A new live-action Predator movie isn’t a surprise, per se. It’s not the first film in the franchise to hit theaters in over a decade either, and it’s also not a prequel or reboot for the massively popular monster. But for what it’s worth, Predator: Badlands looks like a truly unconventional take on the lore. Released as the first teaser trailer this morning by 20th Century Studios, the film flips the franchise’s eponymous monster into the hero of the story for the first time.

The film, set for release on November 7, follows the story of Dek, a young Predator outcast from his people. Portrayed by Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, Dek is described as the “largest Predator in history” and a protagonist caught in a thrilling fight for survival. In a turn unlike any other in the series, the Predator is partnered with a Weyland-Yutani android named Thia (Elle Fanning) to take on “the ultimate adversary” — “a foe that can’t be killed.” Footage from the upcoming teaser shows what appears to be an unkillable behemoth of an alien monster — yet to be seen in the Predator or Alien filmographies.

As for Dek, the Predator teaser also makes it pretty clear that his world will be the most developed the franchise has ever seen. Word on the street has it that part of Badlands will take place on the Predator home planet, which, to the horror/sci-fi audience, is a concept more familiar in fan art than it is in the films. This teaser certainly backs up that rumor, as we see little windows of Predator landscapes and crowded communities at large, and two or more Predators in battle or holding a standoff with their weapons at the ready.

Co-writer and director Dan Trachtenberg, fresh off 2022’s hit Prey, is not one to shy away from worldbuilding either. By stripping down the tale to a small-scale kill-or-be-killed standoff in the 1700s American Great Plains, Badlands is building towards fleshing out Yautja culture and lore more uniquely and vibrantly. From social structure and language to traditions and hierarchy, audiences are in for some expanded looks into the ways of the Predator.

In addition, Fanning’s android character Thia appears to be a highlight from the material as well. Cold and efficient in her movements and speech, the human-like android exhibits some edge-of-your-seat moments as her metal edges are softened with charm, wit, and poignancy. This is the first live-action Predator movie to feature androids alongside the titular alien hunters, and for Alien fans who like to hunt for crossovers, the Weyland-Yutani theme in the trailer is also an exciting teaser.

Keep an Eye on the Director

Predator: Badlands’ most exciting returning bit is without a doubt the talent behind it. With Prey finding success not just with fans and critics but with a large, casual audience on Hulu, the new Predator is off to a good start. Trachtenberg is hands-down a major component of that, and the fact that the director has already signed on for Predator: Killer of Killers, an animated series also set to be released on Hulu on June 6 this year.

Trachtenberg’s anthology series, a Predator-hunting compilation set across various times, planets, and alien species, shares some thematic symmetry with Badlands’ look into the species, only multiplied. It’s a step in a great direction for the Predator universe that will, for many, open the floodgates to what was already possible with that particular science-fiction mythos.

As is typical with first trailers, major spoilers are few and far between. The snippets of footage presented in this short teaser do, however, give us enough to chew over. We see Predators with special ceremonial armor fighting each other to the death, Dek trekking stealthily in an open alien world, Thia’s android hands on high-tech blasters, and foggy glimpses of the mysterious “unkillable” beast. In addition to all this, there is a dynamic showcase of a lush and alien-looking environment that could speak to the bigger scope of the film.

The first teaser of Badlands made a strong first impression by announcing right off the bat that the film is not your run-of-the-mill addition to the Predator franchise. With the story put into the perspective of an outcasted Predator and fresh looks into his species at large, there is a clear layer of additional character development and moral complexity at hand. Should the theme of Dek’s fight for survival focus on redemption or self-actualization in front of his community and higher-ups, there’s a good chance the audience will be on his side.

Release and More Trailers

As it stands, Predator: Badlands will hit theaters on November 7 of this year. If historical trends hold, and they always do, there will be another, more involved trailer at some point before release that will be full of extra details, extended plotlines, and massive creature showdowns that are sure to be spectacular. For now, though, the first teaser has served its purpose by raising interest in both veterans of the franchise and those new to the Predator.