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Watch the Predator: Badlands Official Trailer
Release Date, Genre & Language
What the Trailer Reveals
The Predator franchise has taken us through steamy jungles, frozen tundras, and even urban hunting grounds — but Predator: Badlands is dragging the alien hunter somewhere we’ve never seen before: a scorched, lawless desert where humans are already fighting to survive.
Instead of elite military teams or unsuspecting scientists, this new chapter pits the Predator against a volatile mix of outlaws, mercenaries, bounty hunters, and ex-soldiers — all trapped in a sun-baked wasteland with nowhere to hide. Director Dan Trachtenberg (Prey) seems determined to strip the story down to its primal core, blending grit, survivalism, and guerrilla tactics with the franchise’s signature intergalactic menace.
The trailer wastes no time setting the tone — dusty winds howl, rusted machinery creaks in the heat, and the haunting score builds to the first glimpse of the Predator stalking unseen in the shadows. This isn’t just a hunt. It’s a war in a place where every side is armed to the teeth.
Trailer Breakdown: 5 Killer Moments Worth Noting
1. A Desolate New Battleground
The opening shots give us a panoramic view of the “Badlands” — a post-apocalyptic stretch of desert where water is scarce, and violence is currency. Rusted watchtowers loom over makeshift settlements. Smoke rises from distant skirmishes between rival gangs. The color palette leans into deep oranges and harsh browns, capturing a Mad Max-style atmosphere.
There’s no organized military here — only factions fighting for scraps. That lack of structure is what makes it perfect for a Predator: no backup, no safe zones, just chaos. The trailer even hints that the desert itself is as much of an enemy as the alien hunter — dust storms whip through camps, and mirages shimmer in the heat, adding disorientation to the hunt.
2. The Mask Reveal
No Predator trailer would be complete without a face reveal, and this one delivers it with maximum tension. In a scene set during a sandstorm, a shadowy figure emerges through the grit. The camera lingers as the Predator reaches up, claws clicking against metal, and slowly pulls off its mask.
The updated creature design is terrifying — more angular mandibles, sharper tusks, and intricate battle scars etched into its skin. The storm briefly clears to show its glowing eyes fixating on its prey. This isn’t just fan service — it’s a clear statement that this Predator is a veteran of countless hunts, wearing those scars like trophies.
3. Heat Vision Hunt
One of the most nostalgic moments comes when the trailer switches to the Predator’s iconic thermal vision. We see a small band of survivors huddled together in an abandoned fuel station at night. The shifting colors of heat signatures pop against the cool desert backdrop.
The scene is almost a direct homage to the original 1987 Predator, but with a twist: instead of silently picking them off, this Predator seems to toy with its prey — circling, letting them see fleeting glimpses before striking. The sound design here is chilling, with the Predator’s clicks echoing in the dark and distant metallic thuds hinting at advanced weaponry being primed.
4. A New Kind of Warrior
Enter Ana de Armas as a hardened female bounty hunter. She’s not a soldier by training but by necessity, adapting to the lawless Badlands with her own brand of tactical ingenuity. We see flashes of her setting traps, using the terrain to her advantage, and even modifying captured Predator tech.
In one quick shot, she straps on a Predator wrist blade — suggesting she might be the franchise’s most unpredictable human opponent yet. This isn’t the standard “hero learns to survive” arc — the trailer frames her as someone already dangerous, now pushed to her limits. Her interactions with the rest of the group hint at tension and distrust, which could be as deadly as the Predator itself.
5. Tech vs Instinct
The climax of the trailer teases an all-out war between human-built mech suits and alien weaponry. Think heavy armor, flamethrowers, and mounted machine guns going up against plasma casters, cloaking devices, and bladed gauntlets.
The editing here is rapid-fire — explosions light up the night sky, the Predator leaps between wrecked vehicles, and human fighters engage in brutal close-quarters combat. What stands out is the raw, dirty style of the action. There’s no sleek military precision — just improvised warfare.
This is where Badlands seems to differentiate itself from past entries: it’s less about elite units being picked off and more about two equally ruthless forces colliding, with the Predator acting as the ultimate apex predator in the chaos.
Cast, Director & Franchise Notes
Director: Dan Trachtenberg (Prey, 10 Cloverfield Lane)
Main Cast:
- Ana de Armas – The Bounty Hunter
- Boyd Holbrook – A mercenary leader with a grudge
- Trevante Rhodes – A former soldier turned caravan protector
- Hiroyuki Sanada – A wandering swordsman seeking revenge
Franchise Connection:
While Predator: Badlands functions as a standalone sequel, it shares the survivalist tone of Prey. There’s no reliance on resurrecting old characters — instead, it builds the mythology by showing how different kinds of warriors adapt to the Predator threat in extreme environments.
The desert setting also offers a fresh tactical challenge. Unlike the dense jungles or cityscapes of past films, the Badlands provide minimal cover — making stealth harder for humans and forcing the Predator to adapt its own hunting strategies.
Final Thoughts
From the brutal desert setting to the menacing redesign of the Predator, Badlands feels like a bold new chapter for the franchise. The trailer promises an intense mix of survival horror and full-scale warfare, with characters who are as dangerous to each other as the alien threat itself.
The choice to focus on a morally grey cast — outlaws, bounty hunters, and mercenaries — could be a game-changer for the series. Instead of clear-cut heroes, we have a web of shifting alliances and betrayals, all under the watchful eyes of a Predator who thrives on exploiting weakness.
With Trachtenberg at the helm, expect a grounded, tension-heavy narrative punctuated by explosive action. If Prey was about stripping the concept back to its primal essence, Badlands looks set to test that formula in a chaotic, unforgiving new arena.
The hunt has evolved, the battleground has changed, but one thing remains the same — in the Badlands, there’s only one law: survive.
