Fans packed into Hall H at Comic-Con got an absolute treat when 20th Century Studios shared a full 15 minutes of Predator: Badlands, and let me tell you, it was amazing, brutal, intense, and unlike anything we’ve seen in this franchise before.
If you thought you knew what a Predator movie was, think again, director Dan Trachtenberg is throwing out the rulebook and doing something crazy cool!
Spoilers ahead for the first part of the film
This isn’t your typical “Predator comes to Earth and hunts humans” setup. Nope. Badlands flips the script by making the Predator itself, his name is Dek, the central character.
This is his story, his hero’s journey. The footage sets up an emotional and violent narrative that’s personal, giving us an inside look at Yautja culture and savage family dynamics.
Dek is considered the runt of his family. His father sees him as weak and dishonorable, believing it’s better for him to die than live in shame. The opening scene wastes no time establishing that harsh reality.
The first sequence is a vicious duel between Dek and his older brother. It’s something we’ve seen glimpses of in the trailer, but in full context, it’s awesome. The two clash with long, curved glowing red Predator blades in a fight that’s savage.
The choreography and visual effects, while still unfinished, already look impressive, and we know that Trachtenberg knows how to deliver visceral action.
As the opening sequence unfolds, we learn that Dek once saved his brother’s life. Unknowing to Dek, his older brother was tamed by their father to kill him.
But, It’s clear Dek’s brother has no intention of doing that and is preparing to send him on his first hunt instead to prove his worth as a warrior.
Dek shares with his brother that he wants to embark to one of the deadliest planets in the galaxy, home to a terrifying unkillable apex predator even their father fears. This isn’t just a hunt, it’s a suicide mission meant to redeem his honor.
As his brother is trying to persuade him not to go to that planet, their father arrives,and all hell breaks loose.
What follows is a wild jaw-dropping sequence where the father is furious that his older son hasn’t killed Dek yet. Tensions erupt into violence, and the scene escalates into a brutal fight between father and son. It’s savage:, the father hacks off his son’s arm, stabs him, and ultimately kills him in cold blood.
But before dying, the older brother manages one final act of defiance, he launches Dek’s ship, sending him hurtling toward the hostile planet where his true test awaits.
The last thing we see is Deck speeding off into the void, carrying the weight of his brother’s sacrifice and the knowledge that his father wanted him dead. The scene cuts there, and the room absolutely exploded.
If the first 15 minutes are any indication, Predator: Badlands is a bold reinvention of the franchise. Trachtenberg is giving us a Predator story that feels epic and mythic, all while keeping the raw, violent edge fans love.
Everyone in that hall walked away thinking the same thing: this movie is going to be badass.
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