20th Century Studios has shared the first trailer and poster (via SFFGazette.com) for Predator: Badlands, the newest entry in the Predator franchise, directed by Dan Trachtenberg (Prey).
The trailer sets the tone for a movie that looks vastly different to Prey. This Yautja appears to be quite a bit smaller than what we're used to seeing on screen, and is shown doing battle with much larger hunters.
However, his smaller stature makes him a different kind of beast, something that's evident here as he runs nimbly through the battlefield. It's also refreshing not to see a Predator hunting humans on Earth.
In fact, it seems we're going to further explore the culture and dynamic of these formidable aliens, which feels like it could lead perfectly into a new space-set Alien vs. Predator movie down the line.
In fact, that's confirmed with the revelation that Thia is a Weyland-Yutani android. The logo can be seen on her uniform and in the scene where her eyes go blank. Clearly, something is in the works as Disney looks to connect the two franchises.
Talking at CinemaCon earlier this month, Fanning said, "Something unprecedented happens in this movie, and my character is not the one being chased. My character actually teams up with the Predator, and you get to see him in a whole new light."
Fanning also confirmed that the movie sets out to answer the question, "What if the Predator was a good guy?"
"The creature is front and centre, leading the charge," Trachtenberg revealed last year. "He’s still badass, but there’s something there that touches you emotionally, too. Creating a character you connect with, but are also super-intimidated by, has been challenging. But exciting."
The filmmaker would go on to explain that he wanted to "find another essential piece of cinema that does what Prey did spiritually — pushing the franchise’s boundaries, letting us root for a hero we rarely get to root for — but in a different way. And that transformed into this big idea of rooting for the Predator."
The movie, which stars Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, is set in the future on a remote planet, where a young Predator (Schuster-Koloamatangi), outcast from his clan, finds an unlikely ally in Thia (Fanning) and embarks on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary.
As noted, Trachtenberg directs and produces Predator: Badlands alongside John Davis, Marc Toberoff, Ben Rosenblatt, and Brent O’Connor.
Predator: Badlands opens exclusively in movie theaters on November 7 in IMAX, Dolby Cinema, Cinemark XD, 4DX, ScreenX, and premium screens everywhere.