Following strong performance on Hulu with films like *Prey* and *Predator: Killer of Killers*, the *Predator* series is returning to the big screen. *Predator: Badlands*, releasing in November, is generating buzz because of its ties to the *Alien* franchise. Director Dan Trachtenberg is cleverly using the fact that both series share the same universe – the main character, Thia (Elle Fanning), is a synthetic created by the Weyland-Yutani corporation. With shared universes being popular now, fans are curious about how *Predator: Badlands* connects to the overall *Alien* and *Predator* timelines, but it appears this film will mostly stand on its own.
In an interview with IGN, director Shane Black explained how *Predator: Badlands* fits into the overall *Predator* timeline. He noted that during production, *Alien: Romulus* hadn’t been released yet, and he was unsure of the direction of *Alien: Earth*. Because of this, the team decided to set *Badlands* far in the future, ensuring all previous events happened before the film’s story. Black wanted to avoid creating a complicated timeline that would feel like ‘homework’ for viewers, making it easy to enjoy *Badlands* without needing to track where it fits relative to other films.
Predator: Badlands Took a Simple Approach to Franchise Continuity (and It’s For the Best)
While some viewers hoping for direct connections to the latest *Alien* films might be surprised, director Trachtenberg’s focus is a good sign. He clearly prioritized making *Badlands* a great, standalone movie that anyone can enjoy. He’s mentioned wanting to avoid forced crossovers, and he took care to make any *Alien* elements feel natural to the story. Given that *Badlands* doesn’t include any human characters, the partnership between a Weyland-Yutani robot and a Yautja makes perfect sense.
With *Predator: Badlands* being the first *Predator* film in theaters for seven years, it needs to attract a broad audience. Unlike previous installments like *Prey* and *Killer of Killers*, its success will be measured by box office numbers. Therefore, it makes sense for *Badlands* to be a self-contained story that doesn’t require viewers to have prior knowledge of the franchise. Many people seeing the film on its opening weekend might not have seen *Alien: Romulus* or *Alien: Earth*, so keeping it separate avoids confusion. It’s been a long time since an *Alien vs. Predator* movie, and some viewers may not even realize the two series are connected.
Shane Black’s approach with *Predator: Badlands* is expected to be a positive for other upcoming *Alien* and *Predator* projects. A sequel to *Alien: Romulus* is in the works, and Sigourney Weaver has talked about potentially returning as Ellen Ripley. The creative teams working on these films – or even a second season of *Alien: Earth* – can work freely, knowing *Predator: Badlands* won’t interfere with their stories. While maintaining overall continuity within the franchise is important, it’s good to have the flexibility to create your own narrative without needing to perfectly align with other movies.
As a movie fan, I’m all for shared universes and the potential for seeing characters team up in unexpected ways. But honestly, filmmakers sometimes get so caught up in setting up future crossovers that they forget the most important thing: making a *good* movie, one that stands on its own. That’s how you really connect with audiences, and that connection is what leads to bigger and better things later on. If *Predator: Badlands* does well, I’m betting 20th Century Studios will definitely want to continue exploring the world director Trachtenberg has created. There’s also been talk of a new *Alien vs. Predator* movie, and it feels like that could be the next big event, once people are really back into this shared universe and ready for it.
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2025-10-16 23:47