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Predator: Badlands’ Opens Friday With Strong Early Reviews and a PG-13 Rethink

Trachtenberg shifts the focus to a Predator protagonist, extending the lore via Weyland‑Yutani rather than a Xenomorph crossover.

Overview

  • Early reception is broadly positive, with a Rotten Tomatoes score around 89% from roughly 75 reviews and a 69 on Metacritic.
  • The film connects to the Alien universe through Elle Fanning’s Weyland‑Yutani synthetic, and the director has said no Xenomorphs appear.
  • This is the franchise’s first PG-13 feature, a rating enabled by centering non‑human combatants, a shift noted in industry coverage.
  • Production paired a practical “backpack” setup for Dek and Thia with an unusually heavy VFX load, which the director called the project’s biggest challenge.
  • Theatrical release is set for November 7, as a producer says exploratory talks have occurred about a possible Arnold Schwarzenegger return in the future.