Great news for fans of the Predator franchise, particularly standalone prequel entry Prey: the director of that 2022 film, Dan Trachtenberg (who also made 10 Cloverfield Lane), is returning to the universe. While Prey 2 still might happen, that’s not what this new project is; rather, it’s another standlone titled Badlands.
As Deadline reports, Badlands is a direct result of Prey’s success; despite being a straight-to-Hulu release in a time when theaters where still reopening after the height of the pandemic, it was a critical and audience smash. There’s no word yet if Badlands will get a theatrical release, but it seems like a good possibility; the trade writes that the project is “high prority” for 20th Century, with the lead role currently being cast and shooting due to start later in 2024.
There are no specific plot details yet, but we can absolutely assume the story will involve an alien hunter coming to Earth with all manner of ridiculous weaponry, hoping to add more victims to their kill count. Purely speculating here, but the title Badlands evokes the Wild West era; if Trachtenberg is going for another period piece in the vein of Prey, perhaps we’ll see some sharpshooting outlaws in the mix.
Are you excited for a new Predator movie that follows Prey’s blueprint for success? Let us know in the comments below.
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