We recently learned that 2025 is going to be a very, very good year for Predator fans. Presumably anyway. At the very least, it’s going to contain more action from this series than we’ve seen in quite some time. First up, director Dan Trachtenberg’s follow-up to 2022’s Prey, the ominously titled Predator: Badlands, hitting theaters next year. But wait, there’s more! There’s another, top secret movie set within the legendary sci-fi/horror franchise coming our way, also directed by Trachtenberg. So, what’s that one about? We now have some details, and it sounds pretty rad.
To recap, 20th Century Studios head Steve Asbell recently revealed that a secret Predator movie is coming our way next year. He refused to divulge any details but clarified that it is indeed a movie directed by Trachtenberg that they have “different plans for.” Does that mean it’s going directly to Hulu like Prey? That’s still unclear. But he did clarify that it will be coming out before Badlands, which is particularly intriguing.
That brings us to now, with some new details emerging. We should caution that these details have yet to be confirmed by the studio, so take it with a grain of salt. That said, it does seem to line up with what Asbell said (more on that in a moment). In a recent report from io9, it’s explained that the secret film is an animated Predator anthology of sorts. It will feature three separate stories, told across three very different timelines. Per the report…
“The secret Predator project is in fact an animated feature, as many speculated. The twist though is it’s almost an anthology, telling three separate stories of Predators fighting warriors in multiple eras. One is potentially pirates, one is potentially samurai, and there’s a third one too.”
That’s a lot to process, but it also makes a great deal of sense. It seems difficult to imagine that a live-action Predator film made by the guy who directed Prey could be kept a secret for so long. An animated film? That’s more plausible. As for the different timelines, the whole Predator vs. Samurai concept is not just intriguing, but it lines up with some of what Asbell said in that same interview. As the executive explained, Trachtenberg had a lot of ideas he wanted to explore in this universe.
“After Prey became a success, Dan [Trachtenberg] came back and said he didn’t want to do Prey 2. 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. We’ve actually done two of them. Two are coming out next year.”
This explains what Trachtenberg was up to in the time between Prey arriving in 2022 and Badlands filming this year. Meanwhile, Disney and 20th Century Studios appear to be ramping up not only this franchise, but Alien as well. A sequel to this year’s hit Romulus is in development for one. Beyond that, Asbell also teased a possible Alien/Predator shared universe when asked about a new Alien vs. Predator movie. It’s a good time to be a fan of monster-driven sci-fi/horror, it seems.
The mystery Predator movie remains without a release date. Look for Predator: Badlands in theaters on November 7, 2025. For more, check out FANGORIA #65 from the archives, which features the original Predator on the cover.
