Predator: Badlands connects to the Alien movies in one major way

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The upcoming Predator film, Badlands, has significant ties to the Alien universe.

The connection between the Alien and Predator franchises began in 1989 when Dark Horse Comics created the Alien vs. Predator comic book series.

Because both the Predator and Alien franchises are owned by the same company, 20th Century Fox, a fun Easter egg appeared in the 1990 film Predator 2: an Alien skull was visible aboard a Predator spacecraft.

Okay, so those Alien vs. Predator movies weren’t exactly classics, let’s be honest. But I’m actually getting hopeful! With the recent Predator: Badlands having some Alien stuff in it, it feels like we might finally get a really good take on that crossover idea. Just a heads-up though, I’m about to dive into how and why, so SPOILERS are coming up!

Alien corporation Weyland-Yutani features in Predator: Badlands

Weyland-Yutani is the sinister corporation behind the events in the Alien films, and their secret, harmful agenda is mostly to blame for all the Xenomorph chaos and devastation.

Trailers and images from Predator: Badlands suggest the involvement of the Weyland-Yutani corporation. Their name and logo can be seen on clothing, spacecraft, and computer displays within the film.

Dan Trachtenberg, the writer and director, shared that the concept emerged while he was writing the script, as revealed in a new behind-the-scenes featurette called ‘Weyland-Yutani’ returns.

Director Dan Trachtenberg says that after making the film ‘Prey,’ he began brainstorming his next project. Wearing a ‘Weyland-Yutani’ cap on set, he explains he envisioned a classic adventure story featuring a monster and a robot.

Then it suddenly occurred to me they could use robots, specifically those made by the Weyland-Yutani corporation – you know, the company from the Alien movies, which also has connections to the Predator franchise.

In the Alien and Predator universes, robots are often called “synthetics” or “synths.” We’ll see many more of these robots in Predator: Badlands, and they’ll be doing things differently than before.

New Predator movie features “different kinds of synthetic units”

Interestingly, the Weyland-Yutani logo is even visible in Elle Fanning’s character Thia’s eyes. This, along with other evidence, suggests she works for the Weyland-Yutani Bio-Weapons Division.

I was so excited to hear Dakota Fanning talk about her character! Apparently, Thia is a synthetic – basically, an android – made by the Weyland-Yutani Corporation. What’s really cool is that she’s an expert on the planet they’re on, Genna. She’s been studying it for a long time and has tons of info that Dek, the Predator, can use to his advantage.

Trachtenberg points out that the sound of ‘Badlands’ isn’t just from one synthesizer; it actually uses a variety of different synthetic instruments.

Typically, synthetic beings are designed to appear as part of a human team. However, we’re now facing a large group of them – essentially, robotic hunters built for combat.

Interestingly, the landscape featured in the movie Badlands also appears briefly in some of the first online previews of Predator, further linking the two films.

The screen to the left of the image displays the phrase “Hello MU/TH/UR,” a common greeting used in the Alien films.

MU/TH/UR, often called “Mother,” is the artificial intelligence that controls Weyland-Yutani spacecraft. She first appeared in the 1979 film Alien aboard the USCSS Nostromo.

The ship’s AI, Mother, controls the vessel while the crew is in a deep sleep, waking them up if there’s a problem. Given what usually happens in these situations, it’s likely we should pay close attention to Mother during the Badlands mission.

The new Predator film has several connections to the Alien franchise, but revealing them would spoil key plot points. We’ll share those details after the movie is released on November 7, 2025.

While you wait, you can explore how the characters from Alien Earth might react to an encounter with a Predator here. Or, find out how the events in Predator: Badlands could support theories about both the Predator and Alien franchises here.

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2025-10-31 14:49