How Predator: Badlands connects to the Alien franchise

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fresh clips from Predator: Badlands were unveiled during San Diego Comic-Con, showcasing an exciting link to extraterrestrial beings, and undeniably connecting the horror series with Star Wars.

At Comic-Con’s Hall H, writer-director Dan Trachtenberg (of Badlands) along with stars Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi showed a 15-minute clip from the movie and shared insights about upcoming events in an interactive session moderated by Kevin Smith.

Following closely behind the recently released animated Predator movie titled “Killer of Killers,” which debuted on Disney+ this year, comes another film. This upcoming movie is “set in a future on a distant planet, where a young Predator, shunned by his tribe, forms an unexpected alliance with Thia and ventures on a perilous quest to find the greatest enemy.

In the production, Fanning portrays the synthetic android Thia, while Schuster-Koloamatangi takes on the role of the Predator named Dek. Their dynamic recalls a friendship from a distinctly unique science fiction series.

Predator odd couple is like Chewbacca and C-3PO

In some parts of “Predator: Badlands,” Thia is carried by Dek, and at a Comic-Con event, director Dan Trachtenberg noted that the dynamic between them resembles the complex affection-antagonism shared by Chewbacca and C-3PO in Star Wars.

The director clarified through Variety, “However, it’s exciting because it’s not Chewbacca. Instead, it’s the Predator we’re dealing with here. He’s not a friendly character you’re trailing; he’s fierce and impressive, truly embodying an anti-hero.

As a die-hard fan, let me share an intriguing revelation I came across: Trachtenberg disclosed an essential distinction between this film and its predecessors regarding our alien hunter, the Predator. Unlike in earlier versions where it was portrayed as a menacing antagonist, in this installment, the Predator steps into the limelight, taking on a more proactive role as a protagonist.

It struck me that it’s unusual for the Predator not to emerge victorious, given their reputation as the most formidable hunter in the cosmos. Therefore, we might see a change in the usual outcome with the Predator succeeding in the Badlands.

Badlands features nods to Alien

Mentioning the central theme of the movie being an android gave Trachtenberg the opportunity to incorporate the Alien corporation Weyland Yutani into the plot. He explained that he desired to weave a tale about both a Predator and a robot, and when he realized he knew someone who created robots, it led to even more exciting ideas.

Host Smith retorted, “Are we heading towards such a pattern? Since you’re known as ‘The Predator guy’, could it be possible that someday you might also be recognized as the ‘Alien vs. Predator guy’ due to your frequent references to Weyland-Yutani?

Trachtenberg replied with a nod, expressing his approval. He then played the initial 15 minutes of the film, as Variety characterizes it.

Trachtenberg agreed and showed us the first part of the movie, as described by Variety.

In this exciting sequence, we’re introduced to Dek, a young Predator and the film’s main character. His elder brother Kwei is preparing him for a mission that will shape his destiny within their Yautja tribe. This sequence, filled with intense combat (not just physical), lays the groundwork for the science fiction tale that unfolds. It promises to be an epic addition to the franchise as Dek embarks on this life-defining journey.

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2025-07-26 12:48