Predator: Badlands is the seventh film in the Predator series, but it stands out from the others in a key way.
The first Predator movie came out in 1987, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as he fought the alien creature in a jungle in Central America.
The series continued with sequels and stories set earlier in the timeline, plus a couple of movies that pitted Alien against Predator. These installments took the action to various locations, including entirely new planets.
This week brings us Predator: Badlands, a film that has a unique connection to the Alien universe and also breaks new ground for the Predator franchise.
Predator: Badlands doesn’t feature humans
All of the Predator films released so far—including Predator, Predator 2, Predators, The Predator, Prey, and Predator: Killer of Killers—center around humans fighting the creatures, who hunt for trophies.
Badlands is unique because it doesn’t include any people. The story centers on a lone hunter who joins forces with an artificial being to accomplish a task on a perilous world.
The planet teems with monsters of all kinds, and they’re constantly trying to harm the two unlikely companions. Strangely, there are no humans to be found anywhere.
Dan Trachtenberg, the director behind Badlands, Prey, and Killer of Killers, shared that the idea of a Predator story focused entirely on the creature itself, with no human characters, was always the core concept for the film.
Dan Trachtenberg originally wanted to bring Amber Midthunder back for ‘PREDATOR: BADLANDS’
— ScreenTime (@screentime) November 3, 2025
Even though the movie doesn’t feature any humans, the connection between the hunter, Dek, and the android, Thia, is based on the dynamics seen in films focused on human relationships. Director Trachtenberg specifically mentioned the comedies Midnight Run and the western True Grit as inspirations for their action-packed partnership.
Badlands is the first film in the series to be rated PG-13 instead of R. Director Trachtenberg explained that because the movie features fewer human characters, he had more freedom to include intense content while still maintaining the lower rating.
Director Trachtenberg explained to Bloody Disgusting that because the movie doesn’t feature any humans, there’s no human blood. He believes this will actually work in the film’s favor.
The director explained they’ll push the limits of what’s possible, aiming for impressively disturbing visuals, but using colors beyond just red.
The new movie, Badlands, hits theaters this Friday, November 7th, 2025. It’s a unique take on the Predator story, featuring a Predator as the main character, and audiences will soon see if this approach works. While you wait, check out how characters from the Alien vs. Predator universe might react to a Predator, and explore how Badlands could confirm a long-held theory connecting Prey and Alien.
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2025-11-03 20:19