Disney has wasted no time putting its stamp on the Predator franchise. Since acquiring 20th Century Fox in 2019, the studio has moved quickly — from 2022’s Prey to this year's feature-length animated anthology Killer of Killers, and now, Predator: Badlands, which opened this week to strong reviews from audiences and critics.
Directed by Dan Trachtenberg, the new film doesn’t just reinvent the series — it could be the foundation for a new, interconnected sci-fi universe.
Set far in the future, Badlands follows Dek, a young Yautja outcast played by Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, who embarks on a dangerous rite of passage across an alien planet. Alongside a damaged android named Thia (Elle Fanning) and a small alien creature he adopts as a companion, Dek learns about honor, family, and survival.
It’s a softer, more introspective take on Predator — and one that leaves the door wide open for sequels and spinoffs.
Related: The Canceled Disney Alien Vs. Predator Land: What Could Have Been
The film’s focus on Yautja culture and internal conflict lays fertile ground for deeper world-building, with its use of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation from the Alien franchise being the one most likely to form the backbone of future installments. Trachtenberg has said new Predator stories should ideally explore uncharted territory for the franchise, and Badlands certainly achieves that — not by adding more gore, but by adding more lore.
Recent projects have already expanded the scope. Prey (2022) was a streaming phenomenon, Killer of Killers introduced the Predator franchise’s first animated entry, and Marvel’s Predator: Badlands comic arrives this month. Taken together, it’s clear that Disney and 20th Century Studios see longevity here.
If Star Wars has long been Disney’s legacy sci-fi brand, Predator now feels like its next frontier — one that’s leaner, more flexible, and arguably better received.
Predator: Badlands is in theaters now. Watch the trailer below:
Disney's official synopsis reads: “Predator: Badlands, which stars Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, is set in the future on a remote planet, where a young Predator (Schuster-Koloamatangi), outcast from his clan, finds an unlikely ally in Thia (Fanning) and embarks on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary.”
Have you seen Predator: Badlands? Do you think Disney is trying its luck in another faraway galaxy? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below!
