In February of 2024, it was announced that Prey director Dan Trachtenberg would become the first filmmaker to take the helm of two films in the Predator franchise, as he was moving ahead with a new Predator film titled Badlands, working from a screenplay by Prey screenwriter Patrick Aison (based on a story crafted by Trachtenberg himself). Then we found out that while Trachtenberg was making the live-action Predator: Badlands, he was also working on an animated anthology movie called Predator: Killer of Killers, which he wrote with Micho Robert Rutare and directed with Josh Wassung of the animation company The Third Floor. So he has actually made three Predator movies. Predator: Killer of Killers was released through the Hulu streaming service a while back and Predator: Badlands is aiming for a November 7, 2025 theatrical release. Now, Marvel Comics has announced that they’ll be publishing a one-shot comic that serves as a prequel to the film, with the issue hitting store shelves on November 12th.
From the team of writer Ethan Sacks and artist Elvin Ching, the Predator: Badlands prequel comic book (which is simply called Predator: Badlands #1), has the following description: The official prequel, done in collaboration with director Dan Trachtenberg, to the new, eagerly anticipated film, PREDATOR: BADLANDS, is here! A young Yautja warrior is given a seemingly simple task by his father: Retrieve a piece of technology from a derelict spaceship that crashed years ago. Inside, however, an ancient and deadly threat lies in wait. Now the Predator will become the prey…
According to a casting call, Predator: Badlands had this description: A groundbreaking film in which one of the two main storylines delves into the intricate bond of two very different sisters, their familial ties are put to the ultimate test as they pursue divergent paths and missions. We’ve previously heard that the story is set sometime in the future. The casting call was searching for a lead actress who could take on the dual role of twin sisters Thia and Tessa: This casting is for a dual character, and describes both characters. Character identifies as female or non-binary, open ethnicity, mid 20s – mid 40s. Thia has spent most of her life in a laboratory and is now embarking on her first big adventure in the world. She is incredibly smart, witty, enthusiastic, and unflappable. She has an innate disregard for danger, not because she’s fearless, but simply because she’s naive. Strong comedy chops required. // The other sister, Tessa, has a militant intensity when it comes to achieving her family’s goals and mission objectives. She will not let anything get in her way, not even her twin sister. These are the roles Elle Fanning is playing, and at least one of her characters (Thia) has the Weyland-Yutani logo printed on her eyeballs.
The official synopsis tells us the film is set in the future on a remote planet, where a young Predator, outcast from his clan, finds an unlikely ally in Thia (Fanning) and embarks on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary. The film is produced by John Davis, Dan Trachtenberg, Marc Toberoff, Ben Rosenblatt, and Brent O’Connor. The lead Predator is played by Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi.
Sacks had this to say about the prequel comic: “For a writer who grew up a lifelong fan of the Predator franchise, there is no bigger game than the chance to hunt with the Yautja. Working hand in hand with the filmmakers behind Predator: Badlands, we made sure this prequel story fits into the cinematic saga like a puzzle piece. It’s going to give fans a deeper, richer experience – especially when they get to feast their eyes on Elvin Ching’s art.” Trachtenberg added, “Badlands is the first Predator movie to draw inspiration so heavily from the comic books. So it’s with great delight that you and I now get to look at splash pages, from the minds of Ethan and Elvin, of a formative adventure for our characters that serves as a perfect companion to the film. Dek kicking ass in his very own comic book is a dream come true.“
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