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Predator: Badlands Bows in Theaters With Bold PG-13 Pivot and Alien-Universe Ties

Early reviews highlight striking worldbuilding and strong leads even as the gentler tone and Predator-as-hero shift split franchise loyalists.

Overview

  • 20th Century Studios released Predator: Badlands in cinemas on Nov. 7 following a Nov. 3 world premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre.
  • The standalone story follows Dek, an outcast Yautja, who teams with a Weyland‑Yutani android on the death planet Genna to pursue a formidable quarry.
  • Director Dan Trachtenberg emphasizes a PG‑13 approach with no human characters and stylized creature violence, trading gore for a found‑family dynamic.
  • Critics consistently praise the visuals, expansive worldbuilding, and performances by Dimitrius Schuster‑Koloamatangi and Elle Fanning, while noting that the softened edge may disappoint purists.
  • Production showcases a practical suit performance augmented by Weta FX facial animation and a constructed Yautja language, with Weyland‑Yutani linking the film spiritually to Alien and a mid‑title tease pointing to a potential sequel.