# Predator: Badlands

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***Predator: Badlands*** is a 2025 American [science fiction](/source/Science_fiction_film) [action film](/source/Action_film) directed by [Dan Trachtenberg](/source/Dan_Trachtenberg) and written by Patrick Aison from a story by Trachtenberg and Aison. It is the seventh installment in the [*Predator* franchise](/source/Predator_(franchise)) and stars [Elle Fanning](/source/Elle_Fanning) and [Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi](/source/Dimitrius_Schuster-Koloamatangi) in leading roles. The story follows Dek, a young exiled [Yautja](/source/Yautja), who crash-lands on a hostile planet and must prove himself worthy of the hunt by killing an [apex predator](/source/Apex_predator), leading him to form an alliance with Thia, a [Weyland-Yutani Corporation](/source/Weyland-Yutani_Corporation) [android](/source/Android_(robot)).

Following the success of *[Prey](/source/Prey_(2022_film))* (2022), Trachtenberg returned to direct two additional films in the franchise. *Badlands* was announced to be releasing in 2025 after another *Predator* film, which would later turn out to be *[Predator: Killer of Killers](/source/Predator:_Killer_of_Killers)* (2025).

*Predator: Badlands* premiered at the [TCL Chinese Theatre](/source/TCL_Chinese_Theatre) on November 3, 2025, and was released in the United States on November 7, by [20th Century Studios](/source/20th_Century_Studios). The film received generally positive reviews from critics and grossed over $184 million worldwide.

## Plot

Yautja are prey to none. Friend to none. Predator to all.

— —"Yautja Codex 0422/25", *Opening epigraph*

Dek is a [Yautja](/source/Yautja) [runt](/source/Runt) from the Yautja home planet of Yautja Prime. Seeking approval from his father, clan leader Njohrr, Dek plans to hunt the Kalisk, an [apex predator](/source/Apex_predator) on the "death planet" Genna, feared even by Njohrr. Before Dek can leave, Njohrr arrives and orders Dek's brother Kwei to kill him, deeming him too weak for the clan. Defying the order, Kwei activates his ship to transport Dek to Genna, fighting Njohrr only to be defeated and lose an arm; Dek watches helplessly as Njohrr executes Kwei.

Upon crash-landing, Dek faces numerous dangers from Genna's [flora](/source/Flora) and [fauna](/source/Fauna), losing almost all of his gear. He reluctantly allies with Thia, a damaged [Weyland-Yutani](/source/Weyland-Yutani) Corporation android, whose team was destroyed by the Kalisk. Thia offers to help Dek track the Kalisk. Later, they are joined by a friendly creature that Thia names Bud, who marks Dek with her saliva while they are camping out of gratitude to Dek for saving her from a wild beast and feeding her. Dek later reveals to Thia that his father killed Kwei, prompting Thia to teach him about the [wolves](/source/Wolf) on Earth, and that the "alpha" wolf protects the pack, but Dek misunderstands her words and believes he will be the alpha who kills the most. Meanwhile, Thia's "sister," Tessa, is retrieved by Weyland-Yutani androids and repaired at their main base, where she is threatened with decommissioning if she fails her mission, and is told of Dek's presence on Genna and that Thia is with him. Joined by a Weyland-Yutani team, Tessa begins searching for Dek's group, stumbling across his crashed ship and finding his lost equipment—including cryogenic explosives.

After discovering the remains of her team, Thia attempts to repair herself, revealing that the Weyland-Yutani team is on the way as they aim to capture the Kalisk, and urges Dek to flee, saying he cannot kill the Kalisk. Feeling betrayed, Dek challenges the Kalisk alone with only his sword. The two fight, and though Dek manages to sever its head and tail, the Kalisk regenerates itself and subdues him. Unexpectedly, it spares him after smelling him, but the Weyland-Yutani team arrives, and Tessa captures them both after freezing them with the cryogenic explosives.

Tessa congratulates Thia on her successful mission because the Kalisk's regenerative powers could be a miracle for humanity, then begins experimenting on Dek, but Thia intervenes and convinces her that Dek is not ideal. Seeing Thia's emotions as weakness, Tessa slates her for deactivation and orders her boxed up. Regretting selling Dek and the Kalisk out to the Company, Thia helps Dek escape, and Dek comes across Kwei's crashed ship; after healing his wounds and venting out his anger at the death of his brother, he realizes the truth of Thia's words - that an alpha wolf does not kill the most prey, but rather protects its pack members - and uses Genna's natural environment to create improvised weapons, such as explosives and blades, to rescue Thia. While doing so, he reunites with Bud and realizes she is the child of the Kalisk, who had smelled her saliva on him, and decides to rescue the Kalisk as well.

Dek and Bud infiltrate the Weyland-Yutani base, kill most of the guards, and free Thia, who reunites with her severed legs as Dek reveals to her that Bud is Kalisk's child. While Thia and Bud search for the Kalisk, Dek kills the remaining guards before being confronted by Tessa, who pilots a power loader [mech](/source/Mech) and wields Kwei's plasmacaster. The Kalisk, freed by Thia, joins the fight and eventually swallows Tessa alive. After Dek and Bud each share a moment with the Kalisk, Tessa kills the creature with a combination of cryogenic grenades and plasmacaster blasts fired from inside its body, then prepares to kill Thia for her betrayal. As Thia severs ties with her "sister," Dek stabs Tessa to death and reclaims his brother's plasmacaster, while Bud tears off Tessa's head and spine.

Sometime later, Dek returns to Yautja Prime. He presents Tessa's skull to his father as a trophy and demands his own cloaking device as a reward, but Njohrr denies the request and orders his bodyguards to kill Dek. Quickly dispatching the bodyguards, Dek challenges and defeats his father in a duel, cutting off his arm and restraining him with his own trap. Njohrr attempts to barter for his life by offering Dek a place in the clan, claiming he was wrong about him. Dek rejects the offer, having found his own clan with Thia and Bud. An older and larger Bud bites Njohrr's head off, and Dek takes the cloaking device for himself, which a fully repaired Thia congratulates him for. Njohrr's remaining clan members suddenly pull out their weapons just as a large Yautja ship appears from the horizon. As Thia wonders if the ship is friendly, Dek grabs his sword and reveals that it is his mother.

## Cast

Further information: [List of Predator (franchise) characters](/source/List_of_Predator_(franchise)_characters)

- [Elle Fanning](/source/Elle_Fanning) as: - Thia, a damaged [Weyland-Yutani Corporation](/source/Weyland-Yutani) [synthetic](/source/Android_(robot)) who partners with Dek[5] - Tessa, a Weyland-Yutani synthetic and Thia's "sister" who opposes her and Dek[6][5]
- [Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi](/source/Dimitrius_Schuster-Koloamatangi) as Dek, a young [Yautja](/source/Yautja) outcast for being a [runt](/source/Runt)[7]
- [Reuben de Jong](/source/Reuben_de_Jong) as Njohrr, Dek and Kwei's father and leader of their clan, who believes Dek should be [culled](/source/Culling) because he is a runt - Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi as the voice of Njohrr
- [Mike Homik](/source/Mike_Homik) as Kwei, Dek's protective older brother, who helps him prepare for his first hunt - Stefan Grube as the voice of Kwei
- Rohinal Narayan as Bud, a creature of the planet Genna
- Cameron Brown as Smyth and other male Weyland-Yutani drone synthetics
- [Alison Wright](/source/Alison_Wright) as the voice of [MU/TH/UR](/source/MU_/_TH_/_UR), the [A.I.](/source/Artificial_intelligence) overseer of Weyland-Yutani and Tessa's superior

[The Duffer Brothers](/source/Duffer_Brothers) provided the voice of the onboard computer for Kwei's ship. Trachtenberg was originally set to direct [the third episode](/source/Chapter_Three:_The_Turnbow_Trap) of *[Stranger Things 5](/source/Stranger_Things_season_5)*, but was unable to when *Badlands* got [greenlit](/source/Greenlit) for production.[8][9]

## Production

In February 2024, it was revealed that a [standalone film](/source/Standalone_film) in the [*Predator* franchise](/source/Predator_(franchise)) titled *Badlands* was in development, set to be directed by [Dan Trachtenberg](/source/Dan_Trachtenberg), who previously directed and co-wrote the story of *[Prey](/source/Prey_(2022_film))* (2022) and *[Predator: Killer of Killers](/source/Predator:_Killer_of_Killers)* (2025), and co-written by Patrick Aison, who wrote *Prey*.[10] Writers [Brian Duffield](/source/Brian_Duffield), [Bryan Fuller](/source/Bryan_Fuller), [Patrick Somerville](/source/Patrick_Somerville), and Ben Schwartz are credited for "additional literary material (not on-screen)."[11] The director cited stylistic and thematic influences from the works of [Frank Frazetta](/source/Frank_Frazetta) and [Terrence Malick](/source/Terrence_Malick), *[Conan the Barbarian](/source/Conan_the_Barbarian)*, *[Drax the Destroyer](/source/Drax_the_Destroyer)*, the films *[Shane](/source/Shane_(film))* (1953), *[Mad Max 2](/source/Mad_Max_2)* (1981), *[The Book of Eli](/source/The_Book_of_Eli)* (2010), as well as [Clint Eastwood](/source/Clint_Eastwood) Westerns, and the video game *[Shadow of the Colossus](/source/Shadow_of_the_Colossus)* (2005).[7] In June, [Elle Fanning](/source/Elle_Fanning) was in talks to join the film in a [dual role](/source/Dual_role),[12] with her casting confirmed in August.[13]

Drawing influence from the franchise's [expanded universe](/source/Expanded_universe), *Badlands* is intended to be a self-contained entry in the series, set on the Predators' home-world and focusing on the culture of their species.[14][15] To this end, a consistent written and verbal language for the Predators was developed for the film by linguist Britton Watkins.[16][17] In creating the Predator language, Watkins drew influence from previous depictions of the Predators language, but redesigned the language to have consistent rules of grammar: the Predators numerical system was influenced by the self destruct timer in [the original 1987 *Predator* film](/source/Predator_(film)), the written language from symbols seen in *[Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem](/source/Aliens_vs._Predator:_Requiem)* (2007), and their spoken language from a brief depiction in *[The Predator](/source/The_Predator_(film))* (2018).[18] Consideration was also made for the type of sound a Predators mouth design could realistically make, as well as the Predators typical clicking noises.[19][18]

The film adds the terms "Yautja" and "Yautja Prime" to the *Predator* film series to refer to the Predator species and their homeworld, respectively.[7] These terms were introduced in the franchise’s expanded universe, first appearing in the 1994 novel *[Aliens vs. Predator: Prey](/source/Aliens_vs._Predator:_Prey)* authored by [S.D. Perry](/source/S.D._Perry) and [Steve Perry](/source/Steve_Perry_(author)), which itself was a spinoff of the *[Aliens vs. Predator](/source/Aliens_vs._Predator_(comics))* comic book series published by [Dark Horse Comics](/source/Dark_Horse_Comics).[20] In a departure from previous films, the Predator, Dek, is the protagonist rather than an antagonist.[21] Dek is portrayed by [stuntman](/source/Stuntman) Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, who also learned the Predator language specifically for the role.[15] To create Dek's physical appearance, [Studio Gillis](/source/Amalgamated_Dynamics) designed a [creature suit](/source/Creature_suit) to portray Dek's body, while Dek's face was digitally enhanced using [motion capture](/source/Motion_capture) computer animation to convey more subtle emotional expression.[15][7][14] [Wētā Workshop](/source/W%C4%93t%C4%81_Workshop) also contributed to the film's [practical effects](/source/Practical_effects) and designs.[7] The fictional Weyland-Yutani Corporation featured in the [*Alien* franchise](/source/Alien_(franchise)) (and created by screenwriters [Dan O'Bannon](/source/Dan_O'Bannon) and [Ronald Shusett](/source/Ronald_Shusett) for the 1979 film *[Alien](/source/Alien_(film))*) appears in the film.[5]

[Principal photography](/source/Principal_photography) began in [New Zealand](/source/New_Zealand) by August 27, 2024, under the [working title](/source/Working_title) *Backpack*,[13] and [wrapped](/source/Wrap_(filmmaking)) in late October.[22] Jeff Cutter served as the cinematographer, after previously working with Trachtenberg on *Prey*.[23] Olivier Dumont and Kathy Siegel served as the film's production visual effects supervisor and visual effects producer, respectively, creating the film's [computer-generated imagery](/source/Computer-generated_imagery) through visual effects vendors [Industrial Light & Magic](/source/Industrial_Light_%26_Magic) (ILM), [Wētā FX](/source/W%C4%93t%C4%81_FX), [Rising Sun Pictures](/source/Rising_Sun_Pictures), [Trixter](/source/Trixter_(company)), Important Looking Pirates, The Yard VFX, and [Framestore](/source/Framestore).[24][7] According to Trachtenberg, every shot of the film required visual effects work.[7]

## Music

Main article: [Predator: Badlands (soundtrack)](/source/Predator:_Badlands_(soundtrack))

In October 2025, [Sarah Schachner](/source/Sarah_Schachner) and [Benjamin Wallfisch](/source/Benjamin_Wallfisch) were revealed to have composed the musical score, having previously worked with Trachtenberg on *Prey* and *Predator: Killer of Killers*, respectively.[25]

## Release

### Theatrical

In June 2025, Disney announced that *Predator: Badlands* would receive a Hall H presentation at [San Diego Comic-Con](/source/San_Diego_Comic-Con) later that year.[26] The film held its UK premiere at the [BFI IMAX](/source/BFI_IMAX) in London on October 28, 2025.[27] It subsequently had its world premiere at the [TCL Chinese Theatre](/source/TCL_Chinese_Theatre) on November 3, 2025,[28] before being theatrically released in the United States on November 7, 2025,[29] in [RealD 3D](/source/RealD_3D) and [IMAX](/source/IMAX).[30] Excluding [*Alien vs. Predator*](/source/Alien_vs._Predator_(film)) (2004), *Predator: Badlands* is the first film in the mainline *Predator* series to receive a [PG-13 rating](/source/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system) from the [Motion Picture Association](/source/Motion_Picture_Association); all prior installments in the series were rated R.[31]

### Home media

*Predator: Badlands* was released on digital platforms on January 6, 2026, and was released on [DVD](/source/DVD), [Blu-ray](/source/Blu-ray), and [Ultra HD Blu-ray](/source/Ultra_HD_Blu-ray) on February 17, 2026.[32]

In the United States, *Predator: Badlands* topped [Fandango at Home](/source/Fandango_at_Home)'s weekly digital sales and rental chart for the week ending January 11, following its premium digital release on January 6. The film remained in first place for the weeks ending January 18 and January 25. It subsequently remained within the top ten from the week ending February 1 through March 1.[33] On physical media, the film debuted at No. 1 on [Circana](/source/Circana)'s VideoScan chart, which tracks combined sales of all disc formats, as well as on the dedicated Blu-ray sales chart, for the week ending February 21. It was also the top-selling title on the 4K Ultra HD disc format during the same week.[34] For February 2026, the film placed No. 1 on the monthly physical media sales chart and No. 2 on the year-to-date chart through February.[35]

Streaming analytics firm FlixPatrol, which monitors daily updated VOD charts and streaming ratings across the globe, reported that *Predator: Badlands* ranked No. 1 on the U.S. Apple TV chart for the week ending January 11.[36] As of January 13, the film placed first on multiple on-demand platforms, including Amazon, Apple TV, and Vudu, and also held the top position in several international markets, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada.[37] On Hulu, the film recorded 9 million views during its first five days of streaming, becoming the platform's most-watched film premiere since *[Prey](/source/Prey_(2022_film))* (2022).[38][39] [Nielsen Media Research](/source/Nielsen_Media_Research), which records streaming viewership on certain U.S. television screens, announced that *Predator: Badlands* accumulated 587 million minutes of viewing time between February 9–15, ranking as the third most-streamed film during that period.[40][41] The following week, between February 16–22, the film recorded 343 million minutes of viewing time, again placing third.[42][43] Between February 23 and March 1, *Predator: Badlands* garnered 165 million minutes of viewing time, ranking ninth.[44]

## Reception

### Box office

As of January 23, 2026, *Predator: Badlands* has grossed $91.1 million in the United States and Canada, and $93.5 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $184.6 million.[4]

In the United States and Canada, *Predator: Badlands* was released alongside *[Die My Love](/source/Die_My_Love)*, *[Nuremberg](/source/Nuremberg_(2025_film))*, *[Christy](/source/Christy_(2025_American_film))* and *[Sarah's Oil](/source/Sarah's_Oil)*, and was initially projected to gross $25–30 million in its opening weekend.[45] The film made $15.6 million on its first day[46] (including $4.8 million from Wednesday and Thursday box office previews),[47] rising estimates to $36–38 million, a record for the *Predator* franchise.[48] It would end up debuting to $40 million at the domestic box office in its opening weekend, overtaking the previous franchise record held by *[Alien vs. Predator](/source/Alien_vs._Predator_(film))*, which made $38 million in 2004.[49] The film collected an additional $40 million from international markets, for a worldwide total debut of $80 million.[49]

### Critical response

Audiences polled by [CinemaScore](/source/CinemaScore) gave the film an average grade of A− on an A+ to F scale, the highest in the *Predator* franchise to date, and it received a 78% "definite recommend" on [PostTrak](/source/PostTrak).[50]

Liz Shannon Miller of *[Consequence](/source/Consequence_(publication))* gave the film an "A-," stating that "*Badlands* flips the approach and finds something fresh and wonderful and bold as a result — as if [James Cameron](/source/James_Cameron) had made *[Terminator 2](/source/Terminator_2:_Judgment_Day)* entirely from the [T-800](/source/Terminator_(character))'s point of view."[51] Tim Robey of the *[Daily Telegraph](/source/Daily_Telegraph)* gave the film 4 out of 5 stars, praising *Badlands'* ability to "humanise a film in which not a single human features."[52] Not all reviews were positive however, with *[Hindustan Times](/source/Hindustan_Times)* reviewer Abhimanyu Mathur referring to the movie as a "bland" [spin-off](/source/Spinoff_(media)) that "nobody asked for." Whilst supportive of the choice to focus on the runt of a litter, Mathur described Dek as a "whiny teenager," rather than as an "underdog," awarding *Badlands* 2 stars.[53] Luca Fontana of *[Galaxus](/source/Galaxus)* and Manohla Dargis of *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)* also acknowledged Dek's reversed role as the prey, with the Kalisk instead becoming the underdog.[17][54] [Écran Large](/source/%C3%89cran_Large) writer Geoffrey Crété described *Badlands* as a big leap from Trachtenberg's previous work in the franchise, describing the planet Genna as a "savage world," that is complemented by "high-quality visual effects." Crété criticized the characterization however, describing them as remaining "the same puppets serving the same eternal stories of identity quest and blended families."[55] Giving the film 2 stars out of 5, Peter Bradshaw of *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)* similarly criticized the characterization of Dek, putting his humanization down to "the service of narrative development," concluding that "it ceases to be the Predator."[56]

Elle Fanning was described as a "sprightly breath of fresh air, winsomely cutting through the grit-and-honor stolidity of the Predator mindset" by Richard Lawson of *[The Hollywood Reporter](/source/The_Hollywood_Reporter)*, going on to say that her character "steers the film away from impossible bleakness."[57] Dustin Rowles, reviewing for *Pajiba*, also praised Fanning's performance, referring to her as "the glue holding it all together," remarking on her performance as humorous, intelligent and including "jaw-dropping action scenes involving her detached legs."[58] Matthew Turner of *Nerdly* gave special mention to *Badlands* screenwriter Patrick Aison for making Dek sympathetic to the audience before Thia's first appearance.[59]

Meredith Loftus of *Offscreen Central* gave *Badlands* a B+ rating, stating that "the only aspect that will get any attention this awards season is the visual effects."[60] *[ScreenCrush](/source/ScreenCrush)* writer Matt Singer commended the design of Dek, remarking that "it looks so convincing that the viewer simply accepts it as a living, flesh-and-blood creature."[61] David Crow, reviewing for *[Den of Geek](/source/Den_of_Geek)*, credited the performance of Schuster-Koloamatangi for being able to act despite heavy [CGI](/source/Computer-generated_imagery) and [prosthetics](/source/Prosthetics), remarking that Dek "looks unconvincingly alien, but there is a more human tactile performance in those eyes," making a comparison to prior *Predator* franchise entries.[62] *[IGN](/source/IGN)* writer Clint Gage scored *Badlands* 8 out of 10, complimenting the creature design, comparing them to those seen in *[Avatar](/source/Avatar_(franchise))* and describing Genna as an "alien death planet populated with ravenous flora and fauna."[63] *[Variety Magazine](/source/Variety_(website))* writer Peter Debruge compared the plot of *Badlands* to a live-action version of the poem "[Jabberwocky](/source/Jabberwocky)" by author [Lewis Carroll](/source/Lewis_Carroll), naming *Badlands* the strongest entry in the *Predator* franchise since [the original](/source/Predator_(movie)).[64] Alan Ng writing for *Film Threat* enjoyed the action sequences but criticized the story "for lacking deeper meaning."[65]

### Accolades

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref. Austin Film Critics Association December 18, 2025 The Dual Threat Special Award Elle Fanning [66] Las Vegas Film Critics Society December 19, 2025 Best Stunts Predator: Badlands [67] Best Action Film Saturn Awards March 8, 2026 Best Science Fiction Film [68] [69] Best Film Direction Dan Trachtenberg Best Actress in a Film Elle Fanning Best Film Editing Stefan Grube and Dave Trachtenberg Best Film Costume Design Ngila Dickson Seattle Film Critics Society December 15, 2025 Best Action Choreography Jacob Tomuri [70] Best Visual Effects Olivier Dumont, Alec Gillis, Sheldon Stopsack, and Karl Rapley

## Comic book

A [tie-in](/source/Tie-in) prequel [comic book](/source/Comic_book), set shortly before the events of the movie, written by Ethan Sacks and illustrated by Elvin Ching, was published on November 12, 2025, by [Marvel Comics](/source/Marvel_Comics).[71]

## Future

In an interview in the July 2025 *[SFX](/source/SFX_(magazine))* magazine, Trachtenberg stated he had three initial *Predator* films in mind to make: *Predator: Killer of Killers,* *Predator: Badlands*, and a third that he intends to direct if *Predator: Badlands* is successful.[72] Discussions are ongoing with original franchise star [Arnold Schwarzenegger](/source/Arnold_Schwarzenegger) about reprising his role as Dutch in a future installment.[73] In a January 2023 interview, *[Prey](/source/Prey_(2022_film))* star [Amber Midthunder](/source/Amber_Midthunder) said the cast of that film was in talks with Trachtenberg for a sequel.[74]

## References

1. ["*Predator: Badlands* (12A)"](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/predator-badlands-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmdi5odkx). *[BBFC](/source/British_Board_of_Film_Classification)*. October 27, 2025. Retrieved October 28, 2025.

1. Rubin, Rebecca (November 5, 2025). ["Box Office: 'Predator: Badlands' Targets $25 Million Debut"](https://variety.com/2025/film/box-office/predator-badlands-box-office-opening-weekend-projections-1236569482/). *[Variety](/source/Variety_(magazine))*. Retrieved November 5, 2025.

1. ["Predator: Badlands – Financial Information"](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Predator-Badlands-(2025)#tab=summary). *[The Numbers](/source/The_Numbers_(website))*. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved January 12, 2026.

1. ["Predator: Badlands (2025)"](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt31227572/). *[Box Office Mojo](/source/Box_Office_Mojo)*. [IMDb](/source/IMDb). Retrieved February 13, 2026.

1. Hood, Cooper (April 23, 2025). ["Elle Fanning's Surprise Predator: Badlands Character & Major Alien Franchise Connection Explained"](https://screenrant.com/predator-badlands-elle-fanning-android-alien-connection-explained/). *[Screen Rant](/source/Screen_Rant)*. Retrieved April 24, 2025.

1. Scott, Darren (October 2025). ["A world of pain"](https://pocketmags.com/fr/sfx-magazine/october-2025/articles/a-world-of-pain). *[SFX](/source/SFX_(magazine))*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20260228082832/https://pocketmags.com/fr/sfx-magazine/october-2025/articles/a-world-of-pain) February 28, 2026 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 16, 2025. – via PocketMags.

1. Donato, Matt (April 23, 2025). ["'Predator: Badlands'– Dan Trachtenberg Previews His "Big, Crazy Swing" \[Interview\]"](https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3865397/predator-badlands-edit-bay/). *[Bloody Disgusting](/source/Bloody_Disgusting)*. Retrieved April 26, 2025.

1. Raposas, Rachel. ["How That Secret Stranger Things Cameo in Predator: Badlands Came to Be"](https://people.com/how-stranger-things-cameo-predator-badlands-happened-11846187). [People](/source/People_(magazine)). Retrieved 16 November 2025.

1. Fellows, Billy (November 16, 2025). ["'Predator: Badlands' Actually Has an Unexpected 'Stranger Things' Cameo"](https://collider.com/predator-badlands-duffer-brothers-cameo/). [Collider](/source/Collider_(website)). Retrieved 16 November 2025.

1. Kroll, Justin (February 9, 2024). ["Dan Trachtenberg To Direct New Standalone 'Predator' Movie 'Badlands' As 20th Century Expands On Universe"](https://deadline.com/2024/02/dan-trachtenberg-predator-movie-badlands-1235820417/). *[Deadline Hollywood](/source/Deadline_Hollywood)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240209181157/https://deadline.com/2024/02/dan-trachtenberg-predator-movie-badlands-1235820417/) February 9, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 9, 2024.

1. ["Predator: Badlands"](https://directories.wga.org/project/1267102/predator-badlands). *[Writers Guild of America West](/source/Writers_Guild_of_America_West)*. October 9, 2025. Retrieved October 13, 2025.

1. Kroll, Justin (June 3, 2024). ["'Badlands': Elle Fanning Eyed To Star In New Standalone 'Predator' Pic From 20th Century And Dan Trachtenberg"](https://deadline.com/2024/06/badlands-elle-fanning-predator-pic-1235945800/). *[Deadline Hollywood](/source/Deadline_Hollywood)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240603180928/https://deadline.com/2024/06/badlands-elle-fanning-predator-pic-1235945800/) June 3, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 3, 2024.

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---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Predator: Badlands](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predator%3A_Badlands) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predator%3A_Badlands?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.