Predator: Badlands Review - Breaking Down the New Predator Movie and Its Lore
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In this episode, we take a deep dive into Predator: Badlands, the latest installment in the Predator franchise from 20th Century Studios.
We break down the film’s cast and crew, including director Dan Trachtenberg’s continued evolution of the series following Prey, and examine how Badlands expands the mythology in bold new ways.
We discuss:
The film’s box office performance and critical reception
The evolving state of the Alien and Predator franchises under Disney
The role of synths and expanding lore connections
Video game inspirations ranging from Shadow of the Colossus to Halo
The soundtrack and tonal shifts within the series
The ongoing debate around “Disneyfication” of legacy franchises
We also explore how Predator: Badlands connects to previous entries, including Prey, The Predator, and the Alien vs. Predator films and what it signals about the future of both cinematic universes.
In the second half, we shift to industry news, including franchise updates, major remake announcements, and the latest additions to our Physical Media Showcase.
For a deeper written analysis, read our companion blog post: Predator: Badlands Is the Future of the Franchise
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Chapters
00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:09 Episode Overview
00:01:05 Predator: Badlands Background
00:01:12 Writer/Director Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane, Prey, Predator: Killer of Kilelrs) & Patrick Aison (Prey)
00:01:49 Budget & Box Office
00:03:07 Publication Reviews (IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Metascore, Cinemascore, Threads & the socials)
00:04:52 Dan’s Review
00:09:02 Patrick’s Review
00:12:39 The Planet & the Filming Locations
00:13:55 Box Office Second Week Predications with The Running Man, Keeper, & Now You See Me, Now You Don’t Releases
00:16:06 State of the Alien & Predator Franchises Since Disney’s Acquisition
00:18:38 The Script Development Process
00:20:26 The Predator Reception
00:23:28 The Synths & The Video Games
00:24:51 Elle Fanning’s Duel Roles
00:26:12 The Comedic Elements
00:27:37 The Soundtrack - Sarah Schachner (Prey) & Benjamin Wallfisch (Alien: Romulus)
00:28:45 Alien vs Predator, The Lore, & The Monsters
00:33:00 Video Game Inspiration (Shadow of the Colossus, Monster Hunter, Halo, Ratchet & Clank)
00:37:23 Complaints of the “Disneyfication” of the Predator Franchise
00:38:30 Spoiler Territory
00:41:40 The Role of the Brothers in Prey & Predator: Badlands
00:45:05 Independence Day Easter Egg
00:46:51 The Future of the Franchise
00:50:55 The News
00:50:59 Pan’s Labyrinth Getting Re-Released in Theatres in 2026
00:52:25 Keeper Releasing in Theatres this Week
00:55:17 Joesph Kosinski is in Talks with Michael B Jordan and Austin Butler in Talks for Miami Vice Remake
00:57:13 Gremlins 3 Announcement with Chris Columbus, Steven Spielberg, and the Writers of Final Destination: Bloodlines
01:00:47 Physical Media Showcase
01:00:54 Dan’s Anaconda Blu-Ray Steelbook
01:03:16 Patrick’s Predator & Predator 2 DVD Collector’s Editions
01:07:13 Episode Wrap
