Predator is getting a top-secret sequel in 2025 in addition to Badlands

2025 is shaping up to be something special for fans of the Predator franchise, as it has been revealed that a secret Predator movie will now join the already announced Badlands next year. Predator: Badlands has been confirmed for a theatrical release, but what wasn’t known is that Prey director Dan Trachtenberg has secretly been making another Prey movie that will also be released next year. In a new THR interview with 20th Century Fox president Steve Asbell, he revealed what led to the two films and how they will differ from each other.

When asked if the next Predator movie would be released in theaters, Asbell replied, “Yes, a Predator movie will have a theatrical release. I’ll tell you very simply. After Prey became 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 spouted off a bunch of really crazy but really cool ideas.

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This led to the plan to advance in secret, which will join the Badlands next year. “We actually made two. Two will be released next year. One I can’t talk about yet, but the other is the live-action Predator movie starring Elle Fanning that just wrapped in New Zealand. This will be released in theaters next year,” Asbell said.

As for Badlands, Asbell gave a preview of what fans can expect, saying, “It’s an absolutely crazy idea. It’s science fiction stuff, but it’s not what everyone thinks. And I mean, it’s awesome. It’s so crazy. But we trust Dan. As for the secret Predator movie, Asbell couldn’t reveal much, saying, “There’s a second Predator movie that we have different plans for.” Dan actually did both. Then he added: “There is a secret Predator movie that will be released before the theatrical release but I can’t say anything yet.

Asbel had one more nugget to share, however, like when he was asked if there would ever be another Alien vs. Aliens movie. Predator, Asbell responded, “Probably,” then explained a little more about what it would be like if it became a reality.

“It wouldn’t be like you think. That’s the problem,” Asbell said. “Not in the sense that it will just be called Alien vs. Predator or something like the original films. If we do that, they’ll be created organically from these two franchises that we’ve continued with characters that we fall in love with and those characters will combine…maybe. But we haven’t gotten there yet. And we’re not just going to get away with it.

Part of the challenge in running franchises like Predator, Alien, and Planet of the Apes is figuring out how to balance the overall roster and not overexpose any franchise, and next year will be no exception. “The first task was to first understand these franchise films and find the right cadence for Avatar, Apes, Alien and Predator in particular. Completing these tasks was the first part, which we have done now. And so this idea is to be able to say, ‘Okay, we know when the Avatar movies are coming.’ We now know Predator. There will be another monkey in 27, let’s just say. So knowing where we can plan these franchises, it helps us look and ask ourselves what kinds of original films in terms of genre do we want to test the market with?

Are you excited for two new Predator movies? You can talk all things movies and movies with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!