2025 is shaping up to be something special for fans of the Predator franchise, as it has been revealed that a secret Predator film will join the already announced Badlands next year. Predator: Badlands was confirmed to hit theaters, but what was not known was that Prey director Dan Trachtenberg was secretly directing another Prey movie, which will also be released next year. In a new THR interview with 20th Century Fox president Steve Asbell, he revealed what led to the creation of both films and how they will differ from each other.
When asked if the next Predator movie would have a theatrical release, Asbell replied: “Yes, the Predator movie will have a theatrical release. Let me tell you very simply. After Prey was a success, Dan (Trachtenberg) came back and said he didn’t want to do Prey 2. And we were like, “What do you want to do?” And he threw out some ideas that were really crazy, but really cool.”
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This led to the project continuing in secret and joining Badlands next year. “We actually did two of them. Two will be released next year. One I can’t talk about yet, but the other is the live-action Predator with Elle Fanning, which has just been completed in New Zealand. You can see it in theaters next year,” Asbell said.
As for Badlands, Asbell joked about what fans can expect, saying, “It’s an absolutely crazy idea. It’s science fiction, but it’s not what everyone thinks. And I mean it’s great. It’s so crazy. But we trust Dan.” As for the secret Predator movie, Asbell couldn’t reveal too much, saying, “There’s a second Predator movie that we have different plans for. Dan actually directed both.” He then added: “There is a secret Predator movie that will be released before the theatrical release, but I can’t say anything about it yet.
Asbel had one more tidbit to share, however, as when asked if there would eventually be another Alien vs. Predator movie, Asbell replied, “Probably,” and then talked a little more about what it would be like if it actually became a reality.
– It wouldn’t be what you think. That’s what it’s all about,” Asbell said. “Not in the way it will be called Alien vs. Predator or something like the original movies. If we do that, they will be organically created from these two series that we continue with the characters we fell in love with, and those characters will come together… maybe. But we haven’t gotten to that point. And we’re not just going to blow it up.
Part of the challenge of handling franchises like Predator, Alien and Planet of the Apes is finding a way to balance the overall lineup and not over-emphasize any one franchise, and next year is no exception. “The first task was to come up with franchise films and find the right rhythm, especially with Avatar, Apes, Alien and Predator. Getting this task right was the first part we did now. The idea is to be able to say, “OK, we know when the Avatar movies are coming out.” We already know about the Predator. In “27”, let’s say, there will be more monkeys. So knowing where we can plan for these franchises helps us look at and ask ourselves, what kinds of original films in terms of genre do we want to test the market with?”
Are you excited about the two new Predator movies? You can talk movies and movies with me on Threads and on Twitter @mattaguilarcb!