Predator: Badlands is not a secret Alien vs. Predator film, its director has insisted. There’s no Xenomorph in it either.
Director Dan Trachtenberg told Empire outright that fans shouldn’t expect to see a Xenomorph from the Alien franchise in Predator: Badlands, despite evil megacorp Weyland-Yutani featuring prominently in the movie’s trailers.
Elle Fanning’s Thia, as trailers have revealed, is a Weyland-Yutani synth from the nefarious company’s bio-weapons division. Weyland-Yutani seems to have some design — or at least presence — on the alien death world on which Badlands is set.
In another nod to Aliens, the final shot of the trailer shows a mech make a dramatic entrance to fight a giant monster (Aliens Power Loader, anyone?). Thia teases this mech’s introduction by saying: “We might not be alone in this hunt.” Who is she talking about? Who is piloting the mech? And what is this mystery monster?
Alas, this all appears to be a mere sprinkling of Alien in Predator, as opposed to the Alien versus Predator rematch some fans had hoped for.
“There’s no Xenomorph in this movie,” Trachtenberg told Empire. “But to me, that makes it more exciting. We’re not involving [the Alien franchise] just to smush the action figures together. There are great, organic story reasons for Weyland-Yutani to be in this film.”
The new Predator in Badlands is called Dek, an underdog Yautja “runt” in the protagonist role. Predator movies typically feature Yautja (the name given to the race of alien hunters) in antagonist roles. Dek selects his hunting ground, a “Death Planet” called Kalisk, and it’s here he fights to prove his worth to his father and for acceptance within his own clan. In the trailer we hear Dek speak, insisting he’s not the prey here.
While Predator: Badlands does not feature a Xenomorph, Alien is as big as it’s been in years, with the hotly anticipated Alien: Earth finale almost upon us.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
