Elle Fanning teases surprising plot twist in Predator: Badlands at CinemaCon

Actress Elle Fanning, who is set to play the lead in the upcoming Predator: Badlands, the ninth instalment in the Predator franchise, revealed a major plot detail at CinemaCon, this time, the Predator will be the hero rather than the villain.

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What is The Predator about?

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The Predator franchise began in 1987 with the blockbuster film, which followed an elite paramilitary rescue team encountering a deadly alien hunter that systematically hunted them down. However, the series struggled with several lacklustre entries until the release of 2022’s Prey.

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Directed by Dan Trachtenberg, Prey was a critical and commercial hit, prompting 20th Century Studios to greenlight two sequels, the first of which is Badlands, with Trachtenberg returning as director.

Elle Fanning hints at major plot twist

Speaking at CinemaCon, Fanning teased the unexpected twist, saying:

"What if the Predator was a good guy? Something unprecedented happens in this movie, and my character is not the one being chased. My character actually teams up with the Predator, and you get to see him in a whole new light."

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Not the first team up

While this concept is new for the main Predator films, it’s not the first time a Predator has teamed up with a human. The 2004 spin-off Alien vs. Predator featured a Predator joining forces with a human survivor to battle the Alien horde. It will be interesting to see how Badlands expands on this idea.

Predator: Badlands is set to hit cinemas on November 7, 2025.

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