For the first time in years, a new live-action Predator movie has been announced — and it’s one with a completely different approach to the traditional film franchise. Today (January 17), 20th Century Studios released the first teaser trailer for the upcoming feature film, officially titled Predator: Badlands. With Predator: Prey’s filmmaker Dan Trachtenberg back in the director’s chair, the teaser gives us our first look at a non-human lead in the series as it follows a young Predator exile named Dek.

The movie’s unique perspective on the Predator universe has been building fan excitement as we near the release date. Set on the Predator’s home planet (as well as other locations), Predator: Badlands finds our titular young Predator hunting alongside Thia, a human-like android played by Elle Fanning. The trailer teases some sci-fi worldbuilding as the film delves into this new perspective, promising an interesting update to the franchise.

We’ll be using that teaser to build out an analysis of what to expect from the film itself, so let’s dive in.

The Badlands Story — Predator or Prey?

Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi stars in the role of a young Predator named Dek, who is also serving as the film’s protagonist. According to early reports on the film, Dek is a young Predator outcast who has been exiled by his species.

It’s not entirely clear why Dek has become a pariah among his kind. In the Predator films, these creatures are renowned for their superior strength, technology, and hunting prowess — with their primary values being their pride and honor. Dek’s story may explore his fight to redeem himself in the eyes of his species. And in a reversal of most Predator film stories, it could be that he’s on the hunt to prove himself to his people.

Prey’s Dan Trachtenberg is bringing his directorial skills to Predator: Badlands, and he’ll be sharing the writing duties on the feature with Patrick Aison and Ben Ketai. The film is also set to include a heavy focus on the lore of the Predator species, as Dek will be communicating in Yautja, the in-universe Predator language.

Elle Fanning’s Weyland-Yutani Robot

Elle Fanning is taking a big step back from human characters, as her role in Predator: Badlands will see her playing Thia, an android and humanoid created by Weyland-Yutani. It’s clear from the trailer that Thia is a highly capable combat unit, as she’s shown expertly wielding both guns and blades while stalking her prey with mechanical precision.

Weyland-Yutani is also a real-world Easter egg for fans of the Alien films, as they’re a corporation that first appeared in Ridley Scott’s classic 1979 science fiction movie. In those films, they’re the greedy manufacturers behind all of the film’s androids (including the Nostromo’s USSC). The latest trailer also features a shout-out to the Alien series, as Thia is seen with a copy of Alien: Covenant on a bookshelf in one scene.

Predator: Badlands Teaser Trailer Reveals “Ultimate Adversary”

The first official teaser from the film also drops a tease of the main villain that the duo will be up against. Dubbed as “the ultimate adversary,” the enemy is said to be a creature that “can’t be killed.” For a second, we see the mysterious antagonist in the teaser trailer, although it’s difficult to say what it is. The brief shot of the monster shows that it’s a large and shadowy creature that may look more like a kaiju than an Alien-style threat. The film may be blending real science fiction mythos with in-universe Easter eggs, as there are real monsters in our world that are considered to be “unkillable.”

The first Predator: Badlands trailer is available to watch right now on 20th Century Studios’ YouTube channel, and the new movie will be released in theaters on November 7, 2024. There will likely be more details released before then, so keep an eye on this space for new info.