Summary:
- Predator: Badlands is the ninth Predator movie with elements from Alien movies.
- Let’s talk about Predator: Badlands and whether it has a post-credits scene.
- More importantly, we cover a major detail behind Predator Badlands’ inspiration that will catch you off guard.
Predator: Badlands releases on November 7, 2025, with Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Koloamatangi headlining the cast. Dan Trachtenberg, who brought the Predator franchise back to life with Prey, is directing the film. Badlands is taking the franchise in an entirely new direction this time around. So, here are all the details you need to know about Predator: Badlands, along with an interesting detail that will surely raise your eyebrows.
Table of Contents
When Does Predator: Badlands Take Place in The Predator Timeline
Predator: Badlands is the ninth and latest movie in the Predator timeline. Despite technically being a sequel to Prey, Badlands is not a sequel since Prey was set in the past and was the first movie in the Predator chronological order. This means that you can watch Predator: Badlands without having watched any other Predator movies.
Trachtenberg has simply stated that the movie takes place in “the far future” and hasn’t revealed a specific year. We might get more details later down the line, similar to how Alien: Romulus streamlined when it took place in the Alien timeline.
Will Predator: Badlands Have Xenomorphs
No, Dan Trachtenberg has confirmed that there are no Xenomorphs in Predator: Badlands. Despite a Predator–Alien crossover being long overdue, it looks like both franchises are holding off on that long-awaited showdown, at least for now. That said, Predator and Alien exist in the same universe.
Predator: Badlands features elements from the Alien movies as well, like Colonial Marines, MU/TH/UR (the computer system from the 1979 Alien movie), and finally synthetics.
Predator: Badlands’ main focus, however, is on the relationship between a Weyland-Yutani synthetic and a Yautja warrior, which has led many fans to speculate that a Xenomorph might appear in the movie.
Does Predator: Badlands Have a Post-Credits Scene
No, Predator: Badlands does not feature a post-credits scene. Early screenings of the movie took place in the US and UK, and the review embargo was lifted on November 4, 2025. Viewers reported that the movie doesn’t tease the future of the Alien or Predator franchises in its ending.
Instead, the movie dives into Predator lore, expanding the mythology and leaving plenty of room for future stories to explore. Interestingly, Prey and Predator: Killer of Killers featured an after-credits scene, both of which are considered to be among the highest-rated Predator films. However, it seems like Badlands is taking a different route.
How Video Games and Star Wars Inspired the Making of Predator: Badlands
We see a Weyland-Yutani synthetic and a Yautja warrior form an unlikely bond in Predator: Badlands. After having her Torso cut in half in a fight with a monster, Dek, the Yautja warrior, carries Thia on his back. If you’re a fan of sci-fi, you would’ve noticed that this sounds awfully similar to another iconic movie.
Well, you might have guessed it right. In an interview with IGN, director Dan Trachtenberg confirmed that Star Wars was the inspiration for this idea, along with some iconic games.
There’s a few that have influenced me over the years and definitely come together in this. One would be the combination of Half-Life 2, when you meet the robot dog, it’s like your pet, but you befriend it, and the reboot of Prince of Persia, and Uncharted where it’s like having the companion along with the journey makes it that much more rich and entertaining.
And then of course, the 2018 God of War. All of that influenced the nature of Dek and Thia in this movie, along with many other things.”
