymous film in 1987, which saw mercenaries on a rescue mission in South America who take on an alien creature that hunts them for sport. Besides being a hit Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle,Ā PredatorĀ also had clear franchise potential that filmmakers couldn’t leave alone for the last three decades.
The follow-up,Ā Predator 2, was released in 1990 and was largely reviled by critics even though itĀ introduced new lore about the PredatorĀ that is still part of the series today. Most notably, the sequel teased a crossover with theĀ AlienĀ franchise, which culminated in various games, movies, and comic books on the subject. Two failed sequels in the 2010s nearly spelled doom for the beloved ’80s icon, but 2022’sĀ PreyĀ showed that the beleaguered property still had legs. Therefore, another standalone film is officially in the works, andĀ BadlandsĀ could replicateĀ Prey‘s success.
Elle Fanning In Talks To Star
Though news regarding the upcoming movie has been scant, the latest update confirms thatĀ Elle Fanning is in talks to star inĀ Badlands. The child-star turned bona fide Hollywood hitmaker has recently turned heads as Catherine the Great in the anachronistic historical seriesĀ The Great, andĀ she is reportedly set to lead the nextĀ PredatorĀ movie. Nothing is known about the nature of Fanning’s role, and her involvement in the project hasn’t been verified by the studio or anyone making the film.
Badlands Is Confirmed
The Predator Returns In Another Standalone Film
Announced around the same time asĀ Prey 2,Ā it was officially confirmed in February 2024 that a standaloneĀ PredatorĀ movie calledĀ BadlandsĀ was in the works. Though little is known about the film’s story,Ā PreyĀ director Dan Trachtenberg will return to helm the project. A timeline also hasn’t been established for the latestĀ PredatorĀ movie, but it will be released before the recently announcedĀ Prey 2. Scant story hints suggest it won’t have any connection toĀ PreyĀ and will instead let the vicious alien hunter loose in another time and place.
Who Is Making Badlands?
Dan Trachtenberg Returns To Direct
Becoming something of the de facto face of the burgeoningĀ PredatorĀ rebirth in the 2020s,Ā Dan Trachtenberg is once again attached to direct after the smashing success ofĀ Prey, the film he also helmed. Patrick Aison penned the script forĀ Prey, and he developed the story alongside Trachtenberg. At this juncture, it is not known if Aison will be back forĀ Badlands.Ā Still, it would be a logical choice considering the obvious emphasis on continuity behind the camera in the newestĀ PredatorĀ movies.
The New Predator Movie Title Hints It Might Be Connected To Prey
The title for the next chapter in the Predator franchise may reveal a connection to the franchise’s highly successful most recent entry.
Badlands Cast Details
Elle Fanning Is Attached To Star
Fanning continues the franchise’s shift toward female leads that proved to be so successful in 2022’sĀ PreyĀ .
Like so much of the rest of the movie,Ā the cast ofĀ BadlandsĀ is also being largely kept under wraps, and it’s very likely that the casting process is still ongoing. One major name attached to the project is that ofĀ Elle Fanning who will reportedly lead the nextĀ PredatorĀ movie. Unfortunately, no details have been revealed about Fanning’s potential character, and since story details are also unknown, its impossible to even speculate. Fanning continues the franchise’s shift toward female leads that proved to be so successful in 2022’sĀ Prey.
Amber Midthunder starred inĀ PreyĀ as Naru.
Badlands Story Details
Where Will The Predator Hunt Next?
The beautiful part ofĀ theĀ PredatorĀ franchiseĀ is that the Yautja can appear at any place and any time because they have been a space-faring species for centuries if not millennia.Ā PreyĀ saw them arrive in North America during the early 18th century, and previous installments saw them take on modern-day Earth. Director Dan Trachtenberg has only offered teases about the plot ofĀ Badlands, butĀ it will likely take place sometime in the future.
PreyĀ took the Predator farther back in the timeline than ever before, andĀ BadlandsĀ could do the opposite by seeing how the Yautja hunt humans in the distant futureĀ when they are more technologically advanced. It could be thatĀ BadlandsĀ intends to pay off many of the ideas established inĀ Predator 2,Ā which offered a pseudo-futuristic look at Los Angeles.
