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Predator: Badlands Debuts With PG-13 Reboot, Polarized Reviews, and Hints of Schwarzenegger Return

The director signals a lore expansion through Weyland‑Yutani without planning a full Alien crossover.

Overview

  • The film reframes the Predator as Dek, a younger and more vulnerable Yautja who partners with a Weyland‑Yutani android named Thia, played by Elle Fanning.
  • It is rated PG‑13 rather than the franchise’s usual R, a shift that has split early reactions between complaints of softening and praise for emotional reinvention.
  • Producer Ben Rosenblatt called Arnold Schwarzenegger’s comeback as Dutch the franchise’s “holy grail,” with reporting of interest and talks, though no return has been confirmed.
  • Dan Trachtenberg emphasizes a character‑driven approach that centers empathy and outsiders, continuing the thematic direction he established with Prey.
  • Weyland‑Yutani features prominently as part of the world‑building, and the movie opens in theaters on November 7.