It’s a Good Day for Predator Fans as Franchise Gets Good News After Last Week’s Surprise Reveal

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Director Dan Trachtenberg has entered a three-year agreement with Paramount Pictures, meaning his future film projects will primarily be developed and produced with that studio. This marks a return for Trachtenberg, who first gained recognition with 10 Cloverfield Lane at Paramount. He’s coming from 20th Century Studios, where he successfully expanded the Predator universe with projects like the prequel Prey, the animated Predator: Killer of Killers, and the live-action series Predator: Badlands. Because this deal gives Paramount first consideration for his work, many fans are now wondering what this means for the future of the Predator franchise.

Director Dan Trachtenberg recently told io9 that he’s actively planning the future of the Predator franchise. He’s at the same stage he was after Prey was released, brainstorming ideas – including focusing on a Predator as the main character and developing an animated film that explores different time periods. These ideas are all moving forward at the same time. Despite taking on new projects at Paramount, Trachtenberg confirmed he’s still dedicated to the Predator universe and excited about its potential.

Trachtenberg is excited about a new deal with Paramount. He says they’re eager to help him bring his original movie ideas to life, and they also have a lot of established franchises. While scheduling might create some challenges, he’s open to all possibilities. The main obstacle right now is timing, as his commitment to Paramount means a new Predator movie in theaters isn’t likely to happen immediately, though he isn’t giving up on the series.

There Are Many Exciting Directions Dan Trachtenberg Can Lead the Predator Franchise

Trachtenberg has breathed new life into the Predator series by skillfully blending three different filmmaking approaches. He’s also cleverly hinted at future stories in each film. For example, Prey ended with a suggestion of a larger Yautja attack on Comanche lands, and Predator: Badlands finished with a cliffhanger: the arrival of the protagonist Dek’s mother, hinting at a story exploring the complex social structure and power dynamics within Yautja society.

One of the most intriguing ideas introduced in Predator: Killer of Killers is the Predators’ collection of the most dangerous human hunters – those who have actually defeated a Predator in combat. These humans are put into a frozen sleep and taken to the Predator home world to fight as gladiators for the Predators’ entertainment. The film’s extended ending showed that Predators have been collecting these skilled hunters throughout history, even including Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Dutch Schaefer and Danny Glover’s Mike Harrigan alongside the hero from Prey, Naru. This opens up a clear opportunity for Schwarzenegger to return to the Predator franchise, potentially teaming up with Naru in a future film.

As a critic, I found Predator: Badlands really interesting because it opens up a lot of possibilities for where this franchise could go. The story centers on a young Predator, Dek, and his unlikely team-up with Thia, played by Elle Fanning, who’s a synthetic – basically, an artificial human – created by the Weyland-Yutani corporation. And that’s the key thing here: the clear introduction of Weyland-Yutani, the big bad company from the Alien movies. It feels like the director is definitely laying the groundwork for a potential Alien vs. Predator reboot, and I, for one, am intrigued.

Predator: Badlands is scheduled to be released on streaming via Hulu and Disney+ on February 12th.

What would you rather see: a new movie featuring the characters Naru and Dutch, or a crossover between the Alien and Predator franchises? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-02-11 15:10