Directed by: Dan Trachtenberg
Starring: Amber Midthunder, Boyd Holbrook, Hiroyuki Sanada
Studio: 20th Century Studios
Estimated Budget: $115 million
Release Date: October 10, 2025
Predator: Badlands is a gritty, atmospheric return to form for the franchise, set in the lawless, dust-choked deserts of a near-future American Southwest. In this post-collapse society, scattered survivors and warlords battle over dwindling resources — unaware that something far worse stalks the wasteland.
Amber Midthunder returns as Naru, now a hardened, modern-day warrior who has lived for centuries due to a mysterious connection to Predator tech. She is drawn into the Badlands after reports of skinned bodies begin to surface. There, she partners with a rogue ex-military tracker (Boyd Holbrook) and a wise samurai drifter (Hiroyuki Sanada), both of whom have their own traumatic Predator encounters.
The trio soon discovers that a new breed of Predator — sleeker, more savage, and genetically enhanced — has arrived to test its prowess against Earth’s toughest survivors. In the explosive final act, Naru sacrifices herself to detonate a stolen Predator bomb, killing the creature. However, a final scene shows her crawling from the rubble, still alive, hinting at her transformation into something more than human.
Conclusion:
With a $115 million budget, Predator: Badlands delivers tight pacing, brutal combat, and a surprisingly emotional story. It balances franchise nostalgia with fresh, high-stakes world-building, setting up a bold new arc for the series.
