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Summary
Predatoris a franchise that has been around since 1987, but there have only been five mainline films in that 37 years. That will all change in 2025 when Disney’s 20th Century Studios releases not one but two newPredatorfilms.
Following the success of the first two Arnold Schwarzenegger-starringPredatorfilms, multiple attempts were made to revive the franchise. The only movie that seemed toresonate with audiences was 2022’sPrey, a standalone prequel film starring Amber Midthunder set in the 1700s. The film was directed by Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane) and went straight to streaming on Disney+ and Hulu. Despite the lack of a theatrical release,Preymade waves and earned a 94% positive review score on Rotten Tomatoes, the highest of the franchise to date. It also went on to earn nominations at the Saturn Awards, Producers Guild of America Awards, and the Creative Arts Emmy Awards. There was no doubt that Disney would look to make a sequel to its successfulPredatorfilm, but the future of the franchise may be bigger than anyone was expecting.
Disney Confirms Two Predator Movies For 2025
It’s been public knowledge for some time that Trachtenberg would return for anotherPredatormovie at Disney, but the details of that return were shrouded in mystery. Recently, 20th Century Studios head Steve Asbell provided an update on the studio’s upcoming slate whichincludes new movies in theAlienandPredatorfranchises. Speaking toThe Hollywood Reporterabout the future ofPredator, Asbell confirmed there are actually two films in the works, one titledPredator: Badlandsand another that Asbell declined to provide any information on, aside from confirming it would be released in 2025. “We’ve actually done two of them. Two are coming out next year,” the studio head confirmed. So what is known about Disney’s two newPredatorfilms?
Predator Badlands
With Dan Trachtenberg returning, many would expectPredator: Badlandsto be a sequel toPrey.However, Asbell confirmed this is not that film. “AfterPreybecame a success, Dan [Trachtenberg] came back and said he didn’t want to doPrey 2,” Asbell explained. “And we’re like, “What do you want to do?” And he rattled off a bunch of ideas that were really crazy but really cool.” Rather than aPreysequel,Predator: Badlandswill instead be a standalone film in the franchise, with a new lead.Elle Fanning’s casting was confirmedearlier in 2024 and production took place in New Zealand starting in June. A casting call for the film seemingly suggestsPredator: Badlandswill focus on the relationship between two sisters, which would make it a nice companion piece to the recentAlien: Romulus, but no other cast members have been announced to date.
AfterPreybecame a success, Dan [Trachtenberg] came back and said he didn’t want to doPrey 2.
Asbell did not confirm further plot details forPredator Badlands, only revealing the film will star Fanning, will be live-action, and had recently wrapped in New Zealand. “It’s titledBadlandsand it is an absolutely bonkers idea. It is a sci-fi thing, but it’s not what everybody thinks it is,” Asbell explained. The studio head also confirmed that,unlikePrey, Predator: Badlandswill receive a theatrical releasewith a date set for June 19, 2025.
Disney’s Secret Predator Movie
The biggest surprise out of Asbell’s recent interview was that there would bea secondPredatorfilm released in 2025. Beyond revealing that Trachtenberg is the director of both films, Asbell was adamant that he could not talk about the other secretPredatorfilm. However, a few clues can be gleaned from his comments. Asbell noted that the secretPredatorfilm would be released beforePredator: Badlands, and avoided revealing whether it would be released theatrically, making it seem likely that this will be a streaming release. Asbell also specifically noted thatPredator: Badlandswas a live-action film, which seemingly hints that the otherPredatorfilm may not be.
Will the New Predator Movie Be Animated?
An animatedPredatormovie wouldn’t be the most surprising direction. It would make sense as to how the studio has been able to keep it a secret for so long and why there’s been no news about filming dates or casting. It would also explain how Trachtenberg could direct bothPredatorfilms in such a short time frame and why they’re both being released back-to-back in 2025. Further rumors about the secretPredatorfilmcame by way of io9shortly after Asbell’s interview, with the outlet’s sources revealing the project is indeed an animated feature. Apparently, the film will also be an anthology telling the stories of three Predators fighting warriors in different eras, with pirates and samurai being two of the potential storylines. The animated feature could then potentially set the stage for what’s to come later in the year withPredator: Badlands.
Another minor tease from Asbell’s recent interview is that the studio may consider developing a newAlien vs. Predatortitle, assuming the separate franchises continue to do well. The twoAlien vs. Predatorfilms released to date were not well-received, but with bothPreyandAlien: Romulusrenewing faith in their respective franchises, there’s a possibility a modernAlien vs. Predatortitle could do the same.
Predator: Badlandswill be released on Jun 17, 2025. Disney’s untitledPredatorfilm is also scheduled to release in 2025 on an unspecified date.
