Elle Fanning Confirms Major Predator: Badlands Plot Twist That Will Divide Fans

Predator: Badlands star Elle Fanning has shared a significant plot twist for the film that could be polarizing to longtime fans of the franchise. During Disney’s presentation at CinemaCon (via Comic Book Movie), Fanning was on hand to help promote Predator: Badlands, which opens in theaters on November 7th. She was able to tease a little bit about the story, shedding light on how established series dynamics are getting turned upside down for this installment. Rather than fighting for her life against a Predator, Fanning’s character, Thia, is going to join forces with the creature.

“Something unprecedented happens in this movie, and my character is not the one being chased,” Fanning said. “My character actually teams up with the Predator, and you get to see him in a whole new light.” She added that the film answers the question, “What if the Predator was a good guy?”

Predator: Badlands director Dan Trachtenberg previously revealed that the Predator would be the movie’s protagonist. His goal with the project is to “[push] the franchise’s boundaries” by crafting a story where the audience finds itself rooting for the Predator. Predator: Badlands is set on an alien world, with the narrative also featuring two sisters traversing through a wasteland.

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Trachtenberg is returning to the franchise after helming 2022’s Prey, the straight-to-Hulu release that earned critical acclaim and was seen as a return to form for the property. Predator: Badlands will not be the only new Predator film released in 2025; last year, 20th Century Studios confirmed there’s a secret installment in the works. As of this writing, details are largely being kept under wraps, but Trachtenberg wrote and directed that film as well.

Any franchise that’s been around for as long as Predator is going to have to try to reinvent the wheel even somewhat in an effort to keep things fresh. Though Prey earned the franchise’s highest Rotten Tomatoes score, there’s arguably only so many variations on the “people are being hunted by the Predator” formula filmmakers can do before it starts to get stale. Mixing things up by having the Predator be the protagonist is an interesting spin on well-worn series tropes, but knowing he teams up with a human is sure to raise a few eyebrows. The creature is one of the most terrifying villains in film history, hunting people for sport and collecting them as trophies. Throughout the franchise, many have been brutally killed by a Predator. While Trachtenberg has stated the Predator is “still badass” in Badlands, having him team up with a human and potentially show a softer side could backfire if it isn’t handled effectively.

That said, Trachtenberg did such a good job with Prey that he deserves the benefit of the doubt until fans get an opportunity to see this concept in action. Right now, it’s hard to envision how Predator: Badlands will play out since it’s an idea that’s never been attempted in the franchise before. Perhaps once some footage is released and viewers get a taste for what Trachtenberg has in store, the dynamic shift in Badlands could be one of the best things to happen to the franchise. If nothing else, the film should stand out for being different and taking a chance on something unique.