Predator Just Had Its Best Year Ever & Its Future Is Now Uncertain

by

Disney and 20th Century have brought the Predator franchise back to life in recent years. Since 2022, three well-received movies, directed by Dan Trachtenberg, have been released. Prey especially generated renewed interest in the Yautja and their hunts across different times and places.

The Predator franchise began in 1987 with Arnold Schwarzenegger’s first encounter with the alien creatures, but its future seemed uncertain after the 2018 film didn’t do well. Director Trachtenberg revitalized the series with a thrilling new installment, hinting at exciting possibilities. However, the series’ future is now unclear, especially at a difficult moment for its continued success.

2025 Was The Best Year Ever For The Predator Franchise

Courtesy Of Weta FX

While Prey is a fantastic film and has helped revive interest in the Predator series – many consider it the best Predator movie yet – the franchise actually had its biggest year recently thanks to director Trachtenberg. He released both Predator: Killer of Killers on Hulu and Predator: Badlands in cinemas, creating a successful dual release strategy.

Killer of Killers is an animated movie featuring multiple stories of humans battling the Yautja (Predators) throughout history. These stories eventually connect in a final showdown. The film was a huge hit with critics, earning a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Plus, the post-credits scene generated a lot of buzz and successfully expanded the Predator universe in exciting new directions.

I was so hyped when Badlands dropped a few months later! It was the first movie in the series to really focus on a Yautja’s story, which was awesome. Trachtenberg did it again – gave us something totally new. Not just with Dek’s character, but by bringing in Weyland-Yutani from Alien – that was a brilliant move I didn’t see coming!

By the end of Predator: Badlands, director Trachtenberg hints at exciting possibilities for future installments. He’s been developing several storylines within the Predator universe, and it seems they’re all leading towards one big crossover movie. His work established a definite path forward for the series.

As long as he remained involved, everyone was certain the future of Predator was secure. With Badlands becoming the highest-grossing film in the franchise, it seemed inevitable that Disney and 20th Century would quickly approve another movie for director Trachtenberg to work on.

Dan Trachtenberg’s New Career Move Makes Predator’s Future Unclear

Instead of continuing to work on Predator with Disney, director Dan Trachtenberg has made a deal with Paramount Pictures. For the next three years, he’ll be working directly with Paramount to direct, produce, and develop new film projects.

The challenge with continuing the Predator franchise lies in the exclusive agreement Trachtenberg just signed with Paramount. This deal means he’ll be focusing on projects for Paramount for the next three years, preventing him from working with other studios like Disney. If Trachtenberg intends to honor this commitment, it might limit his ability to direct future Predator films.

Trachtenberg’s new deal with Paramount might not prevent him from working on other projects. J.J. Abrams had a similar deal with Paramount and still directed Star Wars films for Disney. This means Trachtenberg could potentially continue making Predator movies, though Paramount projects will likely be his main focus now.

If the agreement with Paramount stops him from working on the Predator series for three years, it’s unclear if Disney will wait for him to return or choose a different director. It’s possible Disney and Paramount have already discussed a plan, perhaps allowing the franchise to rest after 2025, which would free him up to pursue this new deal.

If that wasn’t the reason, then things start to seem concerning. Did Badlands simply not earn enough money to justify Disney continuing to invest in it? Or were there disagreements about how the project should be developed creatively?

Given how well Dan Trachtenberg did with Predator, I’m hoping he continues to lead the franchise creatively, even if it means a wait of around three years until Paramount’s contract expires.

Read More

2026-02-07 00:39